Deborah Toyin Daniel
THE BLAME GAME
Reflection: John 3:3
If you are one of the precious lost souls who keep rejecting Jesus Christ because of what a saved (also known as born-again) friend/family/neighbour did, or did not do right, I have just a few very important things to point out to you:
(1) Your saved friend/family/neighbour may not be perfect. Those who are saved sometimes fall into sin, but we are forgiven when we confess our sins and truly repent, just because our Heavenly Father is rich in mercy and His Son, Jesus Christ already paid for our sins on the Cross of Calvary. He is our Righteousness. While I am not an Advocate of (and will never support) the Once Saved, Always Saved False Doctrine, I will be quick to let you know that the Lord does not throw any of His own away, unless we decide to turn our backs on Him and choose another path - that is the point at which salvation is lost by our own choice. There are many ways a saved person can be said to have turned his back on the Lord and lost salvation, but the subject of 'Losing Salvation' is irrelevant to the discussion here, dear ones. Let's move on to the next very important point!
(2) When a Born-again Christian continually falls into sin, the Lord has His ways of putting him or her right. He does not give up on any of us. Rather, He disciplines us as a Loving Father would, so that we would not end up in hell. Those who are not born again do not have that privilege.
These altogether mean that your born-again (saved) friends/family/neighbours are most likely to make it right with the Lord when they do wrong, and are forgiven with no condemnation. It is as though nothing ever happened as soon as they make it right with the Lord. He forgets their wrongdoing. They don't have to tell you they made things right - that is between them and God. Confessing to you what it is they did to offend you is nice (and may, or may not mend your relationship with them). That said, confession of sins to a fellow human being is not a requirement to be forgiven by God. The most that is required of them, is to offer you an apology and make restitution wherever possible. While they moved on because of the privileges they have as His beloved children, you may still be nursing a grudge and thinking of what they did yesterday, last week, or years ago that was all so wrong. "That is not fair," you may say; but salvation through Jesus Christ is what it is - a completely Free Gift. This Gift has also been made available to you (1 John 2:2).
You rob yourself of joy here on earth and eternal bliss when you keep using another person's character flaw (more so that of a Born-again Christian) as a reason to remain in darkness. Those who reject Jesus Christ and die in that state will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire - a place of torment and unimaginable suffering, where there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth forever and ever (Mark 9:43-48, Matthew 13:41-42). Make that very important decision of accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, today!
Firmly in His Grip,
Deborah O Daniel (Toyin)