"COME . . . LET US REASON TOGETHER."
By Will Wood
DEAR HEAVENLY FATHER, why do I say "Forgive me for Jesus' sake?" Why canst Thou not forgive me for my own sake? Art Thou not forgiving enough? Art Thou not kind-hearted enough to let a little thing go without holding me responsible, without taking vengeance for it, without punishing me for things, even tho they are things that are against Thee? Art Thou not merciful enough to do so? And if once, canst Thou not do so again? and again? and again? Dost not Thy mercy endure forever? Let me hear from Thee. Thy Word says that tho my sins "be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow." Why canst Thou not just forgive me my sins and let them go for the sake of being kind to me? And, of course, if to me, to all, for all are as worthy as I am. "Well, dear child, I do so love thee as thou hast suggested. My mercy does endure forever. I am forgiving enough, kind-hearted enough, to let it all go and say nothing about it, as far as My own feelings are concerned. But suppose that I were never to interfere with thy actions, with thy sins, with thy transgressions of My law, would they not of themselves work death in thee? Would not the acts themselves kill thee? finally, if permitted to carry themselves out, bring actual destruction upon thee?" "Well, then, not having killed thee, would I be under any obligation to raise thee up? Having done things of thine own choice that of themselves destroyed thee, would I be obliged to raise thee up? Having worked for the wages of sin which is death, and having gotten thy wages and finding thyself dead, would I be under any obligation to raise thee up?" No, Lord, I see that Thou wouldst not, and still Thou wouldst be just and fair. "Then whose shall those things be that thou hast prepared?" What would My being willing that thou shouldst live and go on in sin amount to if thou wert dead and unable to rise up and go on?" "Now another thing, dear child; suppose I should raise thee up. Having in one lifetime consented to sin, wouldst thou not do so in another?" "And if I raised thee up unworthily once could I consistently refuse to do so the second time, and if a second time, as often as thou didst perish?" No, Lord, I see that Thou couldst not. "Well, dear child, dost thou wish Me to perpetuate sin? to perpetuate destruction?" No, Lord, I do not. But, Lord, listen to a word from me. If Thou dost give me the privilege of choice and I use it to sin, is not Thy system a failure? Can it not truthfully be said that the Lord's arm is shortened that He can not save? "Yes, My child, that is true; but if I, Myself, pay the price of thy sin, then may I not consistently place thee the second time upon thy feet, providing thou dost accept of the gift?" "And if I do so, do I not prove that My mercy "endureth forever," that I really am kind-hearted, forgiving? Do I not demonstrate that My arm is not shortened that I can not save?" "Again, dear child, if sin works death, if the "wages of sin is death," to see that the wages are collected, I must see that there is death. If thou art not to be the one who dies, the One who gave thee life must take thy place, as only He who can give life can consistently withhold life. That means either I, Myself, must die, or My Son, for only He and I are able to give life. My Son created thee and I have consented to His offer to die in thy place. If thou wilt accept this Gift, this Son, if thou wilt continue to pray, "Forgive me for Jesus' sake," I shall be glad indeed to hear thee and forgive thee, to have mercy on thee and to let all the things thou hast done go, and "remember them against thee no more." What dost thou say?" Lord, I say, "Amen." Dear heavenly Father, I cry, "Forgive me for Jesus' sake." I admit that Thou hast demonstrated that Thy arm is not shortened that Thou canst not save, and that Thou art kind-hearted and forgiving, even to the last degree, and that Thy mercy truly endureth forever.