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Introduction on Forgiveness
Essay on the importance of forgiveness
Essay on the importance of forgiveness
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Though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials” (). Although, God Has promised to fulfill one’s needs such trials play along with fear, concern and stress. And for every promise God preconditions His believers trusting Him; nonetheless, believers tend to be skeptical. While, many non-believers wonder why a loving God punishes, preacher Melvin Estrada maintains that God does not punish but disciplines. Many times God tests one to make him and/or her grow spiritually and prove one’s faith genuine; consequently, the testing or trials one encounters come in several ways. One’s faith examination may occur through cancer, financial difficulties, family, spiritual area, a death of a loved one, or even rejection. Such trials may be obstacles blocking from having a relationship with God; nevertheless, God does not test beyond one’s abilities.
Understandably, individuals may question why God punishes, Melvin Estrada a preacher at a Pentecostal church—maintains that God does not punish His children (Estrada). The belief is that Christ has already paid f...
Rachel Held Evans in “Faith Unraveled” questions every part of her religion, and is not sure how she should be living her life. Evans struggles to fully believe in faith that Christians are supposed to. She has all these questions and doubts, and is looking for answers but struggles to find the answers. Other Christians think what she is doing is unfaithful and she is not a real Christian. She is curious how people who profess Gods’ holy name, but then do not act in a holy way will be judged. Skeptics exist in almost every aspect of life, but when it comes to religion there seems to be a lot more. She struggles to handle some of the questions the skeptics ask and makes her question her religion. Evans also struggles to understand how this
As I continued to chat with my pastor that day, I really sensed the hurt in his eyes – the anger that comes from an unsolvable injustice, the tiredness of a problem. “What’s wrong?” I finally asked, “Having a bad day?” Sensing that I was truly concerned, he let the truth be told. “I talked with a woman today whose baby died suddenly of unknown causes. As we worked through her grief, she talked about how numerous friends and family, even a religious leader had patted her on the back, shook their heads and said, ‘It was God’s will.’ I find few things worse to say to a grieving parent. Saying nothing at all would be of more help.” It was obvious from our conversation that he had an understanding greater than I about God’s will, and his insight created in me a curiosity and desire to learn more.
Abraham Lincoln, one of the most revered presidents of our country, once expressed “I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice.” Throughout history, many men have tried to teach their people by punishment. From the times of ancient Egypt, to the Dark Ages of Europe, even up to the times of colonial America, persecution, humiliation, and torture have been used to enforce the principles of righteousness. But God has seemingly different ideas. From the very beginning, God has been teaching his children on Earth by showing them mercy instead of giving them misery. This theme is exemplified in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter as Hester and Dimmesdale suffer
“You must pay for everything in this world one way and another. There is nothing free except the Grace of God. You can’t earn that or deserve it” (Portis 40.) Everything you do, good or bad, carries some sort of judgment from the Lord. You might slip through the cracks from this world judgments and law, but you will be judged according to your doings, in this world by God. You can’t earn nor deserve the Grace of the Lord, because it was already given to us in the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. “Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification” (Romans 4:25.) This gave us Grace to be forgiven after our sin if we repent from further sinning’s. This means you can’t go and commit a crime of revenge, knowing God’s words
This idea of being punished for an unremembered crime refers to the Christian belief in original sin. 2 According to Christian theology, all humans are sinners, from the time they are born, for which they will be eternally punished. 2 But only through God’s grace can people be saved.
The book Picking Cotton, the Bible, the film Conviction, and many gospel songs are given great ideas from people who overcame obstacles of faith. Obstacles can be anything that stands in our way of reaching our goals, having prosperity, or being what God want us to be. Great faith endures great tribulations, each day comes with it is quota of struggles and difficulties and every minute victory becomes seed to grow our faith. Whether we are physically contacted by sickness, death, divorce, or unemployment we require grace to endure. But during endeavoring times we learn who we authentically are and more importantly, we learn about God‘s faithfulness.
This article “Faith according To the Apostle James” was quite interesting because of the arguments that were displayed in explaining the context of faith by James. The author John MacArthur is intensely elaborating the good of intentions of how important it was to James to share his concern with the believers of Christ to have strong faith in the gospel of Christ. It almost seem there was an argument with the author himself and others who he measured his work which were Apostle James and his colleagues. However, you also understand the importance of having faith because of the belief for Christians to have faith so they can be doers of the Word. If one has ever read the Book of James your initial thought most likely is about leadership role of ministers and mature saints. In this article it is the opposite. It expounds on the power of faith and faith in action. Showing faith is the key ingredient to believe and live according to the Word of God. There were key points immediately made by the author to help any reader see a different light on the Book of James.
