plo1988 Posted July 12, 2019 Group: Nonbeliever Followers: 1 Topic Count: 12 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 115 Content Per Day: 0.20 Reputation: 37 Days Won: 0 Joined: 10/03/2022 Status: Offline Share Posted July 12, 2019 Is it supposed to be to all people unconditionally or only to people who repent and ask? The reason I ask is because I might have read in a GotQuestions question and answer that you're only supposed to forgive if someone repents and asks (might not have gotten that right) and it's not supposed to be unconditional and for everyone. Right now though I'm going with unconditional forgiveness and for everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
francesco Posted July 12, 2019 Group: Members Followers: 0 Topic Count: 4 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 56 Content Per Day: 0.03 Reputation: 51 Days Won: 0 Joined: 02/16/2019 Status: Offline Share Posted July 12, 2019 My understanding is that our forgiveness of others is to be unconditional. We are told to forgive 70x7; essentially extending the same forgiving mercy to others as Christ extends to us through His infinite mercy. When we forgive we reorient ourselves not only to the insulting party being forgiven, but we also reorient ourselves to the Father by not allowing the insult of another's treatment of us to fester within us so as to destroy our peace and joy. We must be aware of the potential for sin following anger. Forgiving another, even one deemed to be unworthy of forgiveness by virtue of their sin or refusal to contrition and/or reparation is actually an act of self-preservation. Through love of our fellow man we find ourselves protected by the grace of the Almighty. We remain clean in a sinful world. We must have faith in the perfect administration of God's justice in the context of His infinite mercy. Remembering the Lord's prayer, "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us". Our act of forgiveness will assure us of the best possible treatment regarding our own sinfulness. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr3032 Posted July 12, 2019 Group: Advanced Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 13 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 332 Content Per Day: 0.16 Reputation: 273 Days Won: 0 Joined: 06/23/2018 Status: Offline Share Posted July 12, 2019 You have heard that it was said, 'eye for an eye, and tooth for a tooth'. But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat also. It's much easier said than done, far easier said. However, I like to think of it like, how would this person be if they could see past themselves? The potential for good or evil is within all of us - that fellow who called you a pig and spit on you could have a change of heart someday. It's thoughtful that we should pray for these people, as they could someday be a brother or sister - it is not the well who need a physician, after all, but the sick. Another way to think of it is, what's it worth? Elegant and ornate clothing, a large and stately home, pretty pennies that come and go in a blink... It all withers. If some buffoon wants to make a fool of themselves and fuss over your shirt, let him have it, because he heaps coals on his head by doing so. Nothing in this world is ours anyway, really - It is Gods. Forgive them, for they know not what they do. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billiards Ball Posted July 12, 2019 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 3 Topic Count: 5 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 1,502 Content Per Day: 0.66 Reputation: 662 Days Won: 0 Joined: 02/05/2018 Status: Offline Share Posted July 12, 2019 15 hours ago, LeeGreenForest said: Is it supposed to be to all people unconditionally or only to people who repent and ask? The reason I ask is because I might have read in a GotQuestions question and answer that you're only supposed to forgive if someone repents and asks (might not have gotten that right) and it's not supposed to be unconditional and for everyone. Right now though I'm going with unconditional forgiveness and for everyone. Consider that a judge may forgive someone but sentence them. Consider that a parent forgives a child but disciplines them. Consider that I may forgive an abusive friend or even a spouse but never see them in person, for my safety. Consider that forgiveness wipes you clean but only the cross forgiveness saves. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmuffet Posted July 12, 2019 Group: Royal Member Followers: 34 Topic Count: 1,990 Topics Per Day: 0.48 Content Count: 48,688 Content Per Day: 11.83 Reputation: 30,343 Days Won: 226 Joined: 01/11/2013 Status: Offline Share Posted July 12, 2019 17 hours ago, LeeGreenForest said: Is it supposed to be to all people unconditionally or only to people who repent and ask? The reason I ask is because I might have read in a GotQuestions question and answer that you're only supposed to forgive if someone repents and asks (might not have gotten that right) and it's not supposed to be unconditional and for everyone. Right now though I'm going with unconditional forgiveness and for everyone. It is much easier to forgive someone if they have apologized. You feel that they are sorry for what they have done. But unfortunately many do not apologize and the Bible tells us we must forgive. That is a very hard thing for a human to do especially when the first thing we want to do is to get vengeance. But the Bible says that we are to give that vengeance to God Romans 12:19. That person will be judged for what they have done. They will not get away with it. They will have to answer to God. We pray and ask God to give us strength to forgive that person. It does not happen overnight. It may take a long time. We do not have to have contact or a relationship with that person again because our trust in that person is gone. