OUR DAILY BREAD             Sat., February 11, 1995
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READ:  Romans 3:9-24


              WHO NEEDS FORGIVENESS?

      "There is none righteous, no, not one;...
         there is none who seeks after God."

                        - Romans 3:10-11

England's historic Coventry Cathedral was devastated
when Nazi planes blitzed it during World War II.  In
the middle of the ruins, the authorities placed a
huge cross made from two charred beams of wood.  On
that cross were engraved the words, "Father, forgive."
Not the three familiar words of Jesus, "Father, forgive
them" (Luke 23:34).  No, just, "Father, forgive."

The fact that the word "them" is omitted reminds us
that not only did the Nazis who ordered that appalling
destruction need forgiveness, so do all of us.  From
our perspective, some wrongdoings may strike us as
trivial -- say, a "little white lie" -- while other
sins loom up as huge abominations -- like Hitler's
Holocaust or Stalin's Gulag.

Only God can determine if one sin is greater than
another.  But one thing is clear:  "All have sinned
and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23).
God's standard of perfect obedience is revealed in
Jesus Christ.  All of us, whether victims or perpe-
trators, stand in helpless need of His divine forgive-
ness (v. 10).

The glorious message of the gospel is that God has
provided salvation to everyone who accepts His Son Jesus
Christ (6:23; 8:1; 10:9-13).

                                -- Vernon C. Grounds

        The worst of sins can be forgiven --
              Their penalty is paid;
            When Jesus died on Calvary
             Full recompense was made.

                                -- Dennis J. De Haan

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           THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
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   Whether the sins are great or small,
    Jesus is able to forgive them all.

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:  Numbers 21-24

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Our Daily Bread,  Copyright 1995,  used  by permission of
Radio Bible Class, Grand  Rapids,  Michigan  49555,  USA.
Written permission  must  be  obtained  from  RBC for any
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This copy  redistributed by Larry Holder (larryh@utm.edu)
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Redistribution is only to individuals and lists that have
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with the policy of Radio Bible Class.
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file: /pub/resources/text/Our.Daily.Bread: db950211.txt

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