Faith Through the Journey

There is a disturbing phenomenon that has entered our society–it’s the insidious practice known as cancel culture. There is an anonymous, self-righteous “they” that have appointed themselves as the arbiters of acceptable behavior and language. Once these people have pronounced judgment and “cancelled” someone, there is no second chance. That unfortunate cancelled person may as well crawl under a rock or live on a deserted island because their usefulness to society has ended. One mistake–according to some anonymous group–and someone’s life and reputation can be ruined. The concept of forgiveness is completely out of the question–one mistake and there is no mercy. The hopelessness and despair felt by these unfortunate people is so unfair and sometimes tragic.

Enter HOPE. The entire message of Jesus is that there is ALWAYS a second chance…and a third chance…and a 71st chance, and a 2,945th chance! The cross, the Easter story is ALL ABOUT forgiveness, about second chances. As long as we are breathing, there is ALWAYS a chance! A chance to confess our sins and be forgiven and welcomed by a Father who wants us. Even when we mess up and have to keep asking for forgiveness, He is ALWAYS willing to forgive us. The Bible tells us in Psalm 103:12: “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” God not only forgives, He FORGETS! Hebrews 8:12 says: “For I will forgive their wickedness, and I will remember their sins no more.”

Someone has wisely spoken that God sent Jesus to pay a debt He did not owe because we owed a debt we could never pay. Our sins were nailed to the cross the day Jesus died, and His resurrection finished the magnificent payment. In effect, when Jesus paid, our debt was CANCELLED! It’s amazing, isn’t it, to think that God KEEPS us but cancels our sin! Unbelieving society does exactly the opposite: there is no forgiveness, the people are discarded. The transgression is forever remembered and held against an individual by those who espouse cancel culture. The God who loves and forgives the individual values them above all and FORGETS their wrongdoing! What a wonderful, loving God He is!