Forgiveness

I've had the privilege of corresponding with a woman who was referred to me because of a ministry board that I am on. I've never met her and in fact she lives a couple thousand miles from Michigan. She has been struggling with issues of forgiveness because of an abortion and with relapses in drinking. I thought it would be worth posting my last e-mail to her as she struggles with issues of forgiveness.

Hi _____________,
Thanks for sharing your journey with me. It sounds like it has been an often painful one filled with many struggles. Rather than going right to the passages that you mention let me go instead to God's heart concerning two murderers in the Bible--King David in the Old Testament (he also commits adultery) and the Apostle Paul in the New Testament.

David kills Uriah to cover up his adultery with Bathsheba. God calls David into account for this sin--but then we read in 2 Samuel 12.13 Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." Nathan replied, "The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. 14 But because by doing this you have made the enemies of the LORD show utter contempt, the son born to you will die." God forgives David's sin, even the sin of murder. There will be consequences because of what he has done (sin does bring consequences), but God forgives him. But what is also of interest is that after he has committed this murder the Bible continues to see David in a positive light, as one who serves God. The prophet Isaiah some 300 years after David says, "I will defend this city and save it, for my sake and for the sake of *David* my servant!" Isaiah 37.35 Even after David's failure he is called a servant of God. In the book of Acts we read, ** "After removing Saul, he made *David *their king. He testified concerning him: 'I have found *David* son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.'" Acts 13.22 Almost a 1000 years after David has committed his sin of murder he is still known as a man after God's own heart. It seems to me that David could not be called God's servant or a man after God's own heart after he had committed murder unless there had been the forgiveness that is spoken of in 2 Samuel. For David murder is not the unforgivable sin.

When it comes to Paul himself he declares that, 12I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. 13Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. 14The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.15Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. 17Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen. I Timothy 1 This life as a violent man is seen in its fullness in the book of Acts (Acts 22.4; 25.10) where Paul indicates that he had a part in killing Christians. In spite of this God not only forgives Paul, but makes his the apostle to the Gentiles.

At this point it may also be worth mentioning that Moses is a murderer (he kills an Egyptian) but God uses him to lead the people out of Egypt.

If murder is the unforgivable sin (which I do not believe it is, the only unforgivable sin is rejecting Jesus--so when we hear about a sin against the Holy Spirit that can't be forgiven, it means what can't be forgiven is believing the Jesus comes from the devil, rather than coming from God and being filled with the Holy Spirit), then God would have have forgiven these three of murder and certainly would not have used them to do great things in his kingdom.

Now to the specific texts that concern you. The text in Matthew 5 and in 1 John 3.15 are very similar. Notice that both are connected with hating a person i.e. to hate is to murder. If every person who hates is a murderer and every murderer is condemned, then there is no hope for any person on the planet, for which one of us has escaped hating others. In dealing with these texts we need to remember that John begins his whole book of 1 John by telling us the simple truth that we all sin, but when we confess our sin that the blood of Jesus will cleanse us from ALL our sin. (1 John 1.5-10). Of course murder is a big deal in the eyes of God (and so is hating others). He desires love to be the value of his new community not hate and murder, and he calls us to live those new values. But failing to live those values does not mean that there is no forgiveness, instead it means we have to go back to God and seek forgiveness and begin anew to live the values of the kingdom.

The other text in 1 John is the one concerning the "sin that leads to death". I believe that this sin is the same one that I mentioned before, a dogged refusal to accept Christ. Refusing to accept Christ leads finally to our eternal death i.e. hell, separation from God. All other sin is forgivable through the blood of Jesus. If you refuse Jesus, however, you refuse the very one who can bring forgiveness and so that sin leads to death.

The last text you mention is from 2 Peter. I would encourage you to notice the context of the passage--it is about false teachers who are leading God's people astray. So the first group (and central group) of people Peter is going after is false teachers. These are people who have apparently learned about the Christian faith, even taught about it, but now are leading followers of Jesus down the wrong path. In keeping with passages like Matthew 5.19 and Matthew 18.1-6 those who mess with the faithfulness of God's followers are called into the account and their punishment will be severe. So the context of the passage is not first of all about people who fall away and come back to God, but rather about teachers who say they are Christians, but are not and are leading God's people astray. Given this context it is questionable whether you can apply this to your situation of leaving Christ and coming back in at all. Better passages for your situation may well deal with the need for repentance and the wonder of God's forgiveness--even his waves of forgiveness that he gives after we've failed regularly (see the command to forgive in Matthew 18; if God commands us to forgive 70x7 will he not do the same?).

Two last thoughts. First, I encourage you to find a 12 step group as you deal with your alcohol abuse. At the church I serve we have more that 150 people in recovery and we've found that 12 step groups are a very important element in bringing hope.

Second, as you look at LDS remember that while it seems that all religions may seem to lead to God, that in fact, they have very distinct purposes. Christianity is the only faith in the world that teaches grace, that we have forgiveness, a relationship with God, and a part in his kingdom not through what we do, but through what Jesus has done. The goal of the Christian faith is for God to be our God, and for us to be his people living with him in joy and harmony. LDS takes a different look. LDS says through Jesus everyone is saved, brought to resurrection, but then it is up to us to determine our future. If we do well, it will be a great future, if we fail, it will be a miserable future. It is a religion of works. The end goal is not a relationship with God the Father and living with Jesus in a new heaven and new earth (Rev. 21), rather the goal is to become your own god, ruling over your own planet, even as elohim rules over earth. Or putting it another way, "As we are, god (elohim) once was...as god is, we can become."

Thanks for your questions, my prayers will be with you as you continue your journey.

Larry