Here is a question I have been thinking about.
There are times in the bible where forgiveness is asked for those who are not repentant.
Jesus on the cross. "Forgive them for they know not what they do. He asked God Himself to forgive the very people who tortured, killed and mocked him with absolutely no repentance.
Steven to those who stoned him. Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw God’s glory and Jesus standing at the right side of God. “Look!” he said. “I see heaven opened and the Son of Man standing at the right side of God!” With a loud cry the Council members covered their ears with their hands. Then they all rushed at him at once, threw him out of the city,and stoned him. The witnesses left their cloaks in the care of a young man named Saul. They kept on stoning Stephen as he called out to the Lord, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” He knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord! Do not remember this sin against them!” He said this and died. ACTS 7:55-60
I also know there are many scriptures telling us to repent.
I believe forgiveness is given even when repentance is not achieved. Thoughts?
With regards to your quote above
Luke 23:34
34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”
And they divided His garments and cast lots.
The reason they were not repentant is because they had no idea what they were doing was wrong.
They thought they were doing the right thing.
The same for those who stoned Steven.
He said the same to those who stoned him who Jesus said the same to. The religious leaders
Acts 7:51-54
51 “You stubborn people! You are heathen at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? That’s what your ancestors did, and so do you!52 Name one prophet your ancestors didn’t persecute! They even killed the ones who predicted the coming of the Righteous One—the Messiah whom you betrayed and murdered. 53 You deliberately disobeyed God’s law, even though you received it from the hands of angels.”
54 The Jewish leaders were infuriated by Stephen’s accusation, and they shook their fists at him in rage.
Acts 7:59-60
59 As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”60 He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died.
Jesus said into your hands I comitt my spirit, Steven did the same and both said forgive them them.
Both knew that to those who killed them thought they were doing right.
Even this man
Acts 8:1-3
Chapter 8
Saul Persecutes the Church
1 Now Saul was consenting to his death.
At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.
3 As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.
We all know the story of Saul, he met Jesus, or should I say Jesus met him.
He fell on his knees and repented.
That repentance was change his mind coencerning who Jesus actually was and is.
There does not seem to be any record of him saying sorry for what he had done but there is a record of his repentance of unbelief.
Acts 9:3-6
3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. 4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?”
Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”
6 So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?”
Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
He calls him Lord.
A change of mind (repentance) concerning Jesus which would lead to repentance of his lifestyle.
I think we need take on board what Jesus said about our enemies and those who persecute us.
Matthew 5:44
44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,
I think part of this is to ask God to forgive them. In a sense if they persecute us because we proclaim Jesus then actually it’s Jesus they are persecuting and not us.
Further I would like to say if someone sins against us and knows they are doing it we should still ask that God forgives them but we MUST forgive them as well.
If we do not then we put ourselves in a prison.
A prison of bitterness, anger, resentment and so.
It binds and chains us.
To forgive is to set the prisoner free only to realise the prisoner was us (Lewis Smedes)
To me part of this process (speaking from very personal experience) is not only to forgive them but ask that that they come to meet Jesus.
Just like Saul, aka Paul