In Matthew, the two blind men and the centurion step out in faith by asking Jesus to heal. This shows how faith leads to action. In the story of the blind men, faith leads to action when two blind men shout out to Jesus. The crowd around them rebuked them, and said for them to be quiet. They heard the people, and ignored them yelling louder for Jesus. They had faith that Jesus could hear them and that he would come to them. Jesus came over to them, and asked what they needed him to do. “we want our sight,” they said. Jesus touched their eyes and healed their vision.(Doc. 1) This shows how faith lead to action because the men had faith that Jesus would hear their calls, he did and healed their eyes.
Children and adults that are familiar with God and that have been taught that God is love, often associated their traumatic experiences in a negative way to their spirituality. Children and adults may relate their trauma experienced to a retribution by a punitive God and it can disrupt their spiritual belief and connection with God or a divine being (Bryant-Davis, et al., 2012). Individuals’ that have experienced trauma at times develop a negative and unsafe view of the world. The world is no longer a safe place for them. This negative connotation of the world could lead to many adverse effects throughout the development stages of a person. It could lead to mental health as well as a complete rejection of one’s faith, and mistrust that can lead to the inhibition of formatting healthy relationships with others or with God. Although, children and adults could develop a negative view against their God due to the negative experience, spirituality can also be a source of strength and a mechanism that can lead to recovery. Many times victims of a traumatic event use their spirituality as a form of coping skill that leads to a better understanding and acceptance of their past or present circumstances. This positive view of spirituality can later be restored through means of different styles of
...dman Brown cries out “My Faith is gone! There is no good on earth and sin is but a name. Come devil! For to thee is this world given”(cite). This where he begins to believe there is only sin in the world and his faith in humanity is completely destroyed. He still vows to stand firm against the devil, however he has doubts that heaven exists at all. With his loss of humanity he can no longer look at his fellow neighbors, which he had once held with high esteem, he now views as sinful and hypocritical. The faith that did shine in his heart the darkness of the world has tainted the idea that life is good and pure. Goodman Brown is completely consumed by his doubts and he is a distrustful and unable to have any sympathy or love to others. He never recovers his faith and even after death his family had nothing to say good about him, “for his dying hour was gloom”(cite).
Faith is something a person must have inside them to be able to succeed. Success and failure are two completely different things, but faith is what separates the two. In the short story “A Fable with Slips of White Paper Spilling from the Pockets” by Kevin Brockmeier, the author illustrates the struggles a man must overcome in society and the obstacles he must overcome when his faith is tested to the limit. In the fable, the author uses symbols of faith, magical elements, and realistic struggles to divulge the morals and struggles of life.
is prevented from this drastic step only by a faith which teaches him that God
Pope John Paul II once said, “Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth – in a word, to know himself – so that, by knowing and loving God, men and women may also come to the fullness of truth about themselves.” (Fallible Blogma) Based on this significant and powerful quote, one can infer that faith and reason are directly associated and related. It can also be implied that the combination of faith and reason allows one to seek information and knowledge about truth and God; based on various class discussions and past academic teachings, it is understood that both faith and reason are the instruments that diverse parties are supposed to use on this search for truth and God. There are many stances and viewpoints on the issues of faith and reason. Some believe that both of these ideas cannot and should not be combined; these parties deem that faith and reason must be taken as merely separate entities. However, this writer does not understand why both entities cannot be combined; both terms are so closely compatible that it would make sense to combine the two for a common task. Based on various class discussions and readings, there are many philosophers and theologians who have certain opinions regarding faith, reason and their compatibility; these philosophers include Hildegard of Bingen, Ibn Rushd, Moses Maimonides, and St. Thomas Aquinas. The following essay will examine each of the previously stated philosopher’s viewpoints on faith and reason, and will essentially try to determine whether or not faith and reason are ultimately one in the same.
Testimonies of how you stayed faithful even when times were tough. Moments you will be able to look back and be thankful to God for them. Those moments will increase your faith and you will be able to trust God because of what happened in the past. Your testimonies are great to edify yourself but even better to edify other people. Using your experience, you will be able to encourage people in their relationship with God. If we look at Daniel in the Bible, we know that he was a good man who feared God, yet God allowed him to be sentenced to death in a lion’s den. Daniel was saved by God so it’s hard to call it a suffering, but still we see that God used this situation to show his might to the king Darius and his nation –“I issues a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. For he is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end. He rescues and he saves; he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.” Dave Earley says it so well, “God’s ultimate plan behind all of His activities on this planet is to present humanity with a clear testimony of who He truly is and what He
Paul tells us to “fight the good fight of faith” (Tim. 6:12). We must not hold on to unbelief. When we give ourselve...