Our minister, John de Hoog, preached a sermon addressing the matter of our sin and God's judgement, titled, "Know That God Is Holy, He Judges Sinners". You can find it at:
http://www.reformed.org.au/sermon/20050814/Morning

http://www.reformed.org.au/sermon/20030727/Evening
http://www.reformed.org.au/sermon/20050320/Evening
http://www.reformed.org.au/sermon/20041205/Morning

"You can't really be forgiven except by kindness. That's good; it makes me want to be more thoughtful. I have to try to treat people right the first time around."

Sure thing - since you shouldn't expect kindness from people, try to get it right the first time. And since the only way you'll be forgiven is if people practice forgiveness, I would hope that thought makes us want to forgive others as well.

I hope writing this is helping Penn sort things out, because these are really important issues to think about.

Life isn't fair

I think that's a one-liner that you might appreciate in many situations. Why not apply it here too?

The atonement of Christ is a infinite and eternal. When at the judgement seat, the act of accepting or rejecting the atonement determines your eternal forgiveness. God is a benevolent being, and doesn't want anyone to have to suffer, and even those who have done a large measure of evil will be afforded a comfort greater than that of this earthly life on acceptance of the atonement. The atonement will keep them from eternal darkness, but only those who try in earnest to perfect themselves and do good works will achieve the most desirable level of heaven. This is just a synopsis, but thats the basic idea.

The aforementioned murderer may be truly repentant, but I believe that his forgiveness as far as his eternal progression is concerned, does not lie in the voice of the people.

I think it's important to understand the Christian conception of forgiveness. Christ didn't die on a cross for individual sins, he died and rose again to rescue us from our sinful nature. According to the messege of the Bible we're sinners not because we sin, we're sinners because something is inherantly wrong in our hearts.

According to a Biblical world-view people aren't forgiven because they lived a good life, helped people, were generous or anything like this. These things are good and should be celebrated, but the only thing that can make a person right before God is trusting in Christ's sacrifice on the cross for the forgiveness of our sinful nature.

I guess I don't really know how to respond to the coke stealer vs the murderer. The only way I can put it is that we aren't punished or rewarded for our performance (good or bad)... we are punished or rewarded by whether or not we completely trust in the finished work of Christ on the cross.

Forgiveness is the most compelling part of Christianity to me. I mean, I've lived a pretty good life by the world's standards. I've tried to make a difference in people's lives, I've sacrificed a great deal to please God, and I've made helping people my vocation. But I see that even my goodness isn't all that good. I'm short with my wife when I shouldn't be, I don't always treat people with the respect they deserve, and my thoughts are often very selfish. Having siad that, I feel that I'm right with God, not because the good outweighs the bad in my life, but simply because I trust Jesus Christ has made me pure before God because of what he did. That free gift is available to everyone: The good kid, the rebel, the criminal next to Jesus on a cross, the rich, and the poor. Everyone.

I suppose that is the point which is so offensive to people who have "lived a pretty good life." Jesus will take anyone who is willing to realize that God's holiness is too high a standard to meet on a human level... we must trust what he's done for us, not what we can do for him.

Anyway, thats my two cents... I have so many questions myself about these things and sometimes, like you, I feel that a double standard exists. I really feel that I don't have it all figured out. I just know that I'm clingning to Christ to make me right with God.

The lesson is quite simple. God's forgiveness is HIS to give, not you. Just as I can't expect YOU forgive someone else, it's wrong of you to impose your rules of forgiveness of God.

You said the "forgiveness" feature in Christianity turns you off. Christ wanted people to LET GO of the hate in their hearts. Hating someone is not a healthy thing. It makes you miserable.

According to some poet, home is the place they always take you in. You child may run away from home, but you'll always welcome him/her home. God forgiveness is the same way. You may have screwed up royally, but of you sincerely ask for forgiveness, you'll be forgiven.