Thank you. I believe this too and Sunday school doesn't provide enough armour. We have to open our eyes and be pro active. I see several peeps have responded that we are to forgive and that God always will forgive when asked, here's more opinion to consider.
If someone knows God's ultimate commandment and disobeys it, that is sinning against the Holy Spirit and is unforgivable. When I read deeper, there are levels of defying God and examples given. I'm not a Bible scholar, far from it, but desire to understand more. God forgives our sins, yes. But there is more to study about this depending on who you are being asked to forgive. We're actually warned to keep our distance from certain people so we don't fall into a trap, the one they set up ahead of time. The misconception we sometimes have is that we are to be nice to everyone at all times no matter who they are or say they are, etc. When I dig deeper, that's not what I hear. God says that if anyone causes, as in leads, a child of his into sin, 'woe, unto that person'. He doesn't just forgive them, no.
If someone claims to be a pastor, I believe that is someone who is claiming to know God's commandments and will be judged and turned away from God as the person never knew him to begin with as demonstrated by his actions of his own free will. No one who truly loves God can do unto others in such heinous ways. It's not possible.
When we love God, we still have human lessons to learn and hurt others in small ways all the time. Growing and learning, instead of carrying on in our usual ways, is something God wants to help us with. Those are different behaviors that are in a different category from the sadistic souls we deal with all too often on WS. When you read about general sin, most people, if honest, will see they have a long way to go before they evolve to God's standard, if it's even possible. Issues surrounding our attitudes about money, ego, gossip, judging other believer's petty actions (instead of minding our own), all come into play.
We form general pat beliefs about broad topics. After hearing them time and time again we simplify and believe them too generally imo. Using two versions of the Bible, I tried to read everything I could about forgiveness. We are to forgive other believers when we are crossed as none of us are without sin. If you make an in depth study of forgiveness, you will see that God will not forgive actions that cause his children great harm regardless of who they say they are. He knows who the frauds are who claim to love Him.
Jesus forgave the thief because he believed and turned to Jesus and asked for forgiveness. That's an example of asking for forgiveness. But it's not always that simple, when you dig deeper into scripture.
The actions of this man go beyond anything that God is willing to forgive imo. Afterall, he called himself a pastor but was an imposter.
This post is on topic because this man called himself a pastor and it's a shame that none of the flock among his fourteen, were none the wiser that he was a fraud. To be too trusting is not a commandment. We are warned about the wolf who wears sheeps clothing. This creep is an example.