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Who me Posted July 12, 2019 Group: Royal Member Followers: 5 Topic Count: 17 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 3,298 Content Per Day: 1.73 Reputation: 1,685 Days Won: 0 Joined: 01/27/2019 Status: Offline Share Posted July 12, 2019 18 hours ago, LeeGreenForest said: Is it supposed to be to all people unconditionally or only to people who repent and ask? The reason I ask is because I might have read in a GotQuestions question and answer that you're only supposed to forgive if someone repents and asks (might not have gotten that right) and it's not supposed to be unconditional and for everyone. Right now though I'm going with unconditional forgiveness and for everyone. How does God forgive sinners? Is it unconditionbal or are there conditions? Luke 17:3“If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. 4 Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.” Is the pattern we follow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnthebaptist Posted July 13, 2019 Group: Non-Conformist Theology Followers: 6 Topic Count: 118 Topics Per Day: 0.06 Content Count: 4,361 Content Per Day: 2.32 Reputation: 2,109 Days Won: 0 Joined: 02/25/2019 Status: Offline Birthday: 02/03/1953 Share Posted July 13, 2019 On 7/11/2019 at 5:09 PM, LeeGreenForest said: Is it supposed to be to all people unconditionally or only to people who repent and ask? The reason I ask is because I might have read in a GotQuestions question and answer that you're only supposed to forgive if someone repents and asks (might not have gotten that right) and it's not supposed to be unconditional and for everyone. Right now though I'm going with unconditional forgiveness and for everyone. If someone repents or their sin, I think you should forgive them. I wouldn't wait for them to ask. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Who me Posted July 14, 2019 Group: Royal Member Followers: 5 Topic Count: 17 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 3,298 Content Per Day: 1.73 Reputation: 1,685 Days Won: 0 Joined: 01/27/2019 Status: Offline Share Posted July 14, 2019 17 hours ago, johnthebaptist said: If someone repents or their sin, I think you should forgive them. I wouldn't wait for them to ask. How do you or how will you, know they have repented? Luke 17, the passage no one ever turns to on forgiveness says, if they repent, they come to you. Which if you think about it, if one has done wrong, one goes and says sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Who me Posted July 14, 2019 Group: Royal Member Followers: 5 Topic Count: 17 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 3,298 Content Per Day: 1.73 Reputation: 1,685 Days Won: 0 Joined: 01/27/2019 Status: Offline Share Posted July 14, 2019 On 13 July 2019 at 1:23 AM, Abdicate said: Mark 11:25-26 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses. Matthew 6:14-15 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Please include luke 17 and how the bible teaches that God forgives us. Do remember that inJesus's day sacrifices for sin wewre still being offered. The worshipper had to lay his hand on the animal signifying the transfer of guilt/sin. Something one cannot do if one is not repentant. The Jews knew that to obtain Gods forgiveness they had to repent. The passages you quote have to be understood in the knowledge that there had to be repentance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GandalfTheWise Posted July 14, 2019 Group: Royal Member Followers: 24 Topic Count: 40 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 1,459 Content Per Day: 0.60 Reputation: 2,377 Days Won: 2 Joined: 08/23/2017 Status: Offline Share Posted July 14, 2019 On 7/11/2019 at 7:09 PM, LeeGreenForest said: Is it supposed to be to all people unconditionally or only to people who repent and ask? The reason I ask is because I might have read in a GotQuestions question and answer that you're only supposed to forgive if someone repents and asks (might not have gotten that right) and it's not supposed to be unconditional and for everyone. Right now though I'm going with unconditional forgiveness and for everyone. Two points. Point one: Forgiving someone frees us. When we don't forgive someone, we remain emotionally and spiritually in bondage to whatever it was they did to us or someone else. As long as we lose sleep, grit our teeth, tense up, or cannot get that person out of our head every time we are reminded of them, we are in bondage. When we are reminded of them, feel no strong negative reaction, and can just mentally go back to what we were doing, we have more freedom. Point two: Forgiveness does not mean we need to reestablish a relationship or trust someone. Unless they have changed, it might be unsafe to be around them or have a relationship with them. Trust and confidence in someone develops over time as we see consistent patterns of behavior; it is not something we just freely give. If someone's past behavior has destroyed our trust and confidence in them; their present and future behavior must change to rebuild trust and confidence. Forgiveness is something unilateral that immediately benefits us. It also lays the foundation for a possible reconciliation. Reconciliation is a two way street. It often requires that the other person has indeed changed in some manner. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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