Eternal Union
It is easy to talk about forgiveness when it doesn’t matter. Too often I hear, “Sure I forgive them. God will take get them. I don’t have to.” I’m sorry to tell you, this is not forgiveness. This is vengeance. The problem isn’t now. The problem comes later when we are eternally together.
There are two readings from the letters of Saint Paul today that have meaning for our eternal forgiveness. The reading from Romans is selected by the Church in honor of Saint Mammas, the Martyr. The second is the reading of the day. Taken together we see our future.
Brethren, we know that everything works for good with those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the first-born among many brethren. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified. What then shall we say to this? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, will he not also give us all things with him? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies; who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, “For thy sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8.29-39
Brethren, my joy is the joy of you all. For I wrote you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you. But if any one has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure – not to put it too severely – to you all. For such a one this punishment by the majority is enough; so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, for he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him. For this is why I wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything. Any one whom you forgive, I also forgive. What I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, to keep Satan from gaining the advantage over us; for we are not ignorant of his designs. When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, a door was opened for me in the Lord; but my mind could not rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia. But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumph, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.
2nd Corinthians 2.3-15
Nothing will ever separate us from the love of God. Let that sink in because it matters in every choice and action we make. Nothing will ever separate us from the love of God. On the one hand that comforts us. On the other it should terrify us if we do not forgive others.
In our eternal union with God, we either experience heaven or hell. We will either be happy to be eternally with God, or not. Let’s say for the moment we are happy to be there. How does that play into forgiveness? Everyone else is eternally with God too, even those who we don’t forgive.
Saint Paul is always reminding us of our eternal union God AND each other. In today’s reading from 2nd Corinthians, we are asked to consider the pain others are enduring because they know the suffering they have caused others. Our forgiveness soothes their pain. Their pain is our pain.
Remind yourself. We are eternally with God AND each other. If our refusal to forgive causes others pain, and their pain is our pain BECAUSE WE ARE UNITED, we will suffer eternal pain. What could have been heaven for us turns to hell, eternal pain no matter how ‘good’ we are.
Remembering this eternal union is the only way to salvation. It brings us to reconciliation. It brings us to mutual respect. It brings us to love. It brings us into full communion with God. Once we figure that part out, then we can move forward in Christ and each other.
Let me put it another way. Life isn’t about getting ‘in’ to heaven. Life is about understanding what heaven is and being prepared to ‘want’ to be there in the first place. Nobody wants eternal pain.
