Forgiveness

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Volume 9 Issue 12 December 2005 Est 1997

http://home.wol.co.za/~20063822/december2005/realitycolumn.htm

Forgiveness - The crux of our faith

by Lawrie and Isobel Wilmot

Isobel and Lawrie

Why is our Lord Jesus so insistent that we forgive one another? He spent so much time during His life on earth both demonstrating forgiveness and teaching about it that we realize it is the central issue in our relationship with Him and therefore with the Father.

Jesus was insistent because nothing impure or unholy can be tolerated in His presence. The history of God’s dealings with man, from the time of the Fall on, has revolved around the absolute and prior necessity of forgiveness.

When the Lord clothed Adam and Eve with “garments of skin” (Gen. 3:21) He did three things in that prophetic act. First of all, He demonstrated how seriously He takes sin: a life (here of an animal) had to be taken and its blood shed in order to cover sin. Secondly, He taught our ancestors the way forward in maintaining the relationship He had maintained with them in the Garden of Eden, although that relationship would now be marred by sin’s effects. Thirdly, in the act of clothing the couple He showed them both that their sin was covered and also demonstrated His practical care and provision. Their nakedness was now covered and they were protected from the elements.

Later on, before animal sacrifice was ritualised in the Law, we read how many major figures in the Biblical account practised it in one form or another. Abel (Gen. 4:4); Noah (Gen. 8:20); Abraham (Gen. 15:9-17); Isaac (Gen. 22:1-12); and Jacob (Gen. 35:14 and 46:1)

During the Exodus the central concept was that of atonement whereby sin was covered and transferred to an innocent animal, which was then killed because sin could never be taken away but only temporarily covered. The act of sacrifice, offered as it was by sinful men, had to be continually repeated.

This makes John the Baptist utterance so radical: “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). I believe that Jesus’ entire mission on earth was defined in that prophetic statement. He finished it on the Cross.

The Letter to the Hebrews tells us that until Jesus returns to terminate human history and judge mankind, He is seated at the right hand of the Father and “ always lives to intercede” for us. Our right relationship with God, from beginning to end, revolves around the necessity for forgiveness. The first thing the Holy Spirit usually does is to convict of the need for forgiveness.

Jesus was at pains to make this clear to the Twelve. Having just taught them the perfect prayer, He then reiterates, like any good teacher, its main point:

“For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins”. (Matt. 6:9-15)

If we will not forgive one another when sinned against, we commit three further sins ourselves. Firstly, we disobey one of Jesus’ commandments; secondly, we insult God by in effect adjudging someone else as unworthy of His forgiveness, thereby negating Christ’s work on the Cross; and thirdly, by being unforgiving we block God’s grace and set ourselves up in His place. This is in fact idolatry.

The sin of unforgiveness therefore has grave consequences for us, because if not repented of me face the likelihood of eternal punishment in the fires of Hell. To put it concisely: if we will not forgive, we destroy ourselves. The destructive process begins in our minds.

TESTIMONY

James and Kate

On January 1^st 1999 our only two children, James (20) and Kate (18) were murdered, by being shot through the head, in an apparently motiveless murder. The unknown perpetrator was described by the police as a psychopath and a possible serial killer.

Nothing can prepare one for the shock of such an event, which has permanently sliced our lives into two histories: “before” and “after”. When an indescribable trauma of such magnitude smashes over a Christian like an enormous tidal wave it is then that one realises that one’s faith will stand firm because it rests on Jesus and is rooted in His teaching.

Almost to our own surprise, both Isobel and I had the strong conviction that we had to forgive the unknown murderer publicly, which we did when we had to face the publicity which followed. That the perpetrator should be brought to justice is a deep concern of ours, not only for our own sake but for that of the public at large. Our forgiving the man did, however, cause outrage in some (mainly non-Christian) circles, but most Christians understood that our action was in obedience to Jesus’ injunction.

Having said that, we have to confess that obedience is often tough: humanly speaking it does not come naturally to forgive a murderer. We had often marvelled at the much-quoted testimony of Corrie Ten Boom’s forgiveness of one of the cruellest Nazi guards at the concentration camp where she and her sister Betsie had been incarcerated.

We had also been deeply moved by contemporary examples, here in South Africa, of countless numbers of unknown black people at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings forgiving the perpetrators of unbelievably heinous crimes against them and their loved ones, all committed by the apartheid regime.

