Disection of forgiveness

[Ddavid from NC]

What is forgiveness in actuality? People always correlate "forgive & forget". Is it possible to forgive and not forget? Is it possible to forgive someone and not attempt reconciliation with them? Or is it impossible to do one and not do the other? Or is there in fact no separation, "there is no forgiveness without reconciliation"?

[mizzdy]

What is forgiveness in actuality? People always correlate "forgive & forget". Is it possible to forgive and not forget? Is it possible to forgive someone and not attempt reconciliation with them? Or is it impossible to do one and not do the other? Or is there in fact no separation, "there is no forgiveness without reconciliation"?

I do believe you can forgive and not reconcil with whoever you are forgiving. This has happened with someone who my husband had been friends with for decades and at one time was part of the family. What this person did was terrible and took me and my husband years to really forgive this person but this person will not change and is no longer welcomed in our home. I do think its possible to forgive and forget yet depending on what it is one is forgiving the forgetting may take years and years. Then perhaps isn't such a good thing to do if a valueable lesson was learned and it shouldn't be forgotten.

[Believer1997]

In the past, I've had a hard time 'forgetting'... but I'm a work in progress and the Lord is helping me. God Bless.

[Emanuel]

Forgiveness is a heart issue while reconciliation is a practical thing. The

problem is one can do the first and not the second and it still will not be sin, maybe

because the reconciliation requires one of the parties to grow up spiritually out of

committing the same sin - a growth process in the carnal soul or one party cannot

receive forgiveness.

You see why forgiveness is a heart issue, before God and man spiritually, not what man

decides is due to the other physically.

Consequences will come like prison, etc, but if one has a heart repentance towards God

first, then Mankind secondly, even if he/she is not believed; God will know better.

When any human receives Jesus Christ as personal God, he/she is forgiven for past,

present and future sins.

Forgiveness is for past, present and future sins only when anyone accepts Jesus

Christ as personal God. (Salvation is all forgiveness and all deliverance: This is the

instant Spiritual Condition of the human spirit - Christ in You - through the Holy Spirit).

Yes, Indeed Jesus(Christ) died for ALL Sin (past, present and future) of All humanity:

ever and shall be; but only those who believe and receive Him as Personal God are

redeemed (bought back) thereby: Forgiveness is for All Sin (past, present and future)

For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:(1 Peter 3:18). "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;" (Ephesians 1:7).

Edited May 2, 2009 by Emanuel

[redwing]

Matthew 6:14-15 (King James Version)

14For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:

15But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses

[yesult]

I don't remember ever seeing the phrase 'forgive and forget' in the bible other then God forgiving our sins.

If somebody sins against you, unless they've truly changed, you risk allowing them to do it to you again if you forget. Remembering is a form of protection. But forgiving means cancelling their debt against you. To cancel someones debt against you doen't mean that you forget it ever happened. You just don't harbour any bitterness or unforgiveness towards them.

For someone who's badly hurt you to just waltz in and say, "you should treat me exactly the same as before I hurt you because I'm not like that anymore" is unrealistic. Maybe they are, and maybe they arn't. But trust needs to be earned. Particularly once it's been broken. And if you're unwise in this area it can really come back and bite you.