forgiveness

The obvious sequel to the subject of sin and wrath.
Understand, like it or not, you can't read any literature,
Bible or otherwise, without reading "between" the lines.
Now, this is not an exhaustive exposition of a doctrine.
But I plan it to be, hopefully, a thought provoking prelim-
inary discussion (prolegomena). The whole idea of forgiveness
gets caught up in a swirling mass of Bible verses and
opinions. Let me state it very simply. Lay aside all your
assumptions for the moment, and consider this. There are
several thousand years creating a context, a culture, a
preparation for when the Christ/Messiah comes- the
Incarnation. The early church was realistic in its under-
standing of this. Later, however, between Rome and the Reform-
ation there was a struggle over favorite ideas; Bible verses
were often distorted and taken out of context to prove pre-
conceived opinions. In that fight brilliant and subtle minds
tried to force the Bible into very rigid moulds. In short,
there was a grievous tendency to over literalize things that
were better kept at arms length- in humility. It is in this
context that you and I "learned" the Bible! It is in this
tragic chaos we try to sort out the "truth". Arends is right
when she sees a "love story". God loves. He doesn't "decide"
to love. He just loves! One whose mind is only loving, forgives.
His arm doesn't have to be "twisted". His "majesty/dignity/
holiness doesn't have to be appeased, mollified, or salved.
That reality doesn't come easy to a fallen world. And so we,
like rebellious children, will have to learn the hard way.