By Bernice Naa Adei Kotey
Ashalley Botwe (GAR), April 9, GNA – Reverend Charlemagne Osae Aryee, the Pastor in charge of the Calvary Presbyterian Church of Ghana at Ashalley Botwe, has recommended the act of forgiveness as the greatest of all practices in Christianity.
He said those who practiced the act must not be seen as being weak, but their actions ought to inspire others to emulate, which often resulted in peace and unity.
Rev. Aryee, who made the recommendation in his Easter message to the church, said the Holy Bible in Acts 7:60, showed that there was nothing so loving as extending genuine love towards one another and forgiving as well.
He spoke on the theme: “Dying with the Lord,” and stated that the unbelievers think the story of Jesus Christ was a joke and had no place in the life of man.
He referred to John 19:16-37, saying, “the blood and water that came out of his rib when he was pierced on his side means that indeed he gave us His body, and that makes him both physical and spiritual.”
“When bitterness sets in and stirs up anger within us, we should just remember what Paul said in Ephesians 4:32, that we should be kind-hearted and forgive one another as Christ did,” he added.
Rev. Aryee encouraged Christians to help one another and eschew hate because Christ exhibited such love by dying on the cross and the Lord was now calling on all humanity to forgive as they commemorated Easter in memory of his death on the Cross to atone for the sins of man, and his resurrection from the dead.
The essence of Easter, he said, was the salvation that was purchased for mankind through the blood of Jesus shed on the cross and urged believers of the doctrine of Jesus Christ to go out and preach the gospel to the lost and snatch their souls from the eternal condemnation that awaited all sinners.
Mr James Ako Nunoo, the Catechist of the Church, also spoke on the “Seven Words on the Cross,” saying “we must acknowledge the calling of Christ, live in accordance with his words, and talk less when we are being corrected of our actions.”
He noted that the significance of the death of Jesus Christ must generate good testimonies in all those who believed in His resurrection too and encouraged all believers to hold fast to their faith.
GNA