Who is God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity,
and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of
His heritage? He retaineth not His anger for ever,
because He delights in mercy.
Micah 7:18
Society scoffs as the idea that a criminal can be forgiven, that his sins could be erased...
and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of
His heritage? He retaineth not His anger for ever,
because He delights in mercy.
Micah 7:18
Society scoffs as the idea that a criminal can be forgiven, that his sins could be erased...
However, many are ignorant of the fact that all have sinned and done wrong. Therefore, everyone needs a Savior. We are all guilty of breaking at least some of God's laws and thus offending a holy God who hates sin. And as a result of being lawbreakers, we must thereby incur the wrath of the Lord.
But at the same time, God is also a being of compassion. As the above Scripture from the Old Testament states, God "delights" in showing mercy. Yet, this does not mean that anyone can get away with wrongdoing. On the contrary, the Bible makes it plain that each person who has ever lived will one day stand before the Creator of the universe. And when this happens there will never again be an unsolved crime, nor a sin which remains hidden. Even every bad word we've said, and every hateful thought we had against another, will be uncovered. While, at the same time, only those who've been "justified" by God through their faith in Jesus Christ, and His provision of salvation by dying for our sins, will be exempt from this future judgment.
Truly, Christ's atonement and sacrifice on that rugged cross has made all those who've trusted Him completely clean; not sinless nor perfect, but fully forgiven.
Moreover, God's forgiveness doesn't mean that one is exempt from reaping the consequences of his sins. I, for example, believe the Lord has forgiven me for my crimes. Yet, I am still in prison. I must live with the mess I've made. And all my remorse and regret cannot change anything. Nevertheless, God is merciful.
This became very clear to me today as I sat in a Bible study class this afternoon with about twenty-four other inmates and three volunteer lay ministers. As we all sat with our chairs in a circle, one of the prisoners shared his story of being "rescued" from a life of crime and drug addiction. He told us that he'd have to rob from someone every day in order to support his habit. But as he described his life and how he came to prison, I saw that he was, in a sense, snatched from the grave. If not for his arrest, no doubt he'd have died prematurely.
Thus, even in his coming to jail, the Lord was showing mercy to this man. His life was spared instead of judged. And it is a testimony of Christ's love for his wayward soul. He'd been rescued from his reckless ways and then brought to a place where he could hear the gospel and believe it. Now he lives for Jesus. Amen!
D.B.
But at the same time, God is also a being of compassion. As the above Scripture from the Old Testament states, God "delights" in showing mercy. Yet, this does not mean that anyone can get away with wrongdoing. On the contrary, the Bible makes it plain that each person who has ever lived will one day stand before the Creator of the universe. And when this happens there will never again be an unsolved crime, nor a sin which remains hidden. Even every bad word we've said, and every hateful thought we had against another, will be uncovered. While, at the same time, only those who've been "justified" by God through their faith in Jesus Christ, and His provision of salvation by dying for our sins, will be exempt from this future judgment.
Truly, Christ's atonement and sacrifice on that rugged cross has made all those who've trusted Him completely clean; not sinless nor perfect, but fully forgiven.
Moreover, God's forgiveness doesn't mean that one is exempt from reaping the consequences of his sins. I, for example, believe the Lord has forgiven me for my crimes. Yet, I am still in prison. I must live with the mess I've made. And all my remorse and regret cannot change anything. Nevertheless, God is merciful.
This became very clear to me today as I sat in a Bible study class this afternoon with about twenty-four other inmates and three volunteer lay ministers. As we all sat with our chairs in a circle, one of the prisoners shared his story of being "rescued" from a life of crime and drug addiction. He told us that he'd have to rob from someone every day in order to support his habit. But as he described his life and how he came to prison, I saw that he was, in a sense, snatched from the grave. If not for his arrest, no doubt he'd have died prematurely.
Thus, even in his coming to jail, the Lord was showing mercy to this man. His life was spared instead of judged. And it is a testimony of Christ's love for his wayward soul. He'd been rescued from his reckless ways and then brought to a place where he could hear the gospel and believe it. Now he lives for Jesus. Amen!
D.B.
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