Unforgiveable?

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Our sub-theme for this edition of Sword is ‘Unchained Family’ – described by Paul in his letter to Roman believers as the ‘glorious freedom’ of the ‘children of God’. If we who follow Jesus were still chained to the world, we would be ‘free’ only to think with and agree with the crowd. However, ‘it is for freedom that Christ has set us free’ – clearly implying that our previous ‘freedom’ was illusory. As it is, we are now free to think and agree with God. A fundamental (but rarely recognised) human need is absolute and final forgiveness – this very thing is the bedrock of our faith and the only guarantee of our eternal hope. An unbelieving world full of unresolved guilt loves to have hate-figures whose track record for crime or ruthless inhumanity makes others feel good by comparison, such as Muammar Gaddafi – but if he were to repent our God would forgive him. Does that devalue the lives he has crushed; is this soft-hearted talk – or is it a diamond-hard defence of the hope of Christians and Messianic Jews? Let God speak…

Stay in the grip of grace,

David Andrew