Trump said that while he hasn’t asked God for forgiveness, he does participate in Holy Communion.
At first I ignored this debate about Donald Trump as trivial, but now I see it as sovereign of the Lord.
So here is a quote from the article:
“People are so shocked when they find … out I am Protestant. I am Presbyterian. And I go to church and I love God and I love my church,” he said.
Moderator Frank Luntz asked Trump whether he has ever asked God for forgiveness for his actions.
“I am not sure I have. I just go on and try to do a better job from there. I don’t think so,” he said. “I think if I do something wrong, I think, I just try and make it right. I don’t bring God into that picture. I don’t.”
Trump said that while he hasn’t asked God for forgiveness, he does participate in Holy Communion.
“When I drink my little wine – which is about the only wine I drink – and have my little cracker, I guess that is a form of asking for forgiveness, and I do that as often as possible because I feel cleansed,” he said. “I think in terms of ‘let’s go on and let’s make it right.’”
I have included some of the context because the issue that many are taking from this is the claim that he goes to church, loves God, loves his church but is not sure if he has ever asked for forgiveness, rather he just tries to make it right. This then is tied to taking communion.
Now there are a variety of responses, JesusLives is one extreme concluding that "he is clearly not a Christian" Post #150.
But I have a very different response based on Matthew 6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
These two verses have a very interesting assumption here, if I see someone trespass the assumption is that I also have trespassed. For example, if I see someone say they love God, they love the church but they don't like to ask forgiveness of God and yet they still take communion. That is clearly something that the Bible addresses and says we should first go and be reconciled and then take communion, but have I always done that? I don't think so. I would go so far as to suggest it is highly likely I have offended others and not been reconciled first before taking communion again. I have trespassed on this issue, and so I am so thankful that the Lord would give me an opportunity to forgive Trump his trespasses so that God the Father could forgive me my trespasses even as I forgive others their trespasses.