When, with tears, those hurting Christian surviving family members of the horrific mass killings at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina cried out words of forgiveness to the hate-filled, young, white man, many wept with them. Many wondered how under such circumstances those sweet souls could forgive such a cold-blooded murderer.
It is only understandable in the following context. God forgives and He calls His followers (and empowers them) to do the same.
That is the working power of Christ in the hearts and lives of believers. Dear saints cut down while studying God’s word and praying – lovingly welcoming a stranger into their Bible study, not knowing that an hour later he would kill them. It’s been reported that the killer told police that he almost didn’t go through with his murderous plot because those he sat with in the church had been so kind to him.
The example of love from those who were then killed and the example of forgiveness from those who lost loved ones reflect the life-changing power of the Gospel.
1. All have sinned. All have fallen short of the glory of God.[Romans 3:23]
2. That’s why Christ came. [John 3:16] To show us our need for forgiveness and for His grace and mercy in our lives that He could begin to restore us. But, this side of Heaven, not one of us will be fully restored.
3. We are sinners in need of a Savior.
4. It is by grace that we have been saved through faith. Not of ourselves lest any man should boast. [Ephesians 2:8,9]
What concerns so many of us is that there are those who have an agenda of division; of dividing the American people. There are the Al Sharptons and “Rev.” Jessie Jacksons and, yes, our president who will use the derangement of a lost soul and make this heinous act out to be symptomatic of a racially dysfunctional nation. This is a gross misrepresentation.
Are there those who discriminate or are bigots? Sadly, there are. God tells us in His word. We are “pilgrims in a foreign land.” We are sinners living in the midst of a world of sinners. But it doesn’t end there.
Jesus came to restore lost souls, to set the captive free from the bondages of sin. Many hearing the Gospel will ignore it. Hearing they will not hear. Seeing they will not see.
God’s working power was on display in the lives of those who suffered life-changing loss. One dear soul crying (referring to the killing of her mother):
“I forgive you. You took something very precious away from me. I will never get to talk to her ever again. I will never be able to hold her again, but I forgive you, and have mercy on your soul. … You hurt me. You hurt a lot of people. If God forgives you, I forgive you.”
Nadine Collier, daughter of victim Ethel Lance
This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.
John 3:20-21
As we see the darkness of that dark act, may we also see the brilliance of those walking in the light.
Light is in the world.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:1-14
Others forgave – here is but one other – light bearers
“I would just like him to know that, to say the same thing that was just said: I forgive him and my family forgives him. But we would like him to take this opportunity to repent. Repent. Confess. Give your life to the one who matters most: Christ. So that He can change him and change your ways, so no matter what happens to you, you’ll be okay.”
Relative of Myra Thompson
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