Today while I was out and about here in Redwood City, I crossed paths with a certain Hispanic homeless man I'd previously met. His real name is Jesus.
As I stood there speaking with him, all of a sudden he started talking about God's promises to us. He was telling me how he feels that God makes amazing promises to us, and then fulfills them.
Later in the day, I thought back to how he had said that God remarkably carries out his great promises to us. As I mused upon these words about God's promises spoken to me by the man named Jesus I had met, I thought of how Jesus Christ explained to us that while some things are impossible for humans, nothing is impossible for God.*
I have thought that I can forgive my neighbor only because God has given me the grace to do so. Without the aid of God, I would not be able to forgive my neighbor. God has mercy on me and gives me the grace to forgive my neighbor.
And so, thinking of God's great mercy while I stood there speaking with this man named Jesus today, I said to him something like, "We try to do good, but we end up sinning. But after we die, when we get before God, we can beg God for his mercy. Since God is love,** God will be merciful and forgive us."
Jesus looked at me and said, "Yes! He has to! It's who He is!"
God will forgive us our sins, because to forgive is to love, and God is love. God will be true to His promise, for while we are unfaithful to Him, God cannot be unfaithful to us. Jesus Christ told us that He is The Way, The Truth and The Life.*** God is Truth, and God is love. God tells us that He is love, and since He is Truth, He will be true to His Word, and love us: out of His great mercy, He will forgive us if we beg Him for the grace to forgive our neighbor.
* Genesis 18:14; Jeremiah 32:17,27; Matthew 19:26; Mark 10:27; Luke 1:37; Luke 18:27
** 1 John 4:8,16
*** John 14:6
As I stood there speaking with him, all of a sudden he started talking about God's promises to us. He was telling me how he feels that God makes amazing promises to us, and then fulfills them.
Later in the day, I thought back to how he had said that God remarkably carries out his great promises to us. As I mused upon these words about God's promises spoken to me by the man named Jesus I had met, I thought of how Jesus Christ explained to us that while some things are impossible for humans, nothing is impossible for God.*
I have thought that I can forgive my neighbor only because God has given me the grace to do so. Without the aid of God, I would not be able to forgive my neighbor. God has mercy on me and gives me the grace to forgive my neighbor.
And so, thinking of God's great mercy while I stood there speaking with this man named Jesus today, I said to him something like, "We try to do good, but we end up sinning. But after we die, when we get before God, we can beg God for his mercy. Since God is love,** God will be merciful and forgive us."
Jesus looked at me and said, "Yes! He has to! It's who He is!"
God will forgive us our sins, because to forgive is to love, and God is love. God will be true to His promise, for while we are unfaithful to Him, God cannot be unfaithful to us. Jesus Christ told us that He is The Way, The Truth and The Life.*** God is Truth, and God is love. God tells us that He is love, and since He is Truth, He will be true to His Word, and love us: out of His great mercy, He will forgive us if we beg Him for the grace to forgive our neighbor.
* Genesis 18:14; Jeremiah 32:17,27; Matthew 19:26; Mark 10:27; Luke 1:37; Luke 18:27
** 1 John 4:8,16
*** John 14:6
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