Forgiveness: Does It Cancel Out Transgression? 2

(Part 2 from yesterday’s post)

Many in this nation are furious, and feel justified in being so. So, how do we solve an issue that has so many twists and turns that it’s hard to keep up with all that is going on? I believe it starts with us being willing to forgive the illegal aliens regardless of what takes place tomorrow. I also believe that we are to cry out for vindication, protection and justice with all of the illegality that is taking place.

We as a people have the right to cry out for justice and an enforcement of our legal rights. We have the right to protection from people that could come into this nation illegally with evil intent. I don’t think the majority of illegals are criminal . Most of them want to provide for their families, but there are many who come in that are criminal and have hurt our citizens without remorse.

Someone I’m close to used to work at Howard Industries. That person left before a major raid took place at Howard, which I’m very grateful for. The government rounded up over three hundred illegal aliens and there were quite a few that had criminal backgrounds. These people were working in our country without anyone knowing their background. That’s scary.

How do we bring a conclusion to the illegal alien issue. I think it will look a lot different than many might think. The biggest arsenal we have is forgiveness and prayer to our God. Our God believes in justice and that our laws must be obeyed. So, we need to cry out to him that we have a turn around in our government. People that will respect our laws and abide by them. We need to demand that they will uphold our laws and secure our borders, especially with the terrorist threats on the rise.

Forgiveness vs. transgression. I realized that I had to forgive in order to receive justice. It’s hard when we feel wronged and threatened within our own land. If we choose to do it God’s way, I’m certain we will see changes and results. Let us as a people be willing to forgive. Forgiveness releases us from bitterness and hatred. When we have forgiven our motives will be right.

There won’t be any easy solutions to this issue. Some are demanding all illegals be sent back to where they came from. Some are saying that if they’ve been here a certain amount of time, they should get to stay. Either way, our laws have been ignored and broken. Something needs to be done. Forgiveness releases the illegal aliens from our anger, but our laws still need to be upheld. I don’t think any man can find a reasonable solution. We need to get on our knee’s and seek God, then he will give us an answer. I believe he’s the only one that can.

Forgiveness: Does It Cancel Out Transgression? 1

For the past thirty years or more illegal aliens entering our borders has become a gigantic issue. I have to confess that for many years I have been angry about the situation. I have resented people coming into my country illegally and demanding that they be housed, clothed, fed, given medical treatment, given a driving license, given work under the radar screen at the taxpayers expense. They demand citizenship and then cry out that they will turn our country into a second Mexico.

To the normal person I would be justified in being angry, but as a child of God I am required to forgive. There are two issues that I had to look at before I could come to any conclusions. I couldn't keep pushing away the fact that Jesus tells us to forgive regardless if the other person doesn't deserve it or even if they don't ask for it. So, we have to come to grips with the fact that we have to forgive regardless of how we feel.

Jesus died on the cross so that we can have forgiveness from all that we've done to him and his father. Jesus also tells us that we will be forgiven as we forgive others. That’s not an easy pill to swallow. It’s a lot easier to forgive when it’s something we don’t feel strongly about, but let it be something that hits a nerve and then all bets are off. We have to choose. It's hard to change on our own. I had to cry out to Jesus and ask him to help me with my un-forgiveness.

Author, Chuck Colson, the founder of Prison Fellowship works closely with prison inmates, especially the ones on death row. Mr. Colson tells the men and women the truth of what they’ve done and what Jesus did for them. He tells them that if they accept the truth of who Jesus is, then Jesus can and will forgive everything they’ve done. Forgiveness sets them free from the degradation of the past. It also heals the wounds that have festered inside for so long. Is this the end of the issue. I don't think so. There is one more major factor that has to be dealt with and it leads to issue number two. Does forgiveness release us from the consequences of our actions?

The inmates don’t get a get out of jail free card when they acknowledge the truth and ask forgiveness. They still have to remain in prison, even if they are facing the death penalty. They are forgiven but they aren’t released from the consequences of their actions. Forgiveness allows them a clean slate before God, but not man’s laws. From the beginning of the Bible to its last pages, national laws were created and upheld. Laws were created to keep man from wrong doing.

So how does this pertain to the illegal alien issue? God told us that we are to obey our leaders and the laws of the land. Our laws uphold our freedoms and God given rights. Things have a tendency to get out of control when we remain angry or turn a blind eye to a situation. Case in point the illegal alien issue. It has remained under the nation’s radar screen until 9/ll/01 and the cauldron of resentment has been boiling faster ever since.



Part 2 - Tomorrow