THE POWER TO FORGIVE SINS

What most agitated the good people of His day was the manner in which Jesus took on Himself the prerogatives of God.  "My son, your sins are forgiven."

And they said:  "Why does the fellow talk like that?  This is blasphemy!  Who but God alone can forgive sins?" (Mark 2:5-7)

This stone lies in our path also since we are slow to accept forgiveness.  "I must be worthy," we say; "I must be good enough to be forgiven."  And so with a perverted sense of guilt we strap these sins to ourselves.  We want to punish ourselves, because we feel we deserve it.  Thereby we nullify the gospel of forgiveness.  "Your sins are forgiven."  [The cross demonstrates that] Jesus has power to forgive sins. 

-- H.S. Vigeveno in Jesus the Revolutionary

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