There is NO forgiveness,
In a culture where there is no basis for forgiveness.
Watch our Truth in Two to find out why (full text and hyperlink below)
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Picture Credit: Luke Renoe, Snappy Goat, Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash
FULL TEXT
“I forgive you every day for what you did to me.” This is a statement I uttered to a man who had done me wrong. It was his responsibility to ask for my forgiveness, it was, and is, my responsibility to forgive, even if there is no repentance. Humanly speaking, “forgiveness” is not about “forgetting.” We are not God, who, Scripture says, “separates our sin as far as the east is from the west.” In case you’re wondering, “east” and “west” have no poles, no objective standard of measure. Scripture says, once repentance happens, the expanse of God’s forgiveness is infinite.
Our culture views forgiveness as infinite too; as in, you will never be forgiven. Hank Azaria apologized for being the voice of Apu on the long running cartoon comedy The Simpsons. You can be sure of two things: Mr. Azaria’s participation will never be forgiven, or forgotten, and The Simpsons will continue to run episodes with Apu, not out of defiance to the arbitrary cultural standard, but because of money. You see, true repentance and forgiveness necessitate two things: a turning away from wrongdoing and a perfect person to offer forgiveness. Our culture sets and then continually moves its standards.
The classic biblical passage that exactly explains God’s forgiveness is Matthew 18. A man owes a huge debt to a king. The king takes pity on the man, forgiving or canceling the bill. The forgiven man then turns around, forgetting his own cancelled debt, requiring payment from a man who owes him very little. The man who had been given mercy showed no mercy. Certain cultural sins will never be forgiven. The standard will always shift. But the Christian view of forgiveness does not move the standard of transgression. Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf, wipes out our debt of sin. And, in turn, I continue to offer forgiveness to those who have sinned against me. For Truth in Two, this is Dr. Mark Eckel, president of the Comenius Institute, personally relying on God’s forgiveness.
Hank Azaria Apologizes for Vocalizing Apu on the Simpsons