To Retain or Not to Retain (Sin)

 “...If you remit the sins of any persons, they remain remitted to them. If you bind fast the sins of any, they remain bound." John 20:23 (Weymouth NT)

These words were spoken by Jesus to his disciples just after he breathed on them to receive the Holy Spirit.  Very powerful subject matter, concerning sins that were covered by the last sin offering, Jesus Christ himself. Everyone was covered. Yet he spoke to them about it. I used to look at that scripture and wonder what was being said. Only recently did it really hit me what was being communicated.

He was sharing a powerful secret concerning the reality of sin forgiveness, which is an assurance  for everyone. And they are still covered in spite of our interference with that reality. We interfere when we judge and condemn, and when we are indifferent to important issues before us. Our rejection/condemnation erroneously denies a person their rightful place on the Cross. When he died, we all died. (1 Corin 15:22, Romans 5:12-15) So, Jesus was telling them that if they claimed the payment for sin for a person, they were agreeing with the truth. The debt was paid. It also means that if we deny the payment for someone, we are not agreeing with the truth. Seems like there would be a consequence for that.

How could we hinder the gift of God that is permanent?  Jesus told them they could “bind" people from salvation by holding their sins against them.  This is surely a tempory state showing on the surface as we fall back to a “before the Cross” mindset.  There is mud thrown at a spiritual reality. It won’t hurt the reality, but it can stall progress--the progressive movement of the spirit purging the soul. We can free them by acknowledging they are forgiven, or trip up movement to some degree by denying they are forgiven. I see it as Jesus saying “If you see a person as forgiven, there is freedom for them AND you. If you see them as not forgiven, there is no freedom between you and them.” This affects everything!

And it’s something we have to deal with all the time. I have been so guilty of not adhering to this  principal and condemning people. Condemning them for their actions, or their words, or their beliefs, or their looks. Condemning them for crimes they are accused of! But it is an easy condition to remedy--immediately, being in compliance with the Truth.  We check ourselves and rebuke our perspective and look to God for their issues as well as our own. We remember that God can change anyone at any time, and there is purpose in all unpleasantness.

I can give an example of this that happened just a few weeks ago.  At my workplace there was an ugly scene between a customer and myself when he would not yield to my authority in a check-out area. He was insulting and disrespectful, trying to bully me into getting out of his way to do as he pleased.  He yelled at me, demanded a manager, and proceeded to rant and rave about me until a manager handled the situation and he left.

It was embarrassing and sad. I had hateful feelings toward him and wanted God to send quick correction to him. Not a bad thought in itself, but as I watched him leave I remembered that he was being all he could for the moment. Any secret workings of God in this person were beyond my view.  I softened and quietly spoke in his direction “your sins are forgiven, and so are mine”. I was calmed inside as I adjusted my perspective of him and would not retain his sins. I set him free to be in the glorious audience of participants of God’s forgiveness.

The above sounds the trumpet on how important it is to judge ourselves. God wants us to correct our thoughts, words, and actions so He doesn't have to. (Luke 6:37)  The inner laws of the Holy Spirit are working to keep us walking out the Kingdom of God in plain sight. We may act like a beast, but we are forgiven in the ongoing process--ever coming to the surface--of spirit/soul salvation. We check ourselves, re-set our perspective, and continue on. Forgiven.
When we see the beast nature of another, we must remember that Jesus died for them and it counts NOW!  We do not have to agree with who they are or how they behave. But we agree that God has them covered and they are forgiven.  

As I have walked out this new insight, I have felt freedom and peace flow between those I would have condemned, but instead spoke blessings toward. And it is humbling, for we are of the same propensity to err, except for God’s grace. This concept is something that all followers of Christ must come to understand and incorporate into their lives. To bless creation one-on-one by speaking out Christ’s forgiveness of sins.  I truly believe that the restoration of Creation will be speeded up as more look to God’s sovereignty and trust his ability to correct what is wrong, flowing out from the power of his forgiveness through his people. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God, but all are forgiven and will be restored in God’s time.