Another failure, another grace-filled sign of forgiveness

Another failure, another grace-filled sign of forgiveness

When you gain a degree from your study and effort to get ahead, your joy rises around you as you achieve success.  So it is with overcoming a weakness that may inhibit your ability to keep away from sinful temptations and the end result is again another call for complete exuberance.

There may become instances where your last accomplishment in education or climbing the ladder of achievement in industry is no longer enough.  You now must dig into the books or trade manuals to advance in your profession.  The same with avoiding sinful attractions never ceases with one confession.  When Jesus was confronted by the devil, the tempter did not give up after Jesus answered him with, “One does not live by bread alone.”  (Lk4: 4).  The attractions of ill-living come at us relentlessly, until our weakness reaches out to grab the golden ring of the merry-go-round of life's travels.  

One may say, “once I get beyond this particular weakness that brings me into sin, I then will become just what God expects of me.”  Wrong.  If we are able to rise above the evil tenure that is always speaking to our sense of right and wrong, our pride, which is the mother of all sin, will now control the very success we thought had become part of our godliness.  

“Although if I should wish to boast, I would not be foolish, for I would be telling the truth.  But I refrain, so that no one may think of me more than what he sees in me of hears from me, because of the abundance of the revelations.  Therefore, that I might not become too elated, a thorn was given me, an angel of Satan, to beat me, to keep me from becoming too elated.  Three times I begged the Lord about this, that it might leave me, but he said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.”  (2 Cor 12: 6 - 9).

How is it possible to speak beyond these words of an apostle who in spite of his closeness to Christ and expanding the kingdom of God had something that was more than a nuance like a cold or arthritis pain.  Nevertheless, the Lord spoke to Paul as he speaks to us, similarly, we must praise God’s Wisdom in allowing us to fail from time to time in order to remind us we need his forgiveness, constantly.  

It doesn’t mean we should willingly allow our guard against evil attractions to wane from our sight, but knowing that we all have particular weaknesses familiar to our human frailties that seem to stay around us.  It is here that we must be careful to familiarize our need of Christ, his Spirit dwelling within, and the continued forgiveness that God always has ready to pick us up when we fall.  Don’t worry when we fail at keeping ourselves pure.  It isn’t the most pleasurable attitude that seems to be there at the worst times.  But it is the victory we pray about when the words, “O happy fault, O necessary sin of Adam which gained for us so great a Redeemer,”  reminds each one of us that God is in charge of our weaknesses as well as our victories over sin.  The Exultet  at the Easter Vigil gives solace to each of us as we hear the words leaving a victory proclamation to a weakened human being who knows he/she is forgiven, over and over forever.

Then Peter approaching asked him, “Lord if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him?  As many as seven times?”  Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.”  (Mt 18: 21 - 22).   This is a prelude to the Cross where Jesus forgave all of us.  Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.”  (Lk 23: 34).

Forgiveness is eternal and we are the recipients of a merciful God!

Ralph B. Hathaway