Forgiveness.

If you are honest about your own brokenness and sin it's easy to have mercy on others for theirs. I think that's the idea Jesus was putting out there.

Tantalon stated:
The questions I have asked are to find the level of knowledge of the people of christianchat, and the maturity of their interchange with each other. I already know the answers.

My question to Tantalon is, why didn’t you simply start a thread stating you’re interested in finding out our collective level of biblical knowledge and maturity level regarding our interchanges?

Scripture says, God forgives our wickedness and remembers our sins no more Hebrews 8:12.

If you have a friend who keeps gossiping behind your back. Are you suppose to keep them as your friend, so they can keep gossiping behind your back, telling people things that you have confided in them about?

What about a friend who keeps getting you into trouble?

What about one who steals from you? Or who likes to borrow and don't repay?

What about a spouse who can't stop cheating? What should the husband/wife do in such a situation?

God says he forgives our wickedness and does not remember our sins. Can we humans do this, and should we?

Rather than giving up on someone completely, it is better to forgive and treat them as a non/believer if they continue un repented of harming others.

Jesus says: Luke 6:29 And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also.

30 Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.

Do people follow this teaching?

Some seek out to perform these teachings but most will not.

What does it mean to forgive?

Are you only friends with Christians?

And to treat them as an unbeliever, isn't that another way of saying you have given up on them?

When a person who professes to believe has been shown they have sinned against another and they are unrepentent we are to treat them as a non-believer after having taken other brethren to them to explain to them they are sinning.

I believe forgiving is fairly simple, it it is not holding the guilt of another in mind and heart. This does not say we forget what has been done in the past for the most pure could possibly with stand the abuse of a purposeful sinner.

It would benice dto remember others' transgressions against us no more, but while in the flesh I believe we must be always alert to the actions of others.

I remember watching a documentary on the Amish religion. I think it was said that they don't believe in reporting crimes and they don't believe in using the court system...

But if they can do that, then certainly they can do all the other things that God commanded. Which means they don't need God's grace.

An offense is due punishment. If the punishment due is waved then the offender is forgiven.

An opportunity to forgive is Grace. Forgiveness is where the rubber meets the road.

This is what forgiveness means to me. It means that you do not render evil for evil onto anyone.

So if someone keeps doing you wrong, you can't have a close relationship with them. However you must not do to them, what they did to you.

You let the issue go, and you move on.

Proverb 24:27 Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice,

Romans 12:14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse...17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

(The burning coals might mean: When you show kindness to such persons, it may touch them in a way that they may turn from their bad behavior.)

And returning evil for evil means that you make yourself just like the other person. And we must be like Jesus.

Romans 12:1-2
King James Version


1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service.

2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Side note: Before a person will do this they have to be born of INCORRUPTIBLE seed.