Thoughts on forgiveness....

How is forgiveness and a sermon about Genesis 11:10-26 important to my everyday life? Both key onto the covenant of everlasting peace offered by the Father and both are completely relevant for today's easily offended society....

Here is a truth we often overlook, or want to forget. Forgiveness can ONLY be offered by the offended party... but we can reject the pardon offered.

There is a story of a Wells Fargo robber who spent some time in prison

for killing an agent during the robbery.

At one point, Andy Jackson offered a pardon to the man, but...he rejected it! It became a legal case as to whether or not the man could be forced to accept the pardon; it arrived in the Supreme Court, and Justice Marshall wrote the final opinion.... if a pardon is offered, and the party to whom it is offered rejects it, then it is null and void and the penalty must be paid. The robber ended up being hanged for killing the agent...

Hmmmmmmm.... God offers us a pardon through Jesus Christ and His atoning work but.................... we have the choice to reject it and we then will legally be required to pay the penalty of eternal death and separation from God in hell ~ a place reserved for the rebellious angels, but where people can choose to go by rejecting rather than accepting the work Jesus has already done on the cross...