Victims

Some folks think that victims are given a free pass to heaven. 
Victims of clergy sexual abuse may be especially tempted to thinks this. 

Let’s look at another group of victims of clergy-abuse that Jesus knew, and see what He told them. 

John 2:13-15 NIV: "When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables."

The back story: God required the Jews to pay a temple tax for its support and also to make a sacrifice of certain animals, 
as part of the worship experience. The problem was, worshippers were being gouged by the sellers of sacrificial animals and the money-changers for the special coinage used for the temple tax. The priests were complicit in this scam. 

Still, He still said to this same victim-class  in John 3:3, 
"Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” 

Remember, the 10 Commandments and the Levitical Law were given to a huge contingent of newly-freed slaves
who few vigorously punished or even put to death for certain violations of those laws.

Here is more scripture: John 14: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."   

The lesson here seems to be that even though God, via the free will element, allows bad things to happen to us, 
He still has expectations of us.
We each have sins that need forgiven, no matter what good we have done, or what bad things others have done to us. 
Abuses we have suffered do not pay for our personal sins. 
We each need to seek Him for our own forgiveness, in spite of what others may have done to us. 

Eric J. Rose