The cross and forgiveness
A great passage from John d Calvert’s study on the biblical book of Ruth
A great passage from John d Calvert’s study on the biblical book of Ruth:
The alibi habit is learned from a young age; but is there any answer? Is there any place for honesty and integrity?
The answer is the impact of divine, holy love. This is no simplistic response for that God shaped black within us can only be filled by the One who is Himself the Holy Father. We love because he first loved us. [I John 4:19] The God who alone initiates love and is Himself love has come to us in the Cross of His only Son and demonstrated the truth of love.
Christ, the Son, loved me and gave himself up for me. This means that He took all my sin, evil and guilt into Himself on that Cross and dealt totally with every last vestige so that not even a dreg remained to haunt me.
God has reconciled us to Himself in Christ and as He is Holy Father I am reconciled to all other human beings. They may not be reconciled to me and may despise my love but from my perspective I love everyone and cannot hate my fellows. There are no options.
I cannot hold grudges or grievances or feel justified in anger against another. I have no basis for self–avenging for all such basis
has been dissolved in the Cross. This liberating truth means that in the glory of forgiving for I am forgiven. The past is dealt with and gone so I let it go.
There is no healing of the memories for they are already cleansed.
https://www.newcreationlibrary.org.au/studies/john_calvert/pdf/Book_of_Ruth.pdf