Page 6 - Have Faith Oct_Neat

Day 4 Forgive and you shall be forgiven...

Forgiveness... Luke 23 31-43
I don't think I know of a harder but more es- St Paul was once a very dangerous man. Yet,
sential virtue than forgiveness. I have also he was imprisoned and beheaded for
seen it as very controversial yet it is such a spreading the word of God. Can you imagine
very basic thing to do. Somebody once told this? The most evil people are still loved and
me that you cannot move forward without for- forgiven by God when they ask for it. It says
giveness. That said it doesn't mean that you in Mark 2:17 "It is not the healthy who need
let somebody off the hook, it gives you a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call
peace. Now I totally agree with the first part the righteous, but sinners." You know, one
but totally disagree with the second bit. I thing that sticks in my mind. In John 8, the
would argue that this is not forgiveness, but Bible tells the story of how Jesus said to the
moving on. True forgiveness means you con- crowd who were about to stone the adulter-
sign the sin to eternal forgetfulness like God ess "Let him without sin cast the first stone."
does. After all, isn't that what being christian That alone made me think seriously how I
is all about, being Christ-like? Now that said, judged people in relation to my own faults.
I'm not that nieve that some sins are harder This especially comes to mind when I read
to forgive for us than others but I would like the posts on social media. It's a very sad
you to bear a few points in mind. None of us thing when people condemn people out of
are perfect, all of us fall short of God's grace hand. I am a very big believer in rightful pun-
at some point. Consider a man in the bible ishment but when the punishment has been
that hated Christians with a passion, he threw dished out that should be it. There's even a
men and women in prison just for their belief. chapter in the bible written by St Paul that
It kind of reminds me of situations going on says this. Just go to 2 Corinthians 2: 5-11. If
around the world today. He would stand by you read this you'll understand where I am
and watch innocent people being stoned to coming from. If not, the next time you can't
death for believing in Jesus. What an awful forgive or wish someone to be punished for
man!!! Yet through love and forgiveness he their sins ask yourself if you can cast the first
became the most celebrated Saint in the stone. Remember, God treats all sins the
Bible. Not only that, he wrote a lot of it. Yes, same.

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