I never know where a conversation is going to go when I start an interview. I do a lot of research, and I have a thorough outline prepared, but sometimes the conversation goes a direction that I didn’t expect. 

My recent conversation with Elizabeth Urbanwicz went like that. 

We were talking about the attributes of God, in particular his incredible mercy, and somehow the conversation veered into unexpected territory.  Suddenly we were talking about how a good God could forgive all the heinous things that people do to each other here on earth. And I couldn’t help but feel like God was leading us here… like someone, perhaps a lot of someones, needed to hear this.

Let’s be honest… there are some sins that seem unforgivable. Don’t they?

And yet God forgives.

But He doesn’t forgive because those sins are okay. He doesn’t brush those sins under the rug and say, “I’ll let it slide this time, but try your best not to torture, rape, or murder anyone again.”  That is not God’s response to these heinous acts.
 
So what is His response?
 
His response is the cross. His response was to take that sin upon Himself and pay the price so that every heinous act is punished. Every sin is paid for.

To thoroughly unpack this difficult topic, I continue my conversation with Elizabeth Urbanowicz from Foundation Worldview, concluding last week’s conversation which analyzed some of the complaints and inaccurate portrayals of God in the deconstruction movement. In this episode, we discuss who God is more fully, in particular the extent of His mercy which forgives all who repent.

The fact that God is willing to forgive horrific crimes against innocent human beings is hard to fathom. But God’s mercy does not mean that the horrible things that happen in this world are not relevant or significant. God is not cavalier about these abhorrent sins. Quite the contrary. He paid the ultimate price to cover these sins.

Understanding all of God’s attributes is necessary in order to understand who He is. We cannot separate His mercy from His justice. But mercy and justice are perfectly satisfied at the cross in Christ, which enables God to forgive every sin.

For those who have suffered from the sinful acts of others, this topic is particularly hard. But knowing that God hates what happened, He hates that sinful act so much that Jesus was betrayed, tortured, and murdered to pay the price for that sin.

Knowing that can bring us some much-needed healing. And hope.

Join Elizabeth and me as we unpack this really difficult topic on the latest episode of CHRISTIAN PARENT/CRAZY WORLD. Listen on Life Audio by clicking on the image below:

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Episode Links:

Elizabeth’s bio: Elizabeth Urbanowicz holds a B.S. from Gordon College in Elementary Education and Spanish, an M.S.Ed. from Northern Illinois University in Literacy Education, and an M.A. in Christian Apologetics from Biola University. Several years into her teaching experience, Elizabeth realized that despite being raised in Christian homes, attending a Christian school, and being active in church, her students thought more like the culture than like Christ. Elizabeth began searching for curricular materials that would equip her students to think critically, helping them discover that Christianity is the worldview that lines up with reality. After not finding materials that effectively met this need, she created a curriculum that did.

Foundation Worldview exists to equip Christian parents with the resources they need to train children to soundly interpret Scripture, carefully evaluate every idea they encounter, and understand the truth of the biblical worldview. Elizabeth firmly believes that the Christian youth exodus can be a thing of the past. When kids are equipped to soundly interpret Scripture, they will quickly develop a biblical worldview. When kids are taught to think well, they can carefully evaluate the messages they are exposed to each day.

To see clips from this interview and find inspiring supplemental quotes and posts, connect with Catherine on Instagram and Facebook . To receive updates about each new podcast and free resources like Scripture songs, Bible verses to pray over prodigal children, and a topical index of Scriptures for prayer, subscribe to Catherine’s website.

COUPON CODE:

Use the coupon code “CPCW10” to get $10 off any family license with Foundation Worldview.

Foundation Worldview Website: https://foundationworldview.com/

OTHER EPISODES IN THIS SERIES:

Episode 72: What Do Deconstructionists Often Get Wrong about God?

RESOURCES CONSULTED:

Presbyterians’ Decision to Drop Hymn Stirs Debate (USA Today, 8/5/13)

SCRIPTURE REFERENCED:

Romans 8:28