7/19/12 Mike,
about 30
I asked a man named
Mike who was out walking his Rottweiler if he would be willing to answer an
interesting question. "If I can
keep walking my dog, sure " was his answer so we walked and talked. "Do you believe anything comes next
after this life?" "You mean
like reincarnation and stuff like that?"
"Well, yeah, what do you believe?" He thought about this awhile and told me he
thought he would go to heaven "because God is supposed to forgive". I asked "Does he forgive everyone
then?" "That's a good question, I hadn't thought of that." Mike
said. We talked about this awhile and I
guessed correctly that his belief that "God is supposed to forgive"
comes from 1 John 1 that says "if we confess our sins He is faithful and
just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Like many people, Mike felt that God is
obligated to forgive anyone who confesses their sins, but they don't give any thought
that He is also just and requires a just punishment for sin. "That verse in 1 John is directed toward people
who are already forgiven as Christians but need to maintain their fellowship
with God. It's like a man who is legally
married, but causes an argument with his wife. Even though they remain legally married, their
relationship needs to be restored. Daily
confession is important to keep in fellowship with God, but the real question
is, have you entered into that right legal relationship with God in the first
place?" This really made sense to
Mike, and helped me gain his interest in
further conversation. Mike is a security
guard at Chicago's infamous Cook County jail. He deals with murderers and rapists daily, and
feels he needs to be forgiven for the way he acts toward them, but at the same
time feels he is a much better person by comparison. Please pray for him. He tries to find forgiveness simply through
confession, but first needs to find a right relationship with God through faith
in Jesus.
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