Forgiveness

[jmlusa2000]

If I do not forgive others, does that mean my sins are not forgiven?

God pardons sin by His grace based on Christ’s work on the cross alone, not on man’s actions. Our right standing before Him is established on one thing only—the finished work of Christ (John 3:16; 1 John 2:2; 1 John 4:10). The penalty for the sin that is rightly ours is paid by Christ, and we obtain it by grace through faith, not by any righteous deeds of our own (Ephesians 2:8-9). No one will be able to stand before God demanding that his sins be forgotten simply because he has forgiven others. Only when we are born again and given a new life through God’s Spirit by faith in Jesus Christ are our sins forgiven.

Jesus instructs us to build into our prayers a request for God to forgive us in the same way that we have forgiven others who have harmed us (Matthew 6:12). If there are those we have not forgiven when we ourselves pray for forgiveness, then practically speaking we are asking God not to restore a right relationship with us after we sin. To emphasize the importance of restoring broken relationships with our brothers and sisters, Jesus states that asking for God’s forgiveness for one’s own sins, all the while withholding forgiveness from someone else, is not only bizarre but hypocritical. We cannot possibly walk with God in true fellowship if we refuse to forgive others.

If we have unforgiveness in our hearts against someone else, then we are acting in a way that is not pleasing to God, making our prayers and a proper living relationship with Him difficult. God will not hear our prayers unless we also show ourselves ready to grant forgiveness. If we are harder than iron in this regard, Christ’s exhortation ought to soften us.

If God has forgiven us of so much, how could we refuse to forgive others of so "little"? Matthew 6:14-15,14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. According to this view, proclaims that anyone who harbors unforgiveness against others has not truly experienced God's forgiveness. Both interpretations strongly deny that forgiveness of salvation is dependent on our forgiving others. Whether Matthew 6:14-15 is speaking of "relational forgiveness," or whether it is a declaration that unforgiveness is the mark of an unbeliever, the core truth is the same. We should forgive others because God, through Christ, has forgiven us (Ephesians 4:32).v 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. It is inconceivable that someone who has truly experienced God's forgiveness could refuse to grant forgiveness to others.

[jmlusa2000]

Does the Bible instruct us to forgive and forget?

There are numerous scriptures commanding us to “forgive one another” (Matthew 6:1414 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, ; Ephesians 4:32 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.). A Christian who does not forgive can reap bitterness and the loss of eternal rewards (Hebrews 12:14-1514 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.15 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled ; 2 John 1:8)8 Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward.. Forgiveness is a decision of the will. Since God commands us to forgive, we must make a conscious choice to forgive. This frees the forgiving one from the past. The offender may not desire forgiveness and may not change (Matthew 5:44)44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Ideally, the offender will seek reconciliation, but if not, the one wronged should still make known his decision to forgive.

In one sense, it is impossible to truly forget sins that have been committed against us. We cannot selectively "delete" events from our memory. The Bible states that God does not "remember" our wickedness (Hebrews 8:12)

12 For I will be merciful toward their iniquities,

and I will remember their sins no more.”

. God is all-knowing. God knows that we have “sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23)23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,. However, having forgiven us, He treats us as if the sin had not occurred. If we belong to Him through faith in Christ, God does not hold our sins against us. In that sense we must "forgive and forget." If we forgive someone, we must act as if that sin had never occurred. We remember the sin, but we live as if we did not remember it. Ephesians 4:32 tells us, "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."

Amen!!

[jmlusa2000]

Part of forgiving is to forget. If you say that you forgive but you won't forget....means that you really haven't truely forgiven in your heart.

True, as I referenced that in the post above.

[jmlusa2000]

Part of forgiving is to forget. If you say that you forgive but you won't forget....means that you really haven't truely forgiven in your heart.

True, as I referenced that in the post above.

God is all-knowing. God knows that we have “sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23)23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,. However, having forgiven us, He treats us as if the sin had not occurred. If we belong to Him through faith in Christ, God does not hold our sins against us. In that sense we must "forgive and forget." If we forgive someone, we must act as if that sin had never occurred. We remember the sin, but we live as if we did not remember it.

[FluffyJ]

Forgiveness is mandatory. The word of God says if we do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will our Heavenly Father forgive ours. The Lord's prayer says 'forgive us our debts as we forgive others theirs'. I do not believe that any unforgiving spirit/person will make it into heaven. So I try often to earnestly search my heart to make sure that I do not have any form of unforgiveness towards anyone. And if I am having difficulty forgiving someone, I ask God to help me to be willing to forgive. Today I am so happy to testify that as far as I know, I have no unforgiveness in my heart towards anyone right now. But sometimes you can be hurt so badly, that it is a struggle to forgive. However, it is incumbent upon us as children of God to insist that we will forgive as we would love to be forgiven. All a work in progress as we live from day to day following hard after our Lord.

[Fez]

Forgiving does not mean you are to forget. You cannot forget, you are hard wired to remember, and to forget would actually go against what God actually created in you.

