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Deutsche Version | Wiki Start | Topics Collection vii
Forgive our Sins ...
Thursday, March 5, 2015. How do you treat the topic of sin? How do you deal with your own sin? Do you have an understanding of sin, of what it means? Do you know where you sin? This theme is not that easy. You can either ignore sin, or you can fall into the trap of focussing on it too much. Both leads into trouble and destruction. But let us go one step back and understand more about it …!
What is Sin? …
The name sin comes from “big rift”. It names the rift between humans and God, between the existence of the Lord, and our own existence. This includes every layer of life - thoughts, feelings, actions, words, decisions. When we behave as people who do not know God, his goodness, love, truth and mercy, we live in sin. When we make decisions, which correspond to this state, we talk about sin. Sin is everything which is far from the Lord, which does not fit to his purity, to his mercy, to his truth.
Sin also refers to single actions. When I did wrong in some particular point, it can be called sin. When I am nasty to someone, it is sin. Treating others with disrespect is sin. Racism is sin - every human is loved and wanted by the eternal God, every single human from every nation.
There are moments, when I become aware of one particular sin in my life. These are important moments. I believe that most of our sins are not clear to us, since we are so used to some things that we do not see them. Disrespect is one of the sins which our whole society practices day by day. There is much more, when we read the New Testament we can dig things out in detail …
Forgive me! …
Jesus is taking sin very serious. We talk about sin in its real sense, in the more general sense, which refers to our whole life with all its parts and layers. But he also offers forgiveness. This is the main task of his mission, the main purpose of his whole life. He earns us full forgiveness, for all of our sins, for everything we are. Let us browse a little through the New Testament:
Mt 6:12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. Mt 6:14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, Mt 6:15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Mt 9:2 And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” Mt 9:5 For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?
Mt 9:6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.”
Jesus is forgiving sins. He invites us to the community where mutual forgiveness is the guiding thought. He invites us to what he calls the kingdom of heaven. And he supports his invitation by mighty actions, by healing wonders. Forgiveness is a form of healing. When we take it serious, we experience new life. So much happens where we start to forgive in a sincere sense! (RWEP) ... more texts