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So, is it possible to receive salvation if God chooses not to forgive you of your sins? Salvation is not a right but the gift of God through Jesus Christ. That is why we are having this discussion. We've been given a precious gift that most of the world do not have. There are many ways to demonstrate we've received this gift, the capacity and ability to forgive being just one.

ReneeIW, Salvation is only possible if your sins are forgiven by God. I cannot say this any other way. The mechanism that God put in place to make Salvation possible is the sacrifice of His Son Jesus. Jesus died so that the sins you committed before accepting Christ as your saviour are forgiven. However, once you accept forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ, you are no longer a sinner but a child of God. As such, there are standards you have to live by. You do not continue to live as though you are still a sinner but as a child of God. It is not you forgiving someone's sins that make salvation possible but God forgiving you of yours. However, scripture says if you do not forgive a brother or sister of their sins then God will withhold forgiveness of your own sins. I do not make the rules but simply share them so you do not fall afoul of God's expectations.

Forgiveness is God blotting out your sins and salvation is the end result, being saved from God's wrath. This is God's 'natural' response to sin, what we know as death. This is why Christ came, to die for the sins of all. It is through his sacrifice that we have a path to redemption. Salvation is not passive but proactive; which means we have to live our lives observing the principles underpinning it. You are right, in that this is possible only by the power of the Holy Spirit but you have to bear those fruits that validate the presence of the Spirit, or else, as John said in Matthew 3: [8] Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: [10] And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Also, recall the differentiation Jesus himself made about those who come to the Lord in the parable of the sower. They did not all meet the same fate. Our fate is determined by how effectively we apply the principles of salvation. One of those principles is that we have to proactively forgive others in order to received God's forgiveness. Do you imagine God attaching such importance to forgiveness that He sacrifices His only Son, only to then treat it with contempt by allowing those whom Jesus died for to dismiss it as unnecessary? There is a parable from Jesus himself in Matthew 18: 23-35 that perfectly encapsulates this principle. Keep in mind as well that the whole point of salvation is gaining entry into Jesus' kingdom at the end of this age. Why would he allow anyone who does not observe the same principles he did while on earth to share in his inheritance? If this wasn't a central issue he wouldn't have uttered "Father, forgive them..." as he was being put to death by those who mocked him.

Mark.4 [12] That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them. Matt.6 [12] And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. [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. Luke.6 [37] Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: 2Cor.2 [10] To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; [11] Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices. Forgiveness is the foundation of salvation. Where there is no forgiveness, there is no salvation.

ReneeIW, Just so you understand, I am not telling you that you should keep quiet. That fact we are exchanging posts in this forum indicates you aren't. And my responding to yours encourages you to speak out about it even more. What I'm merely suggesting is that you take a path were your victory is assured. You shouldn't have to bear this burden the rest of your life. It will break you at some point if you do. Complete healing can come only from God, nowhere else. Rest assured that man will pay. If it's by God's hand, he will pay severely. If it's a case of your word against his in a court of law, he might get away with it and that will leave you shaken. This is more about your complete healing and recovery than his punishment. His punishment has already been decided by God. The irony in all this is that you will be greatly rewarded by God if you forgive him, while he's already been sanctioned. God specializes in taking what humans intend for bad into something good. Give Him a try and see.

ReneeIW, I'm gonna go completely counter-intuitive on this and probably get some stick for it, but I would caution taking this to the cops if you have no hard evidence or witnesses. There are a couple reasons why I'm suggesting this. You have been caught up in what I would characterize as an abomination. Something that's caused immense pain and discomfort. If you take this to a court of law without hard evidence or witnesses, you will suffer a second time - maybe even more painful than before as it would be played out in public. And if the legal judgement goes his way, it will be an even more destructive force to contend with then. That said, I'm not suggesting you merely roll over and suffer in silence. If you take this to the Lord instead, He's not bound by the rules and limitations of a court of law, as He is sovereign. If He is allowed to exact justice on your behalf, it will be perfect and absolute. Your perp will suffer much more under God's judgement than what a court of law can impose. Furthermore, while the court could potentially find his guilty and perhaps send him to prison for a few years, God has the power to completely destroy the empire he's built on falsehoods and deceit. This might not be the advise you wish to hear but God's justice/judgement is always better than man's. Another thing is that he claims to belong to the family of God. Keep in mind that Judas was one of the 12 as well. Jesus himself said that things such as what he did must come to pass in our evil word but woe to those who perpetrate them [Matt 18:7]. Not woe to the victims. The debt is not with you but him and even if he asks the Lords forgiveness but doesn't secure yours, he's not forgiven. But keep in mind, if you withhold forgiveness from him, the Lord will also withhold forgiveness for your transgressions. I know. That doesn't seem fair. Despite what he's done, he's done it under the banner of the family of God. This means it's somewhat of a family affair. For, something like this playing out in the eyes of the world will tarnish the family name. I am not suggesting letting him get away with it at all but God's judgement is the only way you can ensure he's held to absolute account. If you give it to God the judgement will come and the family name will be spared. He would be made to suffer and shoulder his own shame. God can destroy him but the courts can't. Gad can save you from the memory and pain of what he's done to you. The courts cannot. When you pray, tell the Lord everything you wish to come of this. It makes a difference to hear yourself say it. After you've done this, ask the Lord to remove all trace of anger, pain or hate this man has caused in your life. End your prayer by praying blessings for him. I know this will be hard but trust me if you do, it will set you completely free. Not only that but God will then be completely free to deal with him, because you given it to him. I'm advising you in this manner because I want you to be the victor, not to carry the pain and memory of what he's done. This is an opportunity to see just how awesome God really is. May he bless you abundantly in every aspect of your body, mind and soul.

Hi ReneeIW, Sorry to hear about the unfortunate things that happened to you. These sort of things should not be part of anyone's journey in life but, sadly, they are for many. I can imagine it's quite a burden that you carry, especially if the perpetrator seems to be living a full or normal life. I'm not sure if you've discussed any of this with your husband. It would be a good step, if you haven't. It's too much for you to bear on your own. As others have already said, pray about it. But don't just pray to pray. Be honest and open with the Lord. Tell Him everything you feel and hope for. Ask him as well to give you the ability to forgive that man. This is for your benefit, not his. In addition to forgiving him, you also need to pray for him - good things. This is also for your benefit. I know there are no words I can offer to minimize the sheer ugliness of what you suffered. But what those ugly experiences have done is create a deep-rooted need for the Lord's presence in your life. I can only encourage you to capitalize on that need while it exists. If you do seek Him in prayer and spend time in scripture to understand Him, He will make something beautiful of your life despite the ugliness suffered. He will not fail you.