Past Sins

It’s difficult for people to accept that certain behaviors are sin, particularly because, even if they no longer participate in those behaviors, they have a history of participation. They cannot bear to condemn their past. But this is because they see their past as if it were a resume’. How could they enter heaven with a besmirched resume’? The answer is not to pretend that condemned behavior is fine; the answer is to repent of such behavior and trust it can be expunged from the record. We have to believe that Jesus really does forgive. We have to believe he allows us to forgive ourselves. We have to trust that the wickedness of the past can really be washed away. Forgiveness is the power that enables us to be honest about our foolish past. – E.O.