Jesus
said to her, "Thy sins are forgiven," and to "go in peace." Now were her
sins forgiven the moment Jesus spoke to her? Were they not forgiven
prior to that? Was there anything in the woman's mental or moral
attitude to Christ to indicate that not till the moment that he spoke
the word were her sins forgiven? The fact is, that he spoke the word
when circumstances led up to it, and not before. There is nothing to
forbid the idea, it seems to me that her sins were always forgiven; but
Jesus spoke the word of comfort just when it was needed. She had now the
joy of conscious forgiveness; I think that was what Jesus intended
to bestow.
So it seems to me that all sin is forgiven already. The death of Christ
secures that boon. And is there anything which would break a sinner's
heart so effectually as to know that, let him sink in wickedness to the
lowest possible depths, yet that all his sin is already forgiven? If
anything would win him, can you conceive of anything so effectual as
that? What a display that would be of the conquering power of
love divine!
Here I would note a singular coincidence. The very day after I had
written that there is no punishment for sin either in this life or the
next--that it is all discipline--I received a book from some unknown
friend in which the same idea occurs.
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