Forgiveness

[Daily verse and quote]

“Be kind and loving to each other,

and forgive each other

just as God forgave you in Christ.”

Ephesians 4:32

 

God can mend a broken heart –

if you hand Him all the pieces.

(We must totally forgive those who hurt us

before we can be fully healed.)

[Woeng Lee]

[Who me]

God forgave us through the sacrifice of Jesus on and only on our repentance. Those who will not repent face God's wrath.

So it follows if we are to forgive as God forgave us, there must be repentance.

 

[Ray12614]

24 minutes ago, Who me said:

So it follows if we are to forgive as God forgave us, there must be repentance.

 

I find this interesting . . . I had never considered this before (offenders must repent before forgiveness is extended and  given).

So, what happens if offender and the offended disagree concerning IF there was any wrong done in the first place?  The offender says they did nothing wrong, and the offended says yes, they did something wrong.

Does that mean that the offended person cannot extend forgiveness instead of forgiving and releasing the offender?

I am reminded that Jesus when crucified on the cross said "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do".

I had a person who sinned against me, and never asked me for forgiveness. It hurt big time, an I found myself becoming bitter over it, losing sleep, reliving the offense over and over. I finally had to forgive him and  release him from what he had done to me, and prayed that Jesus would also forgive him for what he had done to me.  After that, I found that I was free from the torment of unforgiveness. It released me from bitterness, and I never want to go back into unforgiveness. There are some things that we must commit to our Lord, and let Him settle it at His Bema seat.

At least that is my first hand experience on this topic.

Ray . . . .

[Who me]

15 minutes ago, Ray12614 said:

I find this interesting . . . I had never considered this before (offenders must repent before forgiveness is extended and  given).

So, what happens if offender and the offended disagree concerning IF there was any wrong done in the first place?  The offender says they did nothing wrong, and the offended says yes, they did something wrong.

Does that mean that the offended person cannot extend forgiveness instead of forgiving and releasing the offender?

I am reminded that Jesus when crucified on the cross said "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do".

I had a person who sinned against me, and never asked me for forgiveness. It hurt big time, an I found myself becoming bitter over it, losing sleep, reliving the offense over and over. I finally had to forgive him and  release him from what he had done to me, and prayed that Jesus would also forgive him for what he had done to me.  After that, I found that I was free from the torment of unforgiveness. It released me from bitterness, and I never want to go back into unforgiveness. There are some things that we must commit to our Lord, and let Him settle it at His Bema seat.

At least that is my first hand experience on this topic.

Ray . . . .

Yes Luke 17 :3+4 the forgotten verses on forgiveness. Plus of course the whole of the Bible which teaches the same thing.

[Ray12614]

1 hour ago, Josheb said:

Why is it challenging for some believers to forgive?

Why is it challenging for others to receive forgiveness?

 

Hi Josheb:  I don't know how to answer your questions, but I too share them along with you. All I know is that there are real remedies in the NT regarding forgiveness and extending forgiveness to those who do not deserve it, or even asked for it.

Forgiveness is not the same as restoring fellowship with an individual. Forgiveness means that I from my heart release those who have sinned against me. I do not require any payment for what they have done to me.

So, if I am reading some of the above posts correctly, are they saying that I do not need to forgive until they ask me?

Ray . . .

[Alive]

Forgiveness is available to a saint toward others and flows as freely and easily as a freestone river.

In fact, few aspects of the Life of Christ that we all have, flows as easily as forgiveness of others.

We just need to get out of the way. That is the work of our Lord, to, over time and experience show each of us how very deeply and completely we ourselves both need and receive  forgiveness from God. The alabaster box needs to be cracked open in order for what is contained to manifest.

We become less--and He becomes more--in experience.

So, how can I not project Grace, Mercy and Forgiveness freely to others when I have and do receive those things so freely myself???

This is worth spending a bunch of time contemplating. As we learn to appreciate the fruit that exudes from the earthen vessel--we learn to welcome God's dealings with us. Why? Because we see those in our sphere benefiting and we know that the entire creation and the angels marvel at this. Christ in you. Christ in YOU! That is where forgiveness flows from.

[BeauJangles]

Some additional spiritual food for thought on the specific topic of forgiveness can also be found here. 

[Ray12614]

51 minutes ago, Josheb said:

Amen! My questions were partly informed by my marriage and partly informed by my profession where I am frequently working with the biniding of ungranted and unreceived forgiveness. It is a very powerful but oft neglected practice foundationally necessary to our life in Christ. 

I would go even further to say forgiveness sis not the goal. Too often I observe people thinking forgiveness is the end state when that is not true. Forgiveness is simply and solely one step in a much larger process in where the larger goal is reconciliation! 

Confession
Repentance
Restitution
Penalty
Forgiveness
Restitution

And it all looks very much different when living within a retributional and vengeful belief system than in the redemptive and restorative view God holds. One of the chief problems are it is very difficult to restore a broken heart. It's quite easy for me to replace your lawn mower I broke, but how do I give my wife, my friend, my coworker, my customer or client a new heart consequent to wrongs committed, a poorly chosen word or a hurtful act? Another is the occasional unlikelihood of reconciliation. I cannot send the rape victim back to the rapist or the black-eyed battery victim back to the perpetrator. I can but it is very risky and unlikely to succeed where no repentance has occurred and even then often untenable. Without grace and mercy the otherwise liberating power of forgiveness becomes burdensome because our conscience knows better and then the dillemma is intrapersonal, not just interpersonal. 

That brings us back to the need for Calvary.

Where all payment was made. 

And that just fries the mind. 

 

No, forgiveness is not the same as restoring fellowship but in most circumstances that restoration is appropriate. Yes, the release of sin is important, but so too is being released from releasing. Or.. perhaps I take not offense to begin with!  

Proverbs 19:11
"A man's discretion makes him slow to anger, And it is his glory to overlook a transgression."

I don't recall anyone asking God to hang His Son on a cursing tree and crush him for our sake. 

 

If that is what is being said then it is wrong. One of the most difficult aspects of love is that it keeps no records of wrongs. Try that sometime! 

Amen Josheb!!!

I needed to ask the questions because in a forum like this, it is very easy to mis-read some of the posts. And . . . . I like to ask 'leading questions' that make the posters evaluate the roads they are walking down . . .

Tricky . . . yea . . . I will repent later!   LOL

Grace and Peace . . . . Ray . . .