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Have you not understood the meaning of grace? God certainly did not wait for us to be sorry before offering his love and graciousness to us. I realize it is popular for some to teach otherwise, but it is the KINDNESS of God that leads to repentance, not the demand for justice of God!
Amen to this and to your OP, Heartsong!
God forgives us, even after this life.
Many say that God's forgiveness is shut off at death, leaving man in suffering for ever and ever and ever and EVER and EVER...
It makes God out to be filled with resentment. A God who truly cannot forgive. A God who holds grudges.
As Christians, it's easy to tell someone, "God loves you." but we need to learn to speak for God Himself, telling people that we love them! Of course, it must come from the Spirit within, otherwise it is meaningless..
Nice OP! I agree that forgiveness is largely realizing that what another did wrong, we ourselves could have also done.
As Christians, it's easy to tell someone, "God loves you." but we need to learn to speak for God Himself, telling people that we love them! Of course, it must come from the Spirit within, otherwise it is meaningless..
Nice OP! I agree that forgiveness is largely realizing that what another did wrong, we ourselves could have also done.
Have you not understood the meaning of grace? God certainly did not wait for us to be sorry before offering his love and graciousness to us. I realize it is popular for some to teach otherwise, but it is the KINDNESS of God that leads to repentance, not the demand for justice of God!
Yes, Heartsong, I most definitely understand God's grace !!
Hopefully when God's loving grace falls upon a person it does cause sorrow for their sin and leads them to repentance.
There are at times though that those who come into our lives who will not accept and even try to hurt you no matter what. You go to them a million times, well as Jesus said, we are to forgive 70x7 and tell them you forgive them for the wrong they have done against you only to find that individual is obstinate and will not change their heart or ways toward you or anyone.... regardless how much one tries to resolved the situation their wrong actions are still hurting you due to the fact it is unresolved because of their choices.
Yes, we can move on because of the grace of God in us but that person is still walking in un-forgiveness and until they ask God to forgiven them, one truly feeling sorrow for their wrong actions, sinfulness, they will remain our enemy which is not the fault of our own choosing but it is their sin they choose to continue in hurting other's....!!
Oswald is clearly stating we do not have the authority to say to one your sins are forgiven, when they have no intention to stop and that only God forgives sin..... and if they repent before God then they will cease to be our enemy because God has forgiven them..... and we reap the goodness they are a changed heart !!
It is God's justice and holiness we must be steadfast in...... (which is not unforgiveness) and sometimes that is difficult because we are created to desire and want to be loved and to go on knowing their is someone who rejects you and wants to hurt you with their awful ways, and you have forgiven them over and over again, it is difficult....
It brought peace into my life reading Oswald's words that knowing when I have forgiven over and over again an individual and going to them with love and forgiveness and it does not change that individual ways and they continue to be obstinate, hurtful, that God does not hold me responsible for their continuing to walk in such a sinful disposition.... and that I have done everything in my power to resolve the situation and God grants us the grace knowing there is nothing one can further do to change that person until they turn to God and repent of whatever it is in their heart causing them to be in their bondage of sin and hurting other's..... that is what I saw with Oswald saying hand them over to God's justice and holiness....
I have learned and in my experience when a person like that, that God has permitted into my life are there because God knows He will give me the heart to forgive, the wisdom, power in how to pray for them to be delivered from the sin that holds them into bondage to why they hurt other people.--
Last edited by Cyber Munchkin; 02-06-2011 at 04:47 AM..
Yes, Heartsong, I most definitely understand God's grace !!
Hopefully when God's loving grace falls upon a person it does cause sorrow for their sin and leads them to repentance.
There are at times though that those who come into our lives who will not accept and even try to hurt you no matter what. You go to them a million times, well as Jesus said, we are to forgive 70x7 and tell them you forgive them for the wrong they have done against you only to find that individual is obstinate and will not change their heart or ways toward you or anyone.... regardless how much one tries to resolved the situation their wrong actions are still hurting you due to the fact it is unresolved because of their choices.
Yes, we can move on because of the grace of God in us but that person is still walking in un-forgiveness and until they are forgiven by God, one truly feeling sorrow for their wrong actions, sinfulness, they will remain our enemy which is not the fault of our own choosing but it is their sin they choose to continue in hurting other's....!!
Oswald is clearly stating we do not have the authority to say to one your sins are forgiven, when they have no intention to stop and that only God forgives sin..... and if they repent before God then they will cease to be our enemy because God has forgiven them..... and we reap the goodness they are a changed heart !!
It is God's justice and holiness we must be steadfast in...... (which is not unforgiveness) and sometimes that is difficult because we are created to desire and want to be loved and to go on knowing their is someone who rejects you and wants to hurt you with their awful ways, and you have forgiven them over and over again, it is difficult....
It brought peace into my life reading Oswald's words that knowing when I have forgiven over and over again an individual and going to them with love and forgiveness and it does not change that individual ways and they continue to be obstinate, hurtful, that God does not hold me responsible for their continuing to walk in such a sinful disposition.... and that I have done everything in my power to resolve the situation and God grants us the grace knowing there is nothing one can further do to change that person until they turn to God and repent of whatever it is in their heart causing them to be in their bondage of sin and hurting other's..... that is what I saw with Oswald saying hand them over to God's justice and holiness....
I have learned and in my experience when a person like that, that God has permitted into my life are there because God knows He will give me the heart to forgive, the wisdom, power in how to pray for them to be delivered from the sin that holds them into bondage to why they hurt other people.--
Moderator cut: delete
Cyber it's only by the grace of God we forgive in the first place. So when we are forgiving it's actually God forgiving through us.When Paul said "I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me", all the forgiveness,love,grace,mercy and so on is him,apart from him we can do nothing. Moderator cut: delete
Last edited by Miss Blue; 02-06-2011 at 08:43 AM..
Reason: she said she didn't say that..
Well, I don't have any enemies. I might have friends that I no longer talk to but I don't consider anyone my enemy. My forgiving someone doesn't necessarily mean that I do it to their face - or that they even know about it. I forgive them in my heart so my heart can let go of the anger and the hurt. I don't know that I've ever really had someone that I consider an enemy... That doesn't sound fun at all!
If you, LORD, kept a record of sins,
Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness,
so that we can, with reverence, serve you Psalm 130:3-4
Awesome pcamps! I never noticed those 2 verses before.
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