Umm, the devil made them do it???

[Can Do (Phil 4:13)]

I'm wondering if anyone here believes:

1) That when people do wrong things, that they are under the influence of evil.

2) That you should forgive the person who has wronged you, b/c they really didn't know what they were doing due to the above mentioned reason.

Is this just a cop out, or a genuine reason NOT to hold gudges? Does this then follow on to forgivness of crimes?

What do YOU think about this?

I'd appreciate your thoughts.

Faithie :hug:

Edited August 24, 2004 by Can Do (Phil 4:13)

[Guest LadyC]

we should forgive because we are commanded to do so, and God Himself set the example, saying that He forgives for HIS OWN sake... not our sake, but His own.

i do believe that scripture is very clear that anything not of God is of satan... therefore there is much truth to the cliche "the devil made me do it"... however, where that cliche is in error is that it denies our responsibility of making the choice to do good or do evil. in most cases, a person is very cognizant of his actions, right or wrong.

[ServingHim]

never mind...

[Kabowd]

Forgiveness has nothing to do with the other person's feelings, motives, remorse, or even if they ask for it or not. As LadyC said, we are to forgive because God has forgiven us and we are called to do the same.

[Guest LadyC]

never mind...

huh? never mind what?

[ayin jade]

We are also all sinners and tend to give over to our "natural" nature, that which is willful and sinful. People should not just shift the blame over to satan for everything, but should recognize that sinful nature we all struggle with on a daily basis. To me, both play a role.

I agree with the need to forgive as commanded because God has forgiven us.

[irishcowboy]

God does not want us harboring any bitterness towards anyother..... for if we do, we can not fully appreciate the Works of the Lord, we can not be all we can be for the Lord if we are harboring any sin......

we are told we can become angry, but do it with out sinning.....

if we become angry and do not forgive, we do not let it go, we let it remain in us and grow, it will become bitterness and a person that is bitter can put forth 100% for the Lord...... Bitterness is like a cancer, and it will grow and grow and grow and fully engulf a person, to the point that they are not worth a plug nickle.....

in order for God to use us to our fullest, we have to remain pure in heart.... each of us knows if we are angry or bitter towards some one else..... we have to release that so that God can use us fully.......

some time back a man was hired to do some work for a couple. the couple did not ask for a bid or an estimate or even a guess as to how much the job would cost...

the man did tell the couple that if they did some prepretory work, that it would cut the cost in about half and the job would also go smoother and faster..... they said they would do the prep work, and call when they were ready.....

two weeks later, the couple calls this man, says that they are ready for him to do the work, and they needed it done fast ( like they wanted it done that very day )...

the man went to their house, and the prep work was not done (none of it ), the man asked about it, and they said they didnt have time ( they both are unemployed collecting checks )..... so the man started the work, begining withthe prep word that had to be done.... it took the remainder of the first day and half of the second day to get the first half of the job done. while working this man noticed that there were some major things wrong, that needed to be taken care of... so he brought it to their attention.... they then asked how much they owed at that point, the man told them, and they said they would do the rest of the work..... he then explained that the reason the price was as such, was that he had to do the prep work..... he did not charge for several hours on the job site that were listening to what the specs for the job were..... he only charged for the time he was there....

as he was getting ready to depart for a lunch break, they told him that they could not pay him any more then that, and that they would complete the remainder of the job..... as he was leaving, he testifies that the Lord told him that he was not released from that job, for the complete job was not done..... so, after lunch he returned, sank more material and another full day into the job, with no further charge and then departed.....

with in the week, the couple were bad mouthing this man thru-out town, even in the church.... saying this man ripped them off.... when questioned about it, the man showed them the job receipts.... both for the material purchased and the labor paid out to his workers, and the hours put in..... this man received at net profit of ZERO DOLLARS...... the person that questioned him was an elder in the church, that had heard the bad mouthing....... this man said no more about it, and continued to treat this couple as if they were his best friends...... he prayed for them daily, and when ever some one brought up what they had said, he would tell them that every thing had been taken care of.....

for nine months, this couple continued to brow beat this man, and try to belittle him, but about 4 months ago, the woman came up to him and welcomed him at church that day and said good to see you to him.... and a week later, the man did also.....

dont let bitterness get you down, no matter how you have been wronged, we have not been wronged anyworse then we have wronged God.....

we all have treated God very poorly..... we say we love Him and then go about doing what ever we want to do, even when God has asked us not to..... we treat God like a second hand citizen, in His Own Kingdom..... and then we expect special favors from Him..... if we want God to forgive us.... we have to ( no if's, and's or but's about it, we have to) forgive others......

treat each and every person you come in contact with as your best friend, forgive them when they have wronged you and go on with life.... do not allow bitterness to start growing in you or you will not be able to see the Kingdom of God, for Anger leads to bitterness, bitterness leads to unforgiveness, and unforgiveness leads to loosing out on the being with God cause it also leads to sin and God will not allow sin to be present in His company.....

mike

[LOVE SONGS]

We have a choice, to do...... good or evil.

When people do the wrong things,it has to start with a thought first.

The thought ,then the action.

Evil thinking,upon something doesn't mean that , that person will carry

it out.

2 corinthians 10: 4-5

For our weapons of warfare are not carnal but mighty in GOD for pulling

down strongholds,

casting down arguments and every high thing that exults itself against the

knowledge of GOD, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience

of CHRIST.

Matthew 6:12

and forgive us our debts,

As we forgive our debtors.

Matthew 6:14

For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly FATHER will also

forgive you.

Matthew 6:15

But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your FATHER

forgive your trespasses.

Forgive our debtors.....

Forgiveness of others, with a sincere heart.

I forgive them FATHER of their wrong doing against me, and i release them.

I ask you FATHER to forgive them also, and for you to release them .

Releasing....means holding, no grudges or anything against another.

A crime?

There is a penalty behind a crime.

We are not to judge others. We should forgive anyone, regardless if

they see their wrongness or not.

We are to love one another, as the LORD commands us to do.

LOVE and Peace to everyone

[Omega]

Hi Any!

There are many reasons why prayers go unanswered and one of the reasons is sin, such as an unforgiving heart. If we fail to forgive others than our Heavenly Father will not forgive us and therefore will result in an unanswered Prayer because the Holy Spirit does not intercede when sin is present within the person, hence the word Holy in His name, also because he is grieved. Furthermore one who does and never has the capability of forgiveness in His Her heart does not have the Holy Spirit because this person displays that He/She does not understand True Forgiveness neither appreciates what the Lord has done for them on the Cross(Paid their debt in Full)and has forgiven all their Past Tresspasses. The Devil does not make the person sin, it is the person who gives in to His influences and temptations, the person is tempted by Satan or His demons but the person is responsible to giving in to his limited power due to failure of taking heed to the instructional words of God.

There is a popular adage from MAN that reads"He who forgives but cannot forget is the same as I cannot forgive" The error within this manmade proverb is that it is at times hard to forget, example:If ones Family Members are All Murdered by a serial killer, that victim can forgive that person but will have a difficult time forgetting such a tresspass, how can one forget that His/Her Family members were murdered? It is the Heart and not the mind that True Forgiveness comes from.

Colossians 2:8 - Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. 

God Bless! :il: :il: :il: