Authority to Forgive
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Welcome Mr President: Former US President Richard Nixon is infamous for his place at the center of the Watergate scandal. He disgraced both the office of the President of the United States and the United States itself in the eyes of the world. When Hubert Humphrey, a former US vice-president died, Nixon attended his funeral. Dignitaries came from all over the country and the world, yet Nixon was made to feel decidedly unwelcome. People turned their eyes away and conversations ran dry around him. Nixon could feel the ostracism being ladled out to him.Then Jimmy Carter, the serving US President, walked into the room. Carter was from a different political party to Nixon and well known for his honesty and integrity. As he moved to his seat President Carter noticed Nixon standing all alone. Carter immediately changed course, walked over to Nixon, held out his hand, and, smiling genuinely and broadly embraced Nixon and said “Welcome home, Mr President! Welcome home!”The incident was reported by Newsweek magazine, which wrote: “If there was a turning point in Nixon’s long ordeal in the wilderness, it was that moment and that gesture of love and compassion.”Carter gifted Nixon with love and compassion. Nixon certainly had done nothing to deserve it. It was an act of pure grace on Carter’s part.
What would you have done in Carters place?
Welcome Mr President: Former US President Richard Nixon is infamous for his place at the center of the Watergate scandal. He disgraced both the office of the President of the United States and the United States itself in the eyes of the world. When Hubert Humphrey, a former US vice-president died, Nixon attended his funeral. Dignitaries came from all over the country and the world, yet Nixon was made to feel decidedly unwelcome. People turned their eyes away and conversations ran dry around him. Nixon could feel the ostracism being ladled out to him.Then Jimmy Carter, the serving US President, walked into the room. Carter was from a different political party to Nixon and well known for his honesty and integrity. As he moved to his seat President Carter noticed Nixon standing all alone. Carter immediately changed course, walked over to Nixon, held out his hand, and, smiling genuinely and broadly embraced Nixon and said “Welcome home, Mr President! Welcome home!”The incident was reported by Newsweek magazine, which wrote: “If there was a turning point in Nixon’s long ordeal in the wilderness, it was that moment and that gesture of love and compassion.”Carter gifted Nixon with love and compassion. Nixon certainly had done nothing to deserve it. It was an act of pure grace on Carter’s part.
Who has authority to offer forgiveness?
And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.
When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”
And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”
Jesus uses power, healing, to demonstrate His authority to forgive sin. Doesn’t it stand to reason, that our use of power, demonstrates that the message of love and forgiveness we bring is genuine?
For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
NIV) This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.It is an interesting thing that Jesus Christ went around in his earthly ministry saying, “Your sins are forgiven.” We don’t think of it this way, but this is an extremely presumptuous statement -- one of the many radical things Jesus said in such a humble way. Perhaps you don’t think so; look at it this way:
This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. It is an interesting thing that Jesus Christ went around in his earthly ministry saying, “Your sins are forgiven.” We don’t think of it this way, but this is an extremely presumptuous statement -- one of the many radical things Jesus said in such a humble way. Perhaps you don’t think so; look at it this way:
Suppose I am offended at Dave for beating me at golf, and decide that he needs a good punch in the nose. Being a man of action (and rather limited sense) I decide to carry out this plan, and I smak him in the face. Dave (being a superb Christian) now has the Christian privilege of granting me forgiveness, or picking up offense. Let us suppose that he becomes offended and Satan tempts him to petty vengeance, namely, he decides to smack me in the nose. The fight seems to be on, but let us further suppose that Alan (the highly mature Methodist preacher) steps between us. He directs Dave to cease and desist, because, he says, “I have forgiven him.”
Now, being the logical sort of person Dave is, and given to debate as opposed to combat, Dave decides to reason with Alan. “Hold on, preacher,” Dave says, “if I want to punch his lights out in a decent Christian manner, that’s my business. What right do you have to forgive him and let him off the hook?”
Do you see the argument? Dave has the right to forgive, because he’s the one I punched in the nose. I didn’t punch Alan, so he doesn’t have the right to forgive me on Dave’s behalf. Isn’t that right? To turn this into a principle, only the person who is offended has the privilege of forgiving.
