39 results for tag: forgiveness


“Without the Shedding of Blood” – Brad Jersak

“Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness” (Heb 9:22). The prosecution rests, your honor.A blood sacrifice is required or there is no forgiveness.That should end the discussion. Well it shouldn’t. But it did … for me. See, God can’t just forgive freely … that wouldn’t be ‘just.’ Sin must be paid for. How? Only by the shedding of blood. Because why? Because a blood sacrifice is what God requires, what God needs, what God wants … and by blood, we mean death. Death of the sinner, or alternatively, a ram, lamb, bull … or a Son. And so we taught, “Sin cannot simply be forgiven. ...

Forgiveness…Who First? – Greg Albrecht

Wouldn’t it be great if you or I could hit a delete button and send the memories of all our hurts and pains somewhere far away, into the most remote recesses of our minds, and never, ever have to think of them  again? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the hard drive in our brain suddenly crashed, and no bad memories survived? As painful as our memories of being hurt are, they can fester and grow into resentment and hatred of those who either hurt us or had some part in our pain. Nasty things can and do happen when we throw a pity party, swimming laps in a pool of resentment, endlessly replaying painful moments from our past. Mo...

Our Debt Forgiven

At dinner in a Pharisee’s house, Jesus forgave a harlot. Her debt was great, yet she was forgiven. You will be forgiven too, if you accept Jesus Christ as your savior, but if you try to do it on your own as the Pharisee did, then your debt remains.

Q&R with Brad Jersak – “Can we withhold God’s forgiveness?

Question What is your take on John 20:23? "If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” Response That's a very difficult verse. Of course, the first part seems easy enough. Up until that point, there was this sense that only God could forgive sin (Mark 2:7), so Jesus' critics were upset when he would announce (in the passive voice), "Your sins are forgiven." They claimed it was tantamount to blasphemy. But note, he didn't say, "I forgive you," but rather, spoke the words as the Son authorized by his Father. Even on the Cross, we hear Jesus praying, "Father, forgive ...

April 2022

CLICK HERE to read now (PDF Format) Brad Jersak: The Cross: God's Eternal Mercy Seat – pg. 2 Laura Urista: Trimming the Roses – pg. 5 Richard Rohr: The Saving Power of the Cross – pg. 6 Greg Albrecht: The Meaning(s) of the Cross – pg. 7

January 2022

CLICK HERE to read now (PDF Format) Articles: The Narrow Way of Grace – pg. 1 Let the Past Be the Past – pg. 2 Getting Past Your Past – pg. 5 Plain People Doctor – pg. 7 Quotes & Connections – pg. 8

“Father, forgive them” – Particular & Universal – Brad Jersak

"Father, forgive them.” When they came to the place called The Skull, they crucified Him there, along with the criminals, one on His right and the other on His left.Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up His garments by casting lots.The people stood watching, and the rulers sneered at Him, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.” The soldiers also mocked Him and came up to offer Him sour wine. “If You are the King of the Jews,” they said, “save Yourself!” Above Him was posted an inscription: THIS IS THE ...

September 2021

CLICK HERE to read now (PDF Format) Articles: Remembering 9-11 in the Wake of 2020 – pg. 1 We Believe – pg. 2 Think on These Things – pg. 5 Forgiveness and Apologies – pg. 7 Quotes & Connections – pg. 8

July 2021

CLICK HERE to read now (PDF Format) Articles: The Father I Never Knew – pg. 1 Get Comfortable With the Questions – pg. 2 How Free Do You Want to Be? – pg. 4 God's Not Through With Us Yet – pg. 5 Life's Lava Tubes – pg. 7 Quotes & Connections – pg. 8

Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word – Greg Albrecht

What've I got to do to make you love me? What've I got to do to make you care?—Sorry Seems to Be The Hardest Word, Elton John, 1976 Unrequited love normally brings to mind memories of romantic, "puppy love" that failed to hear an echo. But teenage infatuations that end in agonizing, emotional dramas are surpassed in intensity by the crushing heartbreak experienced when, for some reason, a parent or child fails to respond to each other. This is a story of a girl and the relationship she yearned to have with her father. Like many others in her generation, Karen grew up in a home ruled over by an authoritarian veteran of World War 2. Karen, ...

I’ll Forgive You If…

There are times when we secretly take delight in other people's sins -- it gives us something on them.  We don't want to forgive them and lose our advantage.  Greg talks about forgiveness.  Don't miss it. https://ptmorg.dreamsites.io/mp3/FreeDwnld/PTR0163.mp3

The Suffering Judge – Greg Albrecht

… If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.—Romans 8:31-34 You probably have heard of honor killings. An "honor killing" is the term used to describe a practice in which one or more males murders a female relative who, according to their perspective, dishonored the family. Honor ...

Archbishop Desmond Tutu on Forgiveness

https://www.youtube.com/embed/fEOeJI1lpQQ Archbishop Desmond Tutu on Forgiveness - 3 minute video

Forgiveness

Do you believe that you're beyond God's forgiveness?  In this first program of a four part series called "Four Words that Changed the World", Greg assures us that God is waiting with the message, "All is forgiven, I love you.  Your heavenly Father." https://ptmorg.dreamsites.io/mp3/FreeDwnld/PTR0098.mp3

Q: How Do We Avoid Cherry-Picking the Bible for a God of Love of Our Own Wishes ? – Brad Jersak

QUESTION: How do you respond to people who object that we are imposing our own ideology of peace onto the Bible rather than letting the Bible speak for itself? When you "unwrath God," aren't you cherry-picking according to our own wishes for what you wish the text had said rather than submitting to what it actually says? RESPONSE: I hear this objection regularly, perhaps even weekly. I need to respond often enough that a standard answer has begun to unfold. 1. First, we must acknowledge the real problem of bias when coming to the text. We must admit the importance of being mindful as to how our prejudices impact our reading and interpretation of ...