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Forgiveness for Whom?

No one is perfect. We readily admit that. However, we often seek to regain an expectation of perfection (through the back door) by extolling the false virtue of consistency. We happily excuse our own shortcomings with the assurance that our salvation is by grace, which means we do not need to be "perfect" to be pleasing to God. However, we turn around and demand that the actions of those around us be unfailing. The forgiveness we so readily claim for ourselves does not seem to fit their situations. We decry failure on the part of a fellow believer to control or overcome some particular sin, and assume that he is not really serious about his commitment to the Lord--"How can he be a Christian and still be doing that?"

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