forgiveness

[ilovejcsog]

I'd like to understand what is entailed in forgiving someone.

Sometimes I think I have forgiven a harm but the offense comes up in my memory and I wonder if I have really forgiven.

Maybe I should remember no more.

I might get upset when thinking about it and then wonder if I truly have forgiven.

How should I feel if I have truly forgiven?

As you can see I have a problem with forgiveness and the meaning.

 

Edited July 9, 2020 by ilovejcsog

[Who me]

42 minutes ago, ilovejcsog said:

I'd like to understand what is entailed in forgiving someone.

Sometimes I think I have forgiven a harm but the offense comes up in my memory and I wonder if I have really forgiven.

Maybe I should remember no more.

I might get upset when thinking about it and then wonder if I truly have forgiven.

How should I feel if I have truly forgiven?

As you can see I have a problem with forgiveness and the meaning.

 

If the person who hurt/offended you has apologised, you forgive them.

The problem as you have said is forgetting about it.

When memories of incidents that have been dealt with arise all one has to do is thank God that he supplied the grace to forgive that incident and ask for help in forgetting.

 

However if you are trying to forgive an incident where there has been no apology or repentance you are trying to do an unbiblical thing.

God only forgives us when we repent and that is our model.

 

In those cases, like Jesus being crucified, we hand the incident, our feelings etc over to God asking him to deal with them.

Again if memories arise we thank God that he has dealt with them.

[Billiards Ball]

5 hours ago, ilovejcsog said:

I'd like to understand what is entailed in forgiving someone.

Sometimes I think I have forgiven a harm but the offense comes up in my memory and I wonder if I have really forgiven.

Maybe I should remember no more.

I might get upset when thinking about it and then wonder if I truly have forgiven.

How should I feel if I have truly forgiven?

As you can see I have a problem with forgiveness and the meaning.

 

Most Christans make an effort to forgive and/or ask God to forgive.

The power of forgiveness is on YOU if you've trusted Jesus for salvation. To really forgive, think of the greatest words, "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do!" then say I FORGIVE THEM IN THE POWER OF JESUS.

Repeat whenever a general or specific offense arises. You'll know you've done it right when the pain is replaced by joy.

 

The opposite of bitterness is God's joy, not nothing. The opposite of anger is God's love, not quietness, etc.

[Who me]

29 minutes ago, Billiards Ball said:

To really forgive, think of the greatest words, "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do!" then say I FORGIVE THEM IN THE POWER OF JESUS.

 

If I say, ' Blood bought give ilovejsogb chocolate.'. Who is giving a chocolate?

 

In the same way Jesus saying ' Father forgive them,' it is not Jesus who is forgiving anyone.

He is handing the situation over to God the Father to decide how to act. Yes Jesus is asking that they be forgiven, but he is not forgiving them.

 

 

[Marathoner]

6 hours ago, ilovejcsog said:

I'd like to understand what is entailed in forgiving someone.

Sometimes I think I have forgiven a harm but the offense comes up in my memory and I wonder if I have really forgiven.

Maybe I should remember no more.

I might get upset when thinking about it and then wonder if I truly have forgiven.

How should I feel if I have truly forgiven?

As you can see I have a problem with forgiveness and the meaning.

 

Forgiving and forgetting are two separate matters, friend. Consider the weakness we must bear during our sojourn in this world --- namely, this body of flesh with all that entails --- in order to grasp that forgiveness doesn't always lead to forgetting. How many times during our lives do we plead with the Lord so that we might forget?  The memory remains, Ilovejscog. 

Our Lord Jesus Christ exemplifies how we should forgive. By His blood we are cleansed and by His Spirit we are justified so that on that day when we stand before Him, we shall do so blamelessly. God forgives us in Christ Jesus so His righteousness is imputed to us. The Lord will not reckon who we once were but rather who we are in the Son of God. To forgive someone is to release them from blame/debt; the Lord does so for our sake and so must we. 

Think of it this way: when you are standing in judgment with the Lord and the one who transgressed stands to be judged, will you accuse them in the sight of God and His angels? Or will you say, "This one has inflicted no harm, Lord. I hold them blameless in Your sight." 

For us, forgiveness is no small thing because we remember... the memory remains. Forgiveness can be painful and for some, it proves to be a sacrifice! Through forgiveness we effectively place the matter at the Lord's feet, interceding on behalf of our transgressor and thus becoming their advocate. This is what our Lord Jesus Christ has done for our sake.   

[Billiards Ball]

1 hour ago, Who me said:

 

If I say, ' Blood bought give ilovejsogb chocolate.'. Who is giving a chocolate?

 

In the same way Jesus saying ' Father forgive them,' it is not Jesus who is forgiving anyone.

He is handing the situation over to God the Father to decide how to act. Yes Jesus is asking that they be forgiven, but he is not forgiving them.

 

 

Thank you, but that is not what I was speaking of. Jesus gave me power to judge, to cast out demons, to perform miracles--and to forgive.

I'm not commanding you to forgive, I'm telling you instead that if you choose to forgive, you need not petition the Father to do so or even Jesus--you simply forgive--in the power of the Spirit--a magnificent, effective forgiveness that will change your heart.

[ilovejcsog]

So much wise advice.  Thank you all!

Each time I think of those events I am going to think this ' Father forgive them,' and squash the thoughts.  I have asked God to take them away but I am not dealing with them as I should after reading all your thoughtful answers.

Thanks again, I wish to be as wise as you all!

Have a wonderful day and weekend.:O)

[LonerAndy]

15 hours ago, ilovejcsog said:

I'd like to understand what is entailed in forgiving someone.

Sometimes I think I have forgiven a harm but the offense comes up in my memory and I wonder if I have really forgiven.

Maybe I should remember no more.

I might get upset when thinking about it and then wonder if I truly have forgiven.

How should I feel if I have truly forgiven?

As you can see I have a problem with forgiveness and the meaning.

 

If only our minds were like computers, and you could just delete that file from your memory, right?

The best response I've heard was, when you hear something good happened to person X, and your say "good for them" and mean it... then you have forgiven successful.

That statement came from a pastor who was betrayed by someone else in the ministry, and it required several years honestly, before he could be happy when something good happened to someone who hurt him.

So my point to you is, this is more of a journey than a "say X" *Poof* 'I forgave!'.   And of course the bigger the hurt, the longer to heal.  

But saying you can just forget something that wounded you, not so likely.  We're not computers.  There is no delete file, and it ceases to exist. Not in this life anyway.

[ilovejcsog]

Sometimes I have done that but usually when I have found myself thinking badly about the person and in order to correct it I follow by something nice out of guilt.  Of course that is not the idea.  There have been so many good responses that I think I might be able to do it in the future when it comes up.  I have already been using the "lord forgive them" a few times today.  That reminds me to stop thinking the way I am and move on.  I really do appreciate all of you for your kindness and wisdom.

[branchesofHim]

41 minutes ago, ilovejcsog said:

Sometimes I have done that but usually when I have found myself thinking badly about the person and in order to correct it I follow by something nice out of guilt.  Of course that is not the idea.  There have been so many good responses that I think I might be able to do it in the future when it comes up.  I have already been using the "lord forgive them" a few times today.  That reminds me to stop thinking the way I am and move on.  I really do appreciate all of you for your kindness and wisdom.

Amen. Shalom.

Phillipians 3:[8] Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
[9] And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
[10] That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
[11] If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
[12] Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
[13] Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
[14] I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.