The Difference in Forgiving and Condoning

"How dare you sir."

"How dare you judge others. How dare you say that Gay people are going to Hell. Or that if a Woman, practices her LEGAL RIGHT to have an Abortion, she is going to Hell. How dare you tell me that my loving, sweet, generous Grandma, is in Hell right now, because she didn't believe in your Jesus. How dare you sir. You narrow minded, Homophobic, Chauvinistic, Bigot.."

Yup. Some were a bit upset with the last message. "There is No Compromise." Some, and perhaps you may have been one of them, feel it was a bit over the top. God is a God of Love. God is a God of Forgiveness. God is a God of Grace and Mercy. How dare I say people are going to Hell for doing what Man has decided to Condone. How dare I tell the Truth that there is no other way..

God IS a God of Love. He IS a God of Mercy. He IS a God of Forgiveness. This is why He made Salvation so simple to receive. Why He made Forgiveness so easy to obtain. That is why God...

"maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." {Matthew 5:45}

Peter tells us...

"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." {2 Peter 3:9}

Not willing that ANY should perish. He desires ALL to come to repentance. He loves us so much that He laid down his Godhood and came to Earth as a helpless little Baby. He laid down His Life for us. All we have to do is accept. That's it. Accept the Truth, The Gift. All we have to do is accept His substitute for us. He made the way simple, and obtainable, for all.

He is not sitting on His Throne, leaning over, watching your every step, just waiting for you to mess up, so He can send you to an ever lasting place of torment. He is waiting for you to repent. He is waiting for you to accept the Truth.

Sad thing is, it is in this very simplicity that Mankind gets so lost. It can't be so simple. It can't be this easy. We have to not eat meat on Fridays. We have to Pray to this Saint or that. Bow before this Statute or that. We have to Pray to the West. We have to do all these things to become worthy of acceptance.

God is ready to forgive you of any and all Sins you have, or still are, committing. When Peter asked Jesus, how many times do we need to forgive our Brother, who may Sin against us, Jesus told him 490 times.

"I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven." {Matthew 18:22}

Now I'm sure that if Peter was to ask Jesus 490? Jesus would have most likely said No 7 times 490. The point is, Jesus tells us that we are to forgive those that Sin against us, EVERY TIME, they Sin against us. If Jesus is telling us, being Evil, to do this, how much more do you think God is willing to forgive us of our Sins.

He so loved us, that He came and died for us, while we were not only Sinners, but in the middle of our Sins..

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." {Romans 5:8}

It really is simple. Accept Jesus and Live, do not, and die. There is no Compromise. There is not other way.

"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." {Acts 4:12}

Not Mary. Not Joseph Smith, Jr., Martin Luther, Confucius, Buddha, nor Mohammed. Not Peter, Paul, Luke, John. Neither Jennifer, Karen, or Billy-bob. NO OTHER NAME. Only Jesus. The Son of God. The Word in the Flesh. God as Man. He and He alone,,,

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." {John 14:6}

If this offends you, sorry. Truth is Truth. He is the only way to get to Heaven. In the end,,,

"As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God." {Romans 14:11}

Sad truth is, at that point, it will be too late for many. But it doesn't matter if you believe this is true, or accept Him or not. No does it matter if you become offended at the name Jesus. It changes nothing. He is STILL Lord of Lords, King of Kings, and the ONLY way to get to Heaven. Sorry. It is just that simple.

Now as for Sin? Perhaps you are confusing Forgiving and Condoning. There is a major difference. God gave us Free Will. He also gave us a choice. Follow Him, or not. Do what He tells us to do, or go it alone, and do as we will. He will not force you to follow Him, and His Will, and His ways. But He will also NOT Condone your Sin. Just because WE have decided Sin to be Good and Good to be Sin, doesn't change it, or make it so.

It does not matter if Man says it's OK to be Gay, or to Slaughter innocent life. God calls it abominations and Sin. It doesn't matter if man says it's OK to take from someone else for the benefit or good of others, God calls it Theft and Sin. It doesn't matter what Man says. It matters what God says.

Jesus gave us such an example...

"Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.

Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."{Matthew 15:3-9}

Paul warned us about this as well in his letter to the Romans..

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen." {Romans 1-18:25}

We have done this. Through the Condoning of Sin. We have traded Man Made Traditions, and Man Made Concepts, for the Commandments of God. Through this process, not only have we Condoned Sin, but we have also justified it. Called it good. Through "compassion" we now say "It's OK." "It's acceptable." "Do not speak against it." Some no longer see Sin as Sin. Why?

"For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them."{Romans 1-26:32}

God gave them over to a reprobate mind. God said, you want to do things your way, have at it. You will reap what you sow. It is like me telling my Son, do not play in Traffic. Yet everyday he goes out after school and plays in Traffic. I grow weary of warning him, so I just let him go it alone. Let him play in traffic all he wants. Then one day he gets hit by a car. Did I do that to him? Was this his punishment for not listening to me? Nope. I simply gave him up to his own thoughts and desires. He went out into Traffic. He played where I warned him not to. He did what I warned him not to. He suffered the consequences for his own actions. While he was obedient to me, and in the house, he was protected. But when he decided to leave the house, become disobedient, I could no longer protect him. He was on his own.

God is the same. He loves you so much that He made the Way of Salvation easy and accessible to all. He tells you how you can avoid the bad stuff, or at least the best way to deal with it, and live a long and happy life. It is not God who turned His back on Man, it is Man who turns his back on God. Jesus told us simply, believe on Him, keep His and His Father's Word, live. Chose not to, and you are of your Father the Devil. {John 8:44}

You either receive the Spirit of Adoption, walk in the Spirit, forsake the things of the flesh, or you do not. {Romans 8} The choice is totally yours to make.

However, no matter how compassionate it may sound or seem, no matter what Man says, no matter how you feel, Sin is still Sin, and Good is still Good, and there is only one way to Life. Condoning Sin will never make it right. But the good news is, God is able to, and willing, to forgive. Again, the choice is yours to make..

Do you know Jesus as your Savior? Have you been adopted into the Family of God? If not, say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray..

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

That's it. It really is that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." {Romans 10:9} You need to find a Church that God leads you to, and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A new Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him." {Colossians 3:10}

If you want to tell me, or comment, question, give testimonials, or just say "Hi," the Email is opntalk@gmail.com

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. {2 Corinthians 13}