It was only when, by God’s grace, we were enabled to forgive the man who murdered our children that we understood the depth of compassion in Jesus’ command: it is indeed for our own sake that He insists on forgiveness. By forgiving the murderer we have been released from the hatred and bitterness which would have destroyed us. Our theology, absorbed and developed over many years, has become our living testimony.

It must be stated, however, that forgiveness does not spare one from grief. It is comforting to know that Jesus wept and was “moved with compassion” at the deaths of the widow of Nain’s son and of His own friend Lazarus. Grief is a universal human experience, regardless of faith and culture, which throws one onto a rollercoaster of emotions: denial, anger, depression, deep and prolonged weeping and weakening of both memory and concentration. It saps motivation, kills joy and challenges one’s very identity. (Are you still a parent when you lose your children?) It is totally absorbing and without respite – one never “has a day off” from grieving.

Like an amputation it is permanent; but like an amputation there are ways to adjust to it, to compensate in some measure for it, and to get on with life once more. It takes a long time; it is a process involving years, not months, but it is possible. (Those suffering from the death of a marriage through the pain of divorce will also witness to the length of this process, as they seek to forgive.)

Forgiveness, where it is necessary, as in our situation, is an option: it is a free choice. Grief, however, is inevitable, as we have said above, and must therefore be accommodated to allow the healing process to take place. If it is suppressed or hurried there will surely be a “resurrection”, as one writer put it, often in inappropriate ways.

There is added suffering for those who are inhibited in expressing their grief by cultural conditioning (e.g. the British stiff upper lip), or by their theology or church traditions which range from dour Calvinism on the one hand to triumphalist Pentecostalism on the other.

Since the deaths of James and Kate we have been immensely helped through the counselling we have received and now find it therapeutic to counsel others. In the process we have come to appreciate more fully the absolute assurance of eternal life that we have as Christians: both James and Kate had committed their lives to Jesus, so Isabel and I know that “they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my (Jesus’) hand (John 10:20)” even though they have been snatched out of our hands. The bereaved who are not Christians have no such hope: e.g. those who believe in reincarnation find very little comfort when someone they love dies.

Jesus’ agape – love and forgiveness meet at the Cross; “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34) Such love always proceeds primarily from the will, and not the emotions. It extends unconditional love and forgiveness to the person who is the object of it, whether he or she deserves it or not or responds or not. (Such forgiving love is completely outside the theology of those whose religion teaches revenge as a sacred duty).

I have sometimes despaired of arriving at the point of perfect, permanent and unhesitating forgiveness of the murderer of our children. I have often felt like killing him myself. However I am certain of one thing: I have commenced the journey. God, in His grace, honours that.

In conclusion we must state we still struggle with agonising issues and questions. The enormous strengthening of our faith, which we have received through the prayers, encouragement and support of our Christian family and friends, have sustained us as we continue to work through them. Many Scriptures have become powerfully meaningful as never before, but others now seem disturbingly invalid in the light of the brutal reality of our experience. Ultimately, though we can say with Peter, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68) And so we are grateful once again that through Jesus’ own death, whereby our sins are forgiven, we and our two beloved children have access to that eternal life that He promised.

POST SCRIPT

At the time of writing a man is in custody, nearly seven years after the murders happened. In September this year he was charged on 11 counts, mainly of sexual harassment and crimen injuria, as well as the two of murder.

The trial took two weeks and is not yet over, having been remanded to 12-15^th December. At that time both counsels’ concluding arguments will be heard and judgement given. The judge needs much prayer, as the murder charges are based entirely on circumstantial evidence.

{Apostle1.com's Editorial Commentary: Not all Anglicans are Protestants. That may sound a bit odd to say. But it is true. For it is that Blessed Saint Tikhon did manifest for the Anglicans a true Orthodoxy in many of them and thus not all Anglicans are Protestants but Anglican Orthodox or, as some might prefer, Orthodox Anglicans. Yet, even in the two nomenclatures, there is a difference. Decide for yourself what the difference is. For truly, the true nomenclature of those who are Orthodox would be Anglican Orthodox. And, without regard for whether the above article comes from those who are or are not "Orthodox Anglican" - it is noted that the article itself is of validity and merit to all faithful

May it also be noted that some of those mentioned in the article are close friends of our North American Orthodox Catholic Metropolitan Archbishop +David Francis (Wigley) in Canada. }

Forgiveness and You Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

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Remember, it is the Roman jurisdiction which has more outwardly shown that it can be one of the most vicious toward those who are not Roman but are very much "Catholic" - for the sun and moon does not rise and set on the Vatican (Latin or Roman) jurisdiction as to who is or is not "Catholic" for the Roman jurisdiction split (schismed) from the roots of "Catholicism" which is founded in what is termed and called today as "Orthodoxy".

