I saw that my husband had been too exacting toward those who were wrong and had injured him. He indulged dissatisfied feelings, which could be of no benefit to the erring and could but make his own heart very unhappy, unfitting it for the peace of God to dwell there, which would lead him in everything to give thanks. The Lord permitted his mind to be desponding in regard to his own errors and mistakes, and to nearly despair of forgiveness, not because his sins were of such magnitude, but that he might know by experience how painful and agonizing it would be to be without the forgiveness of God, and that he might understand the scripture: “If ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” I saw that if God should be as exacting as we are, and should deal with us as we deal with one another, we might all be thrown into a state of hopeless despair. {1T 614.1} | |
Vidnesbyrd for menigheden bind 1 kapitel 107. 614. Fra side 614 i den engelske udgave. | tilbage |
Jeg så at min mand havde været ret krævende mod dem, som gjorde fejl og han havde gjort dem uret. Han gav efter for sit mishag, som ikke kunne gavne den fejlende og kunne blot gøre hans eget hjerte meget ulykkelig og gøre det uegnet, til at Guds fred kunne dvæle der, hvilket ville lede ham i alt til at sige tak. Herren lod hans sind blive fortvivlet over hans egne vildfarelser og fejlgreb og næsten fortvivles af villighed til at tilgive, ikke fordi hans synder var af stor betydning, men for at han, ved erfaring, måtte vide hvor smertefuldt og pinefuldt det ville være, uden Guds tilgivelse og så han kan forstå dette skriftsted: »Men tilgiver I ikke menneskene deres overtrædelser, vil jeres Fader heller ikke tilgive jeres overtrædelser.« Jeg så at hvis Gud skulle blive så krævende, som vi er og skulle behandle os som vi behandler hinanden, kunne vi alle kastes i en håbløs fortvivelses-tilstand. |