First Section is about Jesus Christ's Atonement and our ability to forgive others. In the book there is a grandfather talking to his grandson so many of the quotes are as the two talk.
"You have learned since you were young that the atonement was for the sinner,...and that certainly is true, but it is only half of the story, the second half is not nearly so well understood....The atonement is as much for the benefit of the sinned against-the victim of sin-as for the sinner....One of the effects of sin is to invite those who have been sinned against...to become sinful themselves, and that the atonement provides the escape from such provocation to sin." The grandson was mad at his wife he thought he was justified in being mad at her for she had been harsh and cruel towards him and he felt justified in trying to get others to be mad at her along with him. To often in my life I do the same. It continues late in the book to say, "The Lord, by taking on the sins of our own upon his head, extends us the same mercy. 'Upon me let this iniquity be,' he pleads. 'Let me deal with it if there is any dealing to be done. But you my dear son or dear daughter, let it go. Let me take it, as I already have done. Forgive.'... My son, when the Savior comes to you with the sins of others upon him, he offers you a view of others that only he knows. He begs you to see as he sees--ad One who knows every pain, insecurity, aspiration, and infirmity because he has taken them upon himself. He will show you others as he sees and loves them, and he will help you to see and love them that way as well, for he begs you not merely to ungird your sword but to ungird your heart. If you do, the miracle of his atonement will flow freely,..."
This make me feel so at awe. I knew the atonement was for us all but had not thought of it that way.
The next section covers the story of Jonah and him not wanting to teach the people of Nineveh. And then him being compelled to teach them and save them from destruction. However he still thought they were to wicked and not worthy of redemption the lord asks him "should I not spare Nineveh?" We never find out what Jonah answers. But I know there have been times in my life I have thought someone was to far gone to repent and no longer worthy of Christ's atonement so I believe the Lord would ask me "I have saved you are you saying I should not also save them?" Thus if we answer No then we are not worthy of being saved either because we to have sinned against god. God can look upon sin with no degree of allowance. But in able to answer yes we need a change of heart to accept that even those we find the most unworthy of mercy from God can still obtain it.
"The understanding is available merely from pondering the Savior's atonement, for no amount of mistreatment and suffering was able to take away his love of the One who was without sin. By contrast, we who still struggle with sinfulness, struggle as well to cover our sins. And one way we do this, the Savior thought , is by finding sinfulness in others. The beams in out eyes get us looking for the motes in others. Our own failure to love another causes us to see the other as being unworthy of love. So we end up sitting beneath our own canopies of sticks irritated, angry, hurt, blaming our lack of love on the Ninevites we are failing to love. The Savior, by contrast, with no sins of his own to clutch, cover and excuse, remained free to see all of mankind each of us...in our sinfulness and in the pain we caused him mercifully and gratefully."
Sometimes it is our own unwillingness to love others and understand love halts us in forgiving ourselves and others. But if we become like the innocence of small children in their pure love we will find how we can love more purely. "Your children answer Yes to the Lords question....They grant mercy....The secret of their love in not their naivete the fact that the are, as you said, mere innocents but rather their innocence from sin. Innocent as the are from sinfulness toward you there are no sin they need to cover and excuse, and therefor no sins of your can keep them from loving you. The question for you is what sins towards others keep you from loving them? How are you demanding justice and therefore denying mercy? In what ways are you sitting belligerently under the sticks of your own grudges? How are yo the author of your own despair? If you allow yourself to discover answers to those questions, you, with your children will answer 'Yes' to the Lord's question..."
The third pare of the book deals in realization. Realization that we must change ourselves and in changing ourselves then and only then will be be able to see others the way God and Jesus see them. "Remember the problem of sin is only partially that we engage in sinful acts. The far deeper problem is that by choosing to engage in sinful acts, our hearts become sinful. And when the do, Satan gains power over us to lead us captive at his will, to lead us into deeper and darker resentment, bitterness, anger, and sin. We become unclean, impure,corrupted unable to abide the presence of God, in whose presence only clean and pure can dwell. And we end up losing the very thing that is essential if ever we are to be cleansed and find out way back to him: the desire and ability to choose to follow the Lord. Our Hands are filthy from sinful acts, to be sure,...But our greater problem is that our hearts have become unclean as wall....Unless someone can overcome for us the captivity of out hearts and make us free from our bondage to sin we will be damned forever." It goes on that this is what the Savior has done for us with his atonement.
Just the thought that one so perfect took upon him all the pains and anguish of the world. And the devil laughed at him because he held the entire earth in his chains. But Weeps and gnashes bitterly having had those chains broken by the savior. But the devil rejoices each time we choose not to repent or remain in sin. To quote the book again its says " It is what latter-day prophets have referred to and indescribable anguish when Christ had to meet and overcome all the horrors that Satan could inflict. And he suffers all this- And never for get this- For Us....It is ok even wise, to be afraid. You should fear sin with all your soul, for it is the freedom of your soul that is at stake. To those who fear as the ought...the prophets declare 'Be watchful unto prayer continually, that ye may not be lead wasy by the temptations of the devil, that he may not overpower you, that ye may not become his subjects, and be led away captive by him.' Arm yourself through prayer...You are vulnerable. We all are. Let your desires for the Lord be your shield."
I think if we can each remember and come to understand the atonement in its fulness we will beable to undertand and be free. And the freedom from sin will allow us to be at peace.
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