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“I prefer a defeat accompanied by humility to a victory accompanied by pride.”

--An Elder

A Curse or a Blessing? Depending on to whom it may...

There are unscrupulous people on the internet these days. Some of them are not who they claim to be and in order to disrupt honest spiritual pursuits, they are known to send out e-mail under someone else's name or the name of another church or jurisdiction with attachments. Anyone can do this, if they want. Some of them exist in Toledo, Ohio... Some in Texas... Others in Michigan, California and many other places... Some are "haters of truth" who follow (whether they are willing to admit it) those who have sway over less educated or ignorant people... as their are also those who do not even know what they are doing because they seek glory to satisfy their own vanity and selfish pride to take over a church or jurisdiction of another, or to wreck havoc over those whom they hate without considering the Gospel Message of Jesus Christ.

If you should ever receive an e-mail with an attachment purporting to be from anyone at "apostle1.com" - "apostle1.org" or even "apostle1.net" - - - know that our policy is to not send out e-mail from any of our domain names with an attachment. Therefore, don't open it! If you receive any e-mail from apostle1.com, apostle1.org or apostle1.net and have never before communicated with us... even if you have communicated with us... verify, verify and again, verify.

Unless we know exactly from whom an e-mail comes... nothing is clicked on or opened, not even attachments! You would be surprised from whom 'hate' e-mail arrives and what attempts and extremes they go to make their e-mails "look" official when it is a lone person or persons who hate TRUTH and love lies, hate anything from being posted that involves TRUTH because they may be affected with exposure to the LIVING TRUTH of Jesus Christ's Love.

Also: Hang Up Telephone Calls constantly get to you?

We get them all the time. But one thing we do that many are unaware of... We keep an automatic telephone log and then we turn them over to the same group who monitors and interacts with the hackers, etc.

It no longer matters if the caller calls once in a day, every other day or every day or several times a week, once a week for several months... All get logged, even those who think they have escaped notice by using the actual I.D. Caller number of "000-000-0000" which is being used of late.

It is known that a telephone number showing up may actually be a telephone service provider phone number, yet... they too keep logs and information as to each individual cellular or local (their locale) phone usage...

In the not-to-distant future, we intend to post some of those telephone numbers which constantly show up as "harassing hang-up" callers. May be, you too have the same? If so, may be we can assist in interacting to go further in bringing them to justice...

Contact us by E-Mail... provide us with your telephone number (U.S. residents only)... so that we may telephone you and assess the information.

Keep Watch!

Those who do such unscrupulous things, HATE some of the news, quotes, and such as to inform the general public. Some of them pose as clergy, while a few are actually clergy from various "other" offshoot AMERICAN ORTHODOX CHURCH or other jurisdiction(s) of the same or similar name of which we are, in some instances, their former MOTHER CHURCH (as is the same named Toledo, Ohio based, an offshoot, who had once been a part of us and unknowingly to our unworthy selves, were once a part of the clergy but they did not obtain permission to leave the jurisdiction they were under, according to Canon, and thus obtained for themselves re-ordination and consecrations, several times... and then using a variety of church names, including our own after they were defrocked and excommunicated, having more than three (3) times being excommunicated by other legitimate apostles/bishops); having joined in and with "Independent" churches who have nothing to do with us or even true Orthodoxy.

They seek to go out of their way to character assassinate and disparage religious web sites who do not meet their own brand of standardization which is evidence of their being not "Orthodox" "Christian" or even "Catholic" no matter what their nomenclature corporate name may be. The Toldeo, Ohio based same name group under their so-called leader has been deposed, defrocked and excommunicated more than three different times by various bishops/apostles. He, and several others, have become just as bad as the modern day Ecumenists of the National Council of Churches, World Council of Churches, the World Council of Bishops and more. Their ultimate aim and goal is destruction to those from whom they had either originated from or gone through to obtain the same named "church" they claim to hold to by the state's civil law in which they reside alone. They are not a "Schema-monk" or even a true "monk" for they were deposed and excommunicated for violations of the Holy Rule they claim to subscribe to, giving and openly providing false misleading and inaccurate information about other more honorable clergy. These 'wolves in sheep's clothing attract other nefarious and questionable persons whose aims are similar: for fame, image, power and glory.

