Mrs. Denhollander was the first victim to go public against Larry Nassar, and through her courage and bravery, paved the way for the almost 200 that followed.
She was the last to give a victim statement today, and while her whole statement is profound, there was a part in particular where she chose to proclaim the gospel to her abuser: that the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousess of man, but that Christ came and died so those very men could be justified, declared righteous, and receive eternal life in Him.
Mrs. Denhollander's courage is staggering; her proclamation of the gospel as powerful as any you could ever hear.
The transcript of her statement is available here: https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/24/us/rachael-denhollander-full-statement/
Video is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nEvHeEUnVE&feature=youtu.be&t=25m31s
And her declaration of the unmerited grace and kindness that God made available through Christ follows:
| Quote: | In our early hearings, you brought your Bible into the courtroom and you have spoken of praying for forgiveness. And so it is on that basis that I appeal to you. If you have read the Bible you carry, you know the definition of sacrificial love portrayed is of God himself loving so sacrificially that he gave up everything to pay a penalty for the sin he did not commit. By his grace, I, too, choose to love this way.
You spoke of praying for forgiveness. But Larry, if you have read the Bible you carry, you know forgiveness does not come from doing good things, as if good deeds can erase what you have done. It comes from repentance which requires facing and acknowledging the truth about what you have done in all of its utter depravity and horror without mitigation, without excuse, without acting as if good deeds can erase what you have seen this courtroom today.
If the Bible you carry says it is better for a stone to be thrown around your neck and you throw into a lake than for you to make even one child stumble. And you have damaged hundreds.
The Bible you carry speaks of a final judgment where all of God's wrath and eternal terror is poured out on men like you. Should you ever reach the point of truly facing what you have done, the guilt will be crushing. And that is what makes the gospel of Christ so sweet. Because it extends grace and hope and mercy where none should be found. And it will be there for you.
I pray you experience the soul crushing weight of guilt so you may someday experience true repentance and true forgiveness from God, which you need far more than forgiveness from me -- though I extend that to you as well. |
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1/24/18 6:46 pm
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Nassar victim Rachael Denhollander proclaims the gospel to her abuser
