Is Forgiveness an option depending on whether or not an offender is repentant.
I could not seem to find that post so that is why I made this post, it seemed to Say you did not necessarily need to forgive if the offender was not repentant.
None the less what I see in Scripture concerning forgiveness is this when I believe I am wronged, I am to forgive the one wronged and I am forgiven.
I will not hold on to unforgiveness, because if I do I will not be forgiven.
Mt 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Mt 6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Mt 18:21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
Mt 18:35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.
The greatest Example of forgiveness to me is upon the cross:Lu 23:34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.
Forgiveness was given not because they had repented, but because love forgives unconditionally.
The bible also indicates forgiveness is already ours, but we have our action to bring it into our lives.
Love takes no account of the evil done to it, If you wanna be free always forgive quickly and freely
When I have an issue with forgiveness, and it can be an issue when someone has really hurt your heart, I asked God to help my emotions catch up with my decision to forgive. :dancingp:
Babygirl, I hear ya on that one...about your emotions catching up with your decision to forgive.
I heard a great sermon a couple weeks ago on forgiveness. Around that time, I was going through some stuff, and wasn't wanting to forgive a couple particular people. I had been hurt emotionally, and though I knew I should forgive, I just plain didn't want to. After hearing that sermon, though, I made the conscious decision to forgive those people...and I prayed really hard for God to help me truly let go of that hurt so that my emotions could catch up.
I'm not sure I'm quite there yet, but God has really been working overtime for me!
But yes, it is hard to forgive unconditionally, and sometimes needs long time. I've been blessed this Easter that I cold go over to a couple in my village and wish them a happy Easter, years after they (the man before all) did terrebly wrong to my grandparents.
It is hard to get me upset, but they did it, especially as my grandparents are very dear to me (we all lived in the same house until I left for army/uni). So I have been visiting church at home several times, seeing them one time or the other, and I always knew I'd have to go and talk to them again, give up the feelings I still carry around. It was really hard but this Easter I could do it.
And know what? Usually when we saw one another, they looked the other way (sometimes I thought, maybe they are ashamed of what happened in the past, but anyway this made it even harder for me to talk to them) but this time I managed to go to them, first the wife, then the husband (because she stood nearer) and wish them happy Easter, and their answer was nothing unpersonal bt had also a very dear tone. It was just a few seconds, and we didn't talk any futher, but it was the peak of my Easter this year.
I cannot say we are friends now again as we used to be (when I was a child my family and they with their children who are a bit younger than me often went to holidays together), but something has vanished that was between us, and I am thankful of it, and I thank God for it.
It is in our best interest to forgive quickly even if the offender is not repentant.
Many things can come of unforgiveness, so to avoid it all, we have to forgive, friends.
There is this thing though when the offender is a christian but refuses to apologize, shows something of his/her character and maturity level. It's disturbing for me cuz I'm like...Lord how come you dont deal with them the way you deal with me? There is no way I could offend someone and KNOW i offended them without apologizing. I would not be able to sleep and I would feel horrible, but that's where I am today.
Im sooooo grateful to the Lord for that sensitivity to others.
PJ, your post is heart felt... forgive, forget, keep it movin, and and know that WE ALL have problems with forgiving others. Its only our PRIDE, that prevents us from doing what we know to do that is right, and forgiving is for our spiritual benefit before God, not the other person's.
That's why James says, it matters not how much faith you claim you have, or have many works you boast in doing, nor does it matter how much religion YOU THINK you possess... if a person knows the RIGHT THINGS to do based on God's Word, and if he/she DOES NOT DO THEM as a DOER of the Word, this person faith, works, and religion is dead and of NO EFFECT. For the person who knows to do the right things and doesn't do them, this person is in SIN!
