[On article about Josh Duggar's sexual abuse]

At the risk of sounding insensitive toward the victims, one cannot but notice in scripture that Jesus offers forgiveness to the offender without consulting his victims. The offender’s contrition alone is the condition for forgiveness and reconciliation, not the suffering of the victims. This man’s sins are great indeed, but the whole point of grace is that where sin abounds, grace abounds even more.

My first reaction upon hearing this story was indignation—rage; but the victim’s suffering is not a factor in Christ’s forgiveness for the perpetrator, although reparation is a scripture requirement, as well as the principle that those who sin much, love much. He will suffer the consequences of his actions, but he should be given the opportunity to love much and repair what was broken. I think M. Brown is right for accentuating redemption. Much of the NT was written by that Chief of Sinners that you and I would probably thought worthy of execution.