ugmug
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The Terms Of Our Forgiveness
Many people argue that God is cruel for not extending unlimited forgiveness to all people. God instead demands that each person individually accept his offer of salvation, and therefore the forgiveness of sin, that his son Jesus Christ provides for us through his death and resurrection on the cross.
If God extended salvation to all people, without their ever asking for it first, then the forgiven person could always say that God has revoked his forgiveness, or he has limited is offer of salvation, whenever that person didn't get what they desired or expected.
For God to extend forgiveness without an intermediary (his son Jesus Christ) then God becomes the judged for now we can accuse him of either revoking his forgiveness or limiting his forgiveness whenever we didn't get our way.
Worshiping God demands that we never turn our judgment on him especially when we don't get what we desire or expect. If God gave us forgiveness without our ever asking for it first then that is exactly what will happen. God then becomes the object of our continual judgment. We are then tempted to set the terms of our forgiveness and change them continually. (Like a bad marriage or a spoiled child)
When Jesus Christ, God become man who died on the cross for our sins, was resurrected he gained life eternal back with God the father in heaven. Jesus Christ now became the intermediary by which we must accept the offer of God's forgiveness individually. By accepting this offer of forgiveness we are acknowledging the terms of the agreement with God as being whatever God extended to his son, Jesus Christ, which is life eternal back with God the Father.
So as long as we are in the presence of God the Father (either directly in heaven or through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit down here on earth) then the terms of our forgiveness are being met and nothing more can be added to those terms. Therefore we will never be tempted to judge God for not fulfilling his offer of forgiveness through his son Jesus Christ.
God Bless
note:
To be forgiven by the acceptance of the offer of salvation provided by the belief in God's son Jesus Christ, thereby gaining the presence of God by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we are not spared sickness or death. Even Jesus Christ died on the cross. So the terms of our forgiveness do not include a limitless life here on earth. Even though the indwelling Holy Spirit has an eternal existence, and brings God's eternal presence to us, our sinful bodies do not gain this eternal life, only our spirit. Remember that while Jesus Christ had the Holy Spirit indwelling in him he still suffered death.
The need of an intermediary, in extending forgiveness, is born out in God's design for mankind, namely in the creation of the family. When a child is disobedient one parent is needed to force an acknowledgment of that disobedience and the other is needed to offer the terms of forgiveness. The family, with BOTH parents, highlights God's plan for man's salvation. One parent determines the offensive behavior (Laws of the old testament) and the other offers the terms of forgiveness (Salvation of the new testament). Never forcing a disobedient child to acknowledge his disobedience, and then never setting the terms of his forgiveness, the child WILL always be tempted to turn his judgment back on the parent whenever he doesn't get what he wants. The - “You Don't Really Love Me Until I Get What I Want†syndrome.
Many people argue that God is cruel for not extending unlimited forgiveness to all people. God instead demands that each person individually accept his offer of salvation, and therefore the forgiveness of sin, that his son Jesus Christ provides for us through his death and resurrection on the cross.
If God extended salvation to all people, without their ever asking for it first, then the forgiven person could always say that God has revoked his forgiveness, or he has limited is offer of salvation, whenever that person didn't get what they desired or expected.
For God to extend forgiveness without an intermediary (his son Jesus Christ) then God becomes the judged for now we can accuse him of either revoking his forgiveness or limiting his forgiveness whenever we didn't get our way.
Worshiping God demands that we never turn our judgment on him especially when we don't get what we desire or expect. If God gave us forgiveness without our ever asking for it first then that is exactly what will happen. God then becomes the object of our continual judgment. We are then tempted to set the terms of our forgiveness and change them continually. (Like a bad marriage or a spoiled child)
When Jesus Christ, God become man who died on the cross for our sins, was resurrected he gained life eternal back with God the father in heaven. Jesus Christ now became the intermediary by which we must accept the offer of God's forgiveness individually. By accepting this offer of forgiveness we are acknowledging the terms of the agreement with God as being whatever God extended to his son, Jesus Christ, which is life eternal back with God the Father.
So as long as we are in the presence of God the Father (either directly in heaven or through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit down here on earth) then the terms of our forgiveness are being met and nothing more can be added to those terms. Therefore we will never be tempted to judge God for not fulfilling his offer of forgiveness through his son Jesus Christ.
God Bless
note:
To be forgiven by the acceptance of the offer of salvation provided by the belief in God's son Jesus Christ, thereby gaining the presence of God by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we are not spared sickness or death. Even Jesus Christ died on the cross. So the terms of our forgiveness do not include a limitless life here on earth. Even though the indwelling Holy Spirit has an eternal existence, and brings God's eternal presence to us, our sinful bodies do not gain this eternal life, only our spirit. Remember that while Jesus Christ had the Holy Spirit indwelling in him he still suffered death.
The need of an intermediary, in extending forgiveness, is born out in God's design for mankind, namely in the creation of the family. When a child is disobedient one parent is needed to force an acknowledgment of that disobedience and the other is needed to offer the terms of forgiveness. The family, with BOTH parents, highlights God's plan for man's salvation. One parent determines the offensive behavior (Laws of the old testament) and the other offers the terms of forgiveness (Salvation of the new testament). Never forcing a disobedient child to acknowledge his disobedience, and then never setting the terms of his forgiveness, the child WILL always be tempted to turn his judgment back on the parent whenever he doesn't get what he wants. The - “You Don't Really Love Me Until I Get What I Want†syndrome.