My nine year old daughter and I were having this deep conversation on a Monday morning heading to school.
As soon as we hear this question, “Can a murderer go to heaven?” We shout out “No”…and if we know the person who was murdered we convince ourselves of this same “No!!!”. We allow our own hearts to be murdered because we are so broken and hurt and maybe we do not care if anyone ever receives Christ after this point, especially the murderer!
Then someone who seems to act holier than us asks, “How can you judge this person because in the same way you will be judged?”
We cannot fathom true forgiveness– period!
I was able to see the movie Paul, Apostle of Christ and it was very eye-opening to watch Paul have flashbacks of the many people he murdered because they followed Christ. It was as if their faces haunted him for murdering each one of them. But, only through God’s divine miraculous intervention was this life of Paul changed. Changed 180 degrees and became focused, determined, and persevered through persecution to win people to Christianity and a personal relationship with Christ. Once he received this personal relationship by receiving Jesus into his heart, he wanted everyone he met to have this same relationship.
In the Bible, David was also a murderer but he searched God with all his heart when his life was forever changed.
Do not give up on the murderers even when you desperately want God to give up on them…
I am so grateful for the prison ministries who share the plan of salvation so ALL can be saved….no labels attached because we have all fallen short and do not deserve God’s amazing grace!
If you had to wear your greatest sin across your chest today, would someone look at you and hope God gives up on you OR are you forgiven even though you continue to sin daily? If you are forgiven- your sin across your chest has a big mark through it because it is remembered no more! This is true forgiveness!
Thank God for this truth!
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