Remember, anything that is a HALF TRUTH is not truth but a lie! Many there are that you may know who fit those descriptions... pray for them. Pray that God will send his Spirit of Truth upon them and lead them to Salvation through tears of Repentance, conversion of their cold and calculating hearts toward seeking forgiveness from God and those whom they attempt to harm.

Those who receive e-mail from us, know who we are and from where we send mail. There are also many who know that they can send e-mail under another group or person's e-mail address, which has been happening. If you receive e-mail that purports itself to be from us, verify first by hitting your "reply" button and ask, "I received this e-mail but would like verification if it is from you."

If you are of another jurisdiction, you too could find that your parishioners, clergy and faithful might become subject to the same as we have recently found.

Let this be a warning to visitors so as to be safeguarded against unscrupulous e-mails which contain viruses, worms and unsavory material from person(s) organizations or institutions that are more self-serving than uplifting and informatively news worthy.

For ourselves, we have, as in the past, so once again, acquired the assistance of those who are able and capable of tracing e-mails back to their source and taking appropriate action in North America.

We have learned that the organization we subscribe to, whose members come from various legal and law enforcement backgrounds amongst other areas of society, are committed to the faith even though they may hold different theologies. Yet, in their monitoring of electronic communications of various persons or people, they do not always make haste to bring perpetrators to justice until after enough evidence has been gained in order to build a solid case. We do not always know what information they have gained, but we do know the organization, whom we've been asked not to name, has had a 97% success rate in bringing to justice and obtaining a conviction against individuals, people, and sometimes even religious organizations of a persona that gives the appearance of both secular and religious bearing but who abuse and misuse technology. The organization views those who abuse and misuse the internet and other technologies as nothing more than a form of "domestic terrorism" - - - - and, it would seem to appear that the courts are in agreement!

Those kinds of people, organizations, etc. who misuse and abuse communication technologies are no different than those who attempt to use coercive measures, and in some instance, even blackmail for the same idea is involved... to cause havoc and wreckage, to destroy the spirit and activity of those who struggle in the faith out of pain of heart for the Orthodox Church which is TRUTH. The degree that some have been known to go to, as seen by other jurisdictions, is to take advantage of questionably mentally challenged or those who have a lack of education and understanding to get them to make statements, even outright lies, in writing, in order to destroy. Such persons or groups are spiritual terrorists for unholy and un-Orthodox causes, aims and goals.

Yes, our Metropolitan Archbishop, +Joseph Thaddeus, SSJt., Ph.D. strongly defends the Seals of the Confessional for such leads to true Repentance in thought, word and deed whereby the penitent is required to make amends, where possible, to seek forgiveness of those harmed by his actions whether real or imagined, and to give his forgiveness to those who have harmed him before taking the Holy Body and Blood in the Eucharist, Jesus the Christ. The reality of this understanding is bound up in and with the findings for which cause he, himself, had been character assassinated by his detractors who claim the courts prevented him from breaking the Seals of the Confessional which is not the truth at all.... Click here to see what another bishop's findings are...

The workings of Holy Spirit will not be daunted by those who attempt to cause disruption! It is for these and other reasons that you are urged to read what true repentance and forgiveness means for real "Christians".

"It would be better to have ten (10) true repentant X-felons who ask for and give true forgiveness than it would be to have one (1) non-x-felon or common person whose self-righteousness exceeds even the Pharisees, Sadducees, the gossip mongers, slanderers and un-repentant; for the repentant x-felon understands the true meaning of the Church's purpose as being the spiritual hospital." (siq) +Joseph Thaddeus, OSB, SSJt., Ph.D., Metropolitan Archbishop, Archabbot, Primate

Yes... "Prejudice Makes Prisoners of the Hated and the Hater..." (1992-Fr. Alan Stanford)

One can ask, "What part of 'Prejudice' and 'hate' do you not understand? Are you a complacent person? In light of the saying, examine yourself! You may be surprised if you are honest with yourself for your soul may convict you before Jesus Christ convicts you in the times to come!

"When tested by some trial you should try to find out not why or through whom it came, but only how to endure it gratefully, without distress or rancor."

St. Mark the Ascetic.

"Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit." Psalms 32:1-2

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