But hold on. In any such dispute, there are always at least two persons who are offended. In this instance Dave is one. The Father is the other, for he has ordained peace among his children. When I punched Dave in the nose, Dave bled, but Father God was also pained.
The Father who set the moral order of the universe is always offended when it is violated. And that doesn’t count how He feels about someone punching his children (how do you feel when someone hits your children?) That is why Jesus enraged the Pharisees -- when he claimed to forgive sins, he claimed to be God. His entire purpose in coming to us was just that: to rescue us from our sins and restore our relationship with Father. , to provide the benefits of the atonement; salvation, healing, deliverance & prosper us.
Forgiveness for the many. Why only the many and not all?
Forgiveness for the many. Why only the many and not all?
Choice - We have all offended, Jesus paid the price for All, but not all will receive, AND not all will forgive.
If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
He gave them the power and authority to preach His forgiveness and peace
He gave them the power and authority to forgive others
Jimmy Carter & Nixon
“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
We choose to hold offense or to forgive, to seek vengence or to trust our Fathers judgement. Think of Jonah.
Mat 6:14
Vengeance is cheap, and therefore is commonly sought and given. Forgiveness, however, is costly; the more there is to forgive, the greater the pain of forgiving. Our forgiveness cost Jesus his life, at Calvary. As God, he had the authority to forgive. As man, the price had still to be paid. He paid what I owed, and forgave me without price.
Vengeance is cheap, and therefore is commonly sought and given. Forgiveness, however, is costly; the more there is to forgive, the greater the pain of forgiving. Our forgiveness cost Jesus his life, at Calvary. As God, he had the authority to forgive. As man, the price had still to be paid. He paid what I owed, and forgave me without price.
It often offends our sense of human justice to initially decide to forgive, but joy and peace comes when we remember that Christ satisfied (justified) ALL unrighteousness!
Who has authority to forgive? I do, you do. We have a RESPONSIBILITY to forgive!
bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.
Col
Jane Fonda
Norma McCorvey - Pregnant in 1969 working as a barker in a carnival. Asked for an abortion, illegal, sought help and was recruited as the plaintiff in Roe vs Wade by two attorneys wanting to overturn the law against abortion. Took 4 years, gave birth and gave child for adoption.
Norma McCorvey - Pregnant in 1969 working as a barker in a carnival. Asked for an abortion, illegal, sought help and was recruited as the plaintiff in Roe vs Wade by two attorneys wanting to overturn the law against abortion. Took 4 years, gave birth and gave child for adoption.
She remained anonymous for a decade or so and then went public in a Dallas TV interview. She said she lied about the pregnancy being a rape thinking it would help get the abortion. She admitted she had given birth to two other children, and over time slowly admitted to long term lesbian and hetrosexual affairs. Her memoir “I am Roe” leaves little out; reform school, petty crime, alcohol and low level drug dealing.
Jeff Hooten in Citizen records that McCorvey went to work at an Dallas abortion clinic answering phones. Next door was an Operation Rescue office. Overtime she had a change of heart and began referring callers to Operation Rescue. Hooten writes: Her turning point cam when a 7 year old girl named Emily - the daughter of an Operation Rescue volunteer who greeted McCorvey each day with a hug- invited McCorvey to church. On July 22, 1995, McCorvey attended a Saturday night service in Dallas. “Norma just kept praying, I want to undo all the evil I’ve done in this world” said Ronda Mackey, Emily’s mother. “She was crying, and you knew it was so sincere.” In August of 1995 she announced she had become a Christian and was baptized in a swimming pool in front of ABC World News Tonight cameras. For a short time she said she still supported abortions in the first trimester, but before long that conviction fell by the waysid. Says McCorvey, “I still feel very badly. I guess I always will.. but I know I’ve been forgiven.”
Norma McCorvey proves that Jesus came to seek and save those who are lost and without hope.
Why
Jesus had the authority to forgive sin, and he has given you the power and authority to also offer forgiveness in His Name, in His place.
Jesus had the authority to forgive sin, and he has given you the power and authority to also offer forgiveness in His Name, in His place.
When you take the Lord’s Supper, then, remember that He who died came with the authority and the purpose of giving forgiveness. Our forgiveness.