When "Are We Forgiven" ?

When  "Are We Forgiven"?

Without becoming too rhetorical this is one area that needs a lot of understanding without using too much explanation.  Of course we all believe that God always forgives, but at times there may be doubts from some that aren’t quite certain.  One reason may be that the past always has a way of protruding into our memory and causes us to relive past sins, pain, or misunderstanding.  The human psyche just can not erase very easily the past.  

When we confess our failings with real intense sorrow God always forgives us.  Even if our sorrow appears to be waning a bit, God still looks on us as His children with love and compassion, and the Mercy He shows still comes through.  Why, the question might arise, are we so slow to accept that forgiveness when we are taught that God forgives all.  Even the Pharisees questioned Jesus by blaspheming the possibility that He could forgive sins.  (see Mk. 4: 22 - 30).  

A further consideration on the forgiveness God extends to us is that He even would be forgiving.  Why not would be the proper response to that regard when God is in the forgiving business (without appearing too blatant).  

Think back to our beginning in time (time as we know it outside of the eternal absence of time and space) when God created everything and knew how His creatures would never know Him in a personal way because of our refusal to follow God.  He would create Salvation History to forgive our insolence toward Him.  In my writing “A Teaching on the Paschal Mystery” these very tenets of God’s creation, His Plan to share His Life and Love with us, the introduction of sin into the world, and God’s ultimate plan of total forgiveness are covered in a way that brings our consciousness into the realm of understanding God’s deep and abiding love for each of us.

If God doesn’t forgive His creatures we are certainly doomed to wander in eternity forever.  We are born into life and without the premise of living with out creator, forever, death would become a curse from which there would be no return.  However, since God is so merciful filled with nothing but Love, that probability will never happen.  The question of when "Are We Forgiven” is easily answered; always and completely.  

We are finite creatures, with a beginning by someone else and an ending by our own journey through this limited time on earth.  Therefore, our existence (in eternity as well as our present trek) depends on more than any of us is capable of procuring or even successfully maintaining during this journey.  Our total dependence is beyond our grasp and relies on someone beyond our human understanding.  This someone is Almighty God, saved by the Incarnate Christ, Son of the Father, and guided by the Holy Spirit.  With all that information could we ever think that our most essential need of God’s Forgiveness could or would not be our greatest gift?  

Are We Forgiven?  You bet we are.  Are we deserving of His Mercy?  Certainly not, but in His infinite love for us He considers us worthy enough to overlook our sinfulness and like the Father in Luke’s Prodigal Son, God waits for our return to Him, with open and forgiving arms.  Yes, we are forgiven!