Originally Posted by Pilgrim
Originally Posted by via_dolorosa
So let me turn this back on you. Are you suggesting that if someone commits murder, they may conceal their crime from the justice system so long as they confess it to God privately?
1. You haven't address my question(s) to you which focus upon the sufficiency and legality of Christ's atonement. Will you please do so?
Certainly. The atoning death of Christ did not turn God into a slot machine whereby forgiveness is meted out perfunctorily every time the lever is pulled. God will have mercy upon whom he will, and I don't think he will be merciful to those who ask for mercy while shunning the justice of man. The theme repeated throughout scripture is that God's justice is expressed through the laws of man, imperfect as they are. This is why we are to be subject to the governing authorities as to God, so long as those authorities don't tell us to violate God's law. It's inconsistant to suggest one can be subject to one without the other.

Originally Posted by Pilgrim
2. To answer your question in a general way, my answer would be, "No." Where possible, reconciliation with an offended party should be pursued. However, in the case of murder, it is hardly possible to make amends with a victim who is dead. In your other post you offered a situation where a murderer hides his sin for a period of time but then later confesses that sin to the authorities and then remarked that due to the fact that the crime was hidden for a time, even though later confessed, this person could never receive mercy from God. Thus my question(s) to you for the purpose of soliciting clarification and your view. Please do so.

No, I'm not referring to a delayed confession, but rather one that is withheld altogether.

Liberalism -- Ideas so good, they have to be mandated.