Only God "Can Forgive Their Wickedness"
"If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples indeed, then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32)
You “will know” the truth he said. Jesus was talking to the Jews who had believed in him. Yet they were not free yet for they did not "know the truth". Believing in Jesus does not set you free, only the "truth" about Jesus can do that.
You “will know” the truth he said. Jesus was talking to the Jews who had believed in him. Yet they were not free yet for they did not "know the truth". Believing in Jesus does not set you free, only the "truth" about Jesus can do that.
The promise was that if they “hold to” his teaching (when they received it) they would then be his followers and the truth of his resurrection, and theirs, would "set them free" from the fear of death. They were Hebrews who because of the law were “held in slavery by their fear of death” which comes to all who are unable to perfectly obey it. The devil would see that all sin and therefore die…
“…by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants." (Hebrews 2:14-16)
We all share in that fear of wrath and death if we are honest, both Jew and Gentile. And only when we “hold to” the hope of resurrection do we become, like the Jews, “Abraham’s descendants” "by faith" in the grace of God...
“…because the law brings wrath…the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring--not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed--the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.” (Romans 4:15-17)
After God gives "life to the dead", and all are "made alive", then all will know the truth and all will be set free from the fear of death. For now however, only those who hold to the truth of the resurrection in faith are “just” and capable of being set free.
“Now the just shall live by faith...As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive…No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” (Hebrews 10:38; 1 Corinthians 15:22; Hebrews 8:11-12)
“…by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants." (Hebrews 2:14-16)
We all share in that fear of wrath and death if we are honest, both Jew and Gentile. And only when we “hold to” the hope of resurrection do we become, like the Jews, “Abraham’s descendants” "by faith" in the grace of God...
“…because the law brings wrath…the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring--not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed--the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.” (Romans 4:15-17)
After God gives "life to the dead", and all are "made alive", then all will know the truth and all will be set free from the fear of death. For now however, only those who hold to the truth of the resurrection in faith are “just” and capable of being set free.
“Now the just shall live by faith...As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive…No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” (Hebrews 10:38; 1 Corinthians 15:22; Hebrews 8:11-12)
There is a lot of wickedness in this world, and I do NOT FORGIVE it, and I do not believe we should. We should fight to eliminate all evil from the world by any means that is available - but after they get what is coming to them in this present evil age, and when they are "made alive", God will "forgive their wickedness and remember their sins no more".
That is grace, and that is love - we do not possess it now - Soooo....
Vote for Trump, lock and load, help him rid this world of the bad guys and let's make America Great Again!