24 and Forgiveness

I am a Huge fan of the show “24”. Jack Bauer is awesome! Did you know that Jack Bauer once lost reception on his cell phone. 24 hours later AT&T announced that it would have more bars in more places? And of course, if everyone listened to Jack Bauer, the show would be called 12. On the Season Finale of Season 7, there was an interesting dialogue that I could not ignore. During the season Jack had been exposed to a biological weapon which attacked his nervous system. As a matter of fact, the season ends with Jack’s life in the balance. Jack called in an Imam, a Muslim priest of a local Mosque, to talk to about what he was feeling as he faced death. The Imam encouraged Jack to be at peace because he is forgiven. Jack says that with everything he has done he cannot be forgiven. Here is where I paused the DVR and shook my head. The Imam said “Let’s stop together and forgive ourselves” and then he closed his eyes in prayer. I have two reactions to this Hollywood confusion of forgiveness.
First, the writers made a classic mistake by confusing the removal of guilt verses forgiveness. Guilt is our own inner feeling of remorse for something we have done. Jack was looking for something to remove his guilt for all the people he has killed and cursing problem. The Imam was looking to provide forgiveness, or the pardon of all punishment due to his evil acts. Unfortunately, the Imam cannot grant forgiveness nor can we forgive ourselves as they try to do. Colossians 1:13-14 says, “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Forgiveness does not come from the removal of guilt, nor by us forgiving ourselves. Only Christ who gives forgiveness can remove guilt; the first destroys the latter.
Secondly, I wish forgiveness came as easy as the Imam told Jack. “Just forgive ourselves”The book of Hebrews points out that forgiveness is hard and costly. “ all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”(9:22) Who shed their blood to forgive us? Jesus, God in the flesh, lived a perfect life and then died a sinner’s death by dying on a cross. By His death he paid the penalty for our sins satisfying a Just God and granting us true forgiveness. Amen and Amen!
Maybe you feel guilty for something in your past. Maybe you feel there is no hope in sight to remove the pain you feel. Look to Jesus, repent and believe in Him. In Him you will receive pardon. When God forgives you it will be easier to remove the guilt (or forgive yourself). The Bible Promises: ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the Lord, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” Jeremiah 31:34 (emphasis mine) Don’t get me wrong, I will watch Jack next year. But I think we should make sure we remember where we find forgiveness. “O precious is the flow that makes me white as snow Nothing but the Blood of Jesus!” Thank you Lord!