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Most of the time, some people conspire and squeeze life out of someone. Sooner or later, while some of them disappear into thin air, some are apprehended by the law enforcement officers. Like parrots, you hear them singing, telling whoever cares to listen that they were misled and that they now regret their action. They plead to be given another chance. ‘Will God forgive those of them who regret their action and why do some of them escape justice?’ some people ask.
There is no one who confesses his sin to God that will not be forgiven. But confession has to be confession if it is intended to be one. Confession is an acceptance of a crime and willingness to quit from it. A plea that ‘I slapped him because he called me an idiot and I am sorry for slapping him’, is certainly not one but a defence. A true confession is not qualified. A pregnant school girl may be full of regret because it will affect her education and dent the image of her family. This is not also repentance. Her sin is not pregnancy but the fornication she committed. The pertinent question is whether she will regret what she did if she is not pregnant.
This is the yardstick God uses in determining whether the murderers who claim that they regret their action are really repentant. Some time ago, a woman and her daughter were buried alive by a man in his bedroom. He and the people he hired for the bad job have been arrested by the police. They have confessed the part each of them played and they are now regretting it. Murdering someone requires reflections and scheming. Why didn’t any of them regret his action at that time? Murdering someone entails thorough review of the plans to avoid loopholes. Why didn’t any of them regret his action at that time? Murdering someone entails executing the reviewed plans and the strategy. Why couldn’t any of them regret what he intended to do before the final act?
The truth is that the devil hardens the heart of an evil doer and blindfolds him, assuring him that no one will untangle the mask. Of course, cases abound where the police cannot detect the culprits. This may be the comfort zone for perpetuating evil. Cases also abound of people whose crimes have been uncovered. It is unfortunate that the truth is realized after the fact. In the case of the woman murdered with her daughter, it did not take the police any time to arrest the people because of the information she provided before she was murdered. Sometime ago, I wrote that whether one’s murderers will be arrested or not depends on what one did or did not do. I also wrote that our pain is that we always take things for granted. It should not be so. A public officer should be able to analyze situations critically and then scrutinize his phone calls, text messages and emails.
A pastor might have preached a message, or a journalist has written a piece, that is offensive to someone. The normal thing is to institute a legal action against any of them but some people will rather hunt their heads. The initial calls the pastor receives expose the motive and the sponsor. After his, they become tactful in their subsequent calls. It takes prudence to identify this. They engage some people, within and outside the country, to be making spurious calls or sending emails. They can use men and ladies but the information they seek is the same. All that the pastor will do is to report the matter to his church board. Good enough, there is hardly any church without the top military brass. If his church is lacking in this, he can contact his town union or any organization he belongs. He keeps on updating them with the calls he receives. A time comes when they will be the people asking him for the update and then equipping him with needed strategy.
Science has all it takes today to pick them, the boys and their sponsor, at any time. The police may leave them alone until something happens, such as accidental death, no matter its nature, or kidnapping. It is enough to commit your life into God’s hand without chasing them. The records however, must always be up-dated and kept by the church, your town union, your organization, et cetera, even ten years after they have stopped worrying you. It is not good to fight a battle you will give up midstream.
The beauty of it all is that once any of them is apprehended, he will mention the names of others, including their sponsor. The reason behind it is that nobody likes to die alone no matter the oaths of secrecy administered on him and the remuneration received. A fool is only a fool when death is not knocking hard at his door. Once he sees it coming, folly will not make him to die on behalf of any other person.
But then, it is possible for someone to commit a crime, including murder, and later repent and give his life to Jesus. This can be when the fangs of the law have gripped him, or he’s even keeping a date with the hangman. Death or life, there is an inward peace he enjoys. He is not like the unrepentant thief crucified with Jesus, who was angry that He did not free him from the cross so that he would go home to continue his nefarious activities. A repented-condemned man is rather like the other thief also crucified with Jesus, who admitted his sins and pleaded for a place in the Lord’s Kingdom.
It is amazing how this thief knew what many church members do not know. He knew what many pastors do not know – life after death! Sin will be reduced to its barest minimum if many people know this, but the dying thief knew. He repented from his evil deeds and his prayer was answered. Without receiving water baptism, attending church services and vigils, also, not involved in fasting, nor gave offerings in the church and he did not pay his tithes, he made heaven.
For further comment, Please contact: Osondu Anyalechi: 0909 041 9057; [email protected]