However, the fact that you cannot forget, does not mean you cannot forgive. It just makes it more difficult, because of our human, and sinful condition.

You see, evil is not the dividing line between the person who wronged you and yourself. In God's eyes the evil actually runs through both of you.

That is why Jesus placed such an emphasis on forgiveness. It goes towards overcoming the evil in us first, because until we do that we cannot forgive.

One more "two cents", and a thing a lot of abused women don't get. Forgiveness does not mean you are giving the trespasser permission to inflict the same wound on you again and again.

[jmlusa2000]

Forgiving does not mean you are to forget. You cannot forget, you are hard wired to remember, and to forget would actually go against what God actually created in you.

However, the fact that you cannot forget, does not mean you cannot forgive. It just makes it more difficult, because of our human, and sinful condition.

You see, evil is not the dividing line between the person who wronged you and yourself. In God's eyes the evil actually runs through both of you.

That is why Jesus placed such an emphasis on forgiveness. It goes towards overcoming the evil in us first, because until we do that we cannot forgive.

One more "two cents", and a thing a lot of abused women don't get. Forgiveness does not mean you are giving the trespasser permission to inflict the same wound on you again and again.

right

[JeannieC]

I had a hard time understanding forgiveness until it was explained to me like this... Forgiving someone isn't saying that what they did to me is okay. Saying I forgive means making that choice and then giving the situation to God for Him to handle and also knowing that God will give me the ability to truly forgive even when it is especially hard. Forgiveness then frees me from the anger hurt and grudge that only hurts me. I've finally been able to forgive some people after many years.

[shodan]

In today's Christian world, much confusion surrounds the topic of forgiveness:

‘I’ before ‘e’ except after ‘c’—we learn this simple spelling rule as young students. Then, we must learn the exceptions, like “rein.” But no teacher ever instructs us that the exception is the rule. Rather, so the neglected saying goes, the fact that we find an exception proves the rule.

Also, we must keep this clearly in mind: Because something is an exception, does not mean that it is not true. We have rules and we have exceptions—each has its proper place.

Today, however, when the topic is forgiveness, we hear many Christians thoughtlessly citing the exception just as if it were the rule; it appears as if they have never heard and applied the true rule. (Shades of Murphy’s Law!) We hear the exception from Jesus on the cross (an exceptional circumstance indeed!) with reference to his executioners: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). But Jesus also teaches us the clear rule that forgiveness is conditional based upon the repentance of the sinner: “Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him” (Luke 17:3).

Here, we note that Jesus’ exhortation to forgive rests upon the conditional phrase, “if he repents.” The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia states, “Jesus recognized that there are conditions to be fulfilled before forgiveness can be granted. Forgiveness is part of a mutual relationship; the other part is the repentance of the offender. God does not forgive without repentance, nor is it required of mankind.”¹ (This aspect of a mutual relationship has been banned from today’s self-centered, therapeutic notions about forgiveness.)

In expositing Peter’s preaching on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-47), F. F. Bruce states, “It would be a mistake to link the words ‘for the forgiveness of sins’ with the command ‘be baptized’ to the exclusion of the prior command to repent. . . . blotting out of the people’s sins is a direct consequence of their repenting and turning to God.”²

Regarding persons who harden their hearts against the Holy Spirit (a group very different from those unwitting soldiers who carried out their civic duty in executing Jesus), that faithful theologian, J. I. Packer, states that the “nonexistence of repentance makes forgiveness impossible.”³

These preceding few lines set forth the thesis of this chapter...

--from http://www.amazon.com/Love-Prayer-Forgiveness-Basics-Heresies/dp/159467664X/ref=pd_rhf_dp_p_t_1

[shodan]

Concerning the Lord's Prayer "forgive us....as we forgive"

Now, let us continue in our survey of Luke. In chapter 6, we come to those familiar words, “forgive and you will be forgiven” (v. 37). We also remember those similar words in the Lord’s Prayer, “forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us” (11:4). In Matthew, we read Jesus’ exhortation and warning that follows this model prayer: “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matt. 6:14, 15)....

. Biblical commentators take pains to clearly explain that the thrust of these verses is not an assertion that we can merit forgiveness by forgiving others, "rather it is evidence that the grace of God is at work in the forgiving person . . . to fail to forgive others is to demonstrate that one has not felt the saving touch of God.”¹⁰

But for those of us who have experienced that saving touch, it happened when we obeyed while hearing our Savior say, “Repent, and believe the good news.” That is the condition, which Messiah Jesus sets before us if we will enter his kingdom. Scripture gives us no reason whatsoever to believe that God forgives us who partake of eternal

salvation without our repentance. If we receive his Word (“as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become the children of God. . . . ” [John 1:12]), that includes receiving, accepting, his call to repentance. Scripture exhorts us to imitate our Father (Matt 5:48; Eph. 5:1) who is merciful, who is ready, willing and able to forgive us. He desires to forgive, “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9c), but here again is that condition—repentance.

ibid.