Forgiveness?

[Wrangler]

Forgiveness ... is for us so that we may let go

If we still hold resentment ...

Exactly right! Forgiveness is God's gift to us because holding resentment is poisonous to our soul. It is so important, God made it a salvation issue.
Matthew 6:14-15 “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.

It's sad how learned people got this wrong. Yes, there are passages that talk about belief. However, the kind of faith referred to in the Bible is action oriented; lip service will not breech the gates of heaven. Merely saying "I believe" while every choice goes against God's commands will not cut it! What action on our part? Not action to obtain salvation so that we might brag but transformative action to show we have taken the Spirit of God into our hearts. This means obeying the will of God, starting with forgiving others.

This is expressed over and over and over again in Scripture. Without a doubt, we all want justice; we want reconciliation, beginning with the injuring party admitting their sin and making amends. However, that is outside our control. It's even outside God's control. This is why reconciliation through Christ is so beautiful and powerful; 2 souls repented and embraced the truth with love.

I don't believe Judgment Day is going to be like a vote in Congress, closely divided along party lines. Rather, karma, every choice we make marks our soul. There will be no hiding our insolence or our obedience. It will be plain for all to see, most powerfully to the one being Judged. I say it again, forgiveness is a gift God gave us for our benefit. On accepting this gift, all depends.

As I get on in years, I reflect on all the people who have come in and out of my life. I mourn those whose ego was too big to humble themselves to reconcile, first with God, and then with me. I pray for them before it is too late.

 

[Nancy]

I want to elaborate on this. My dad was one of my abusers. I was abused in every way imaginable by multiple abusers from the womb. By the time I was age 10, I hated my dad. It's hard to explain ....because many times I would walk up to him and say, "I love you, daddy." His response was to turn his face and not even look at me, fold his arms, and say, "I love me, too." So then I would hug him ....bc I was hungry for his love ...and the message was "if you love me, then hug me." So I'd hug him ....bracing myself for what was next. Sexual abuse always followed.

I don't even like sharing this bc God gave me the understanding of why my dad did the things he did. And my dad is new now, a different man. BUT ...God gave me a burden for my dad's salvation when I came to Christ at age 13. From the moment God saved me, forgiveness filled my heart and I witnessed to my dad.

I still suffered abuse after I came to Christ, and that forgiveness remained and grew. This is not to my praise. It was a response to the immense love and forgiveness I had received from God. He poured that into me, and through me.

When I was about 18, my father did admit to me face to face that he did bad things to me and my sister and that he was so sorry. I told him that I had forgiven him years ago and that God would too if he could receive it. He said he couldn't forgive himself ...but "maybe someday" he would accept God's forgiveness. I said, "Don't wait too long. I want you with me when I go to Jesus."

Through the next 8 years, I kept up with him through an uncle who was a Christian. Then, somewhere around 1996/1997, he went silent and for 6 years, I didn't know where he was or if he was alive. But I was told by God when I was 13 that He would save my Dad. I prayed all those years for him.

In 1997, God spoke to me to release my dad, to lay the burden down. And every time I thought to pray for him, to praise and thank Him for what He was doing. So that's what I did.

AT the same time God led me to lay that burden down, He began to deal with me to begin writing down my life/past experiences/testimony on paper. I fought doing that for years because I just couldn't get my brain to go there. I had huge memory gaps, and what little bits I did remember weren't pleasant and my mind created huge barriers. But God kept urging me to write.

Finally, in 2001/2002, I made my first attempt. I don't even remember what I wrote. It wasn't much. And then, I tried again in 2003. That is when God began to break down the walls and memories began to pour through ... SRA (satanic ritual abuse) and MK Ultra ...and He began to reconnect and bring all my brokenness (alter personalities) together again as He healed the trauma they held.

In December of 2004, my healing and deprogramming still underway, my dad recontacted me by email.

This thread tells what transpired after that point.

A Thanksgiving Thanks, a Testimony, & Remembrance

I haven't posted this here before, but I wanted to acknowledge the gift and miracle of salvation and my earthly father's graduation to Heaven. (The date was actually November 24, 2005.) He was saved a few months before he passed away on Thanksgiving Day. My stepmother, who I had just met less...

www.christianityboard.com

Tagging: @Nancy @Angelina @quietthinker

Thank you for sharing sister. That was courageous.
xox

 

[amigo de christo]

Forgiveness in the bible ia Always preceded by repentance.
'If my people who are called by my name will turn from their wicked ways, humble themselves and pray.
Then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sins and heal their land.

or luke 17:3 if someone offends you, rebuke them, if they repent forgive them.

All you need to do is tell God about what happened, how it affect you, feelings etc and ask God to deal with them and your feelings etc.
We are told to pray for the good of those who hate us, so pray for them.

If someone offends you , CORRECT THEM , IF they repent forgive them .
Two things many in this generation of christendom overlook . cause most wont correct anything
and rather just gossip and accuse . Or they , as many just thinks its okay to overlook the error
and if even one repents not of said error , OH its okay . But actually that is not okay .
The one who did the wrong needs to be sorrowful , to repent and not simply continue in the error .
As far as not holding a grudge , YES , DO NOT Hold a grudge
and let all realize that they too have done evil . The focus needs to be on doing what is best
for said person and said church . Leaving one in error IS not what is best for them , OR the church itself .
Concerning this lady who wants to know if she should forgive them
Why not call them up and tell them i forgive you , desire only whats best for you , so allow me
to tell you of JESUS the CHRIST . remember its about the souls of the people . We dont desire their death
we desire LIFE for them . No matter how much evil one does to you , Never curse and always pray for them .
JUST never conform to their evil ways . And if one hears not the gospel , shake the dust off and move on .
IF one within the church receives not the correction , cast them out till repentance be made .

 

[Windmill Charge]

As far as not holding a grudge , YES , DO NOT Hold a grudge

It is part of handing an unresolved incident over to God.
One tells hi what happened, by whom, how it has affected one, commit the person (s) to God and ask him to deal with one's own feelings about the incident and it's perpetrators.

always pray for them

It is a command to pray for those who hate/perscute or just don't like,e us.
We are to pray constantly for their good, their health, wealth and salvation.
One cannot hate someone for whom one has put in so much effort in praying for their good.