Forgiveness
How many times do you have to forgive?
As many times as they ask!
How many times do you have to ask for Forgiveness?
As many times as you have sinned!
It is easier to say you are forgiven, but it is hard to forget by human nature. So, is it okay to forgive and not forget? It is better than nothing! But is that how it is? There is no forgiveness if there is no sin committed. It is as simple as that but not as easy as it sounds. Jesus lost his life for the Forgiveness of sin. God’s graciousness to forgive our sins should be the pattern we should mirror towards forgiving one25 another as God in Christ forgave us (Ephesians 4:32).
God is good, and through that goodness comes Love, and Love brings mercy and grace. Imagine the world without Love is like living with a yoke on your neck, survival of the fittest, freedom to enjoy life will be curtailed, and without the presence of Love, it will be evil continually; it will be the norm of the day. It is scary to imagine having a world without compassion and only passion for surviving. How good it is to be loved by one true God. Love conquers all, and it brings Forgiveness to every walk of life.
Think about having no forgiveness and see how the world turns; it will be chaos! Little mistakes can lead to a disaster, one wrong choice of words can bring people into a fight, and one wrong decision can compromise world peace. However, if we will imitate God, whom we love describes as slow to anger, abounding in Love, and very forgiving. What would be wrong? Love of money is evil, but Love to forgive is divine. Love without mercy and grace cannot produce Forgiveness.
The Law of Forgiveness comprises passion for God and compassion for men. Forgiveness frees us from holding grudges or hatred, resentment, bitterness, and revenge against another person, despite anything they have done. Without Forgiveness, there will be no wiping out of sin, no reconciliation with the Father, and eventually, no gift of Salvation. Jesus said on the cross, “Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing” Jesus was uncompromising in his prayer to forgive.
We should be willing and ready at any given time to extend our Forgiveness to anyone who comes to us confessing his sin and repenting (Matthew 6:14–15; 18:23–35; Ephesians 4:31–32; Colossians 3:13).
Does someone deserve Forgiveness even without asking? Yes! It is healthier on your end. Forgiveness is a thousand cures when you think about it.
How hard can you carry such a load waiting for someone to ask for Forgiveness for something without certainty?
Is it worth the wait? It could hurt you physically and mentally. You do not even need to wait because it is not your business to care what he owes to himself. When he owes an apology to you and does not do it, it is his conscience that will testify against him.
When the offender sleeps in this sorry mood, what does he expect his Spirit to be when he wakes up? Still feeling sorry for what he has done? The best thing to do is to finish the business on the same day. After that, you can talk to God or the person you offended. Then, have a good night’s sleep.
How does Forgiveness play when the offender forgets or doesn’t even know he owes someone an apology? Is it the same as when you owe someone a loan? Isn’t it unforgettable? Every time you see him, it will remind you. Whoever has the burden should be the one to make a move.
If you are the offender, then make a move and ask for Forgiveness and if you are offended and it bothers you not to hear an apology, then say something. Then, like a loan officer, he will remind you if you forget your payment. Another way to play for this unforgiving saga is to consider your own sake; forget that someone owes you an apology. God knows who they are, and it is more pleasing to God if you submit to Him whatever grievances you have.
When we confess our sins, God is faithful and forgives our sins and purifies us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Likewise, when someone sins against you and asks for Forgiveness, you have to extend that Forgiveness too without boundaries (Luke 17:3–4).
Sometimes we have to analyze if the person knows that he offended someone. Maybe you are waiting for nothing because the person is unaware that their action causes pain, or you are too sensitive to many little things. If the offender feels that asking for Forgiveness will put him down, then the problem is with him, and more likely, the pride is holding him to act righteously. If asking for an apology is a way of asking for more severe Forgiveness, so be it! Grant it with an open heart!! An apology is an expression of regret. When someone asks for an apology, he acknowledges his failures or mistakes, e.q. An apology with a simple “Ooops, I’m sorry” will be pleasing for a lesser offense but still acceptable. It is more profound when asking for Forgiveness insincere manner.
God’s great Love and merciful nature made Forgiveness available to all, but to be fully forgiven, true repentance needs to be confessed, and with God’s sovereign grace, it will indeed be granted. (Ephesians 2:4). Forgiveness is not a description that we need to establish the incident before granting Forgiveness but a prescription that we must give without questions.
When Jesus was on the cross, he did not wait for the enemies that persecuted him to ask for Forgiveness but instead humbly asked the Father to forgive them, for they did not know what they were doing. Luke 6:35—says to love your enemy and do good deeds and not expect a return, and you will be rewarded for doing so. Peter also said that we do not repay evil for evil and reviling for reviling. What good is it if we fight back? Does it make us more excellent people? Mightier than thou!
As it is written, we shall also be forgiven if we forgive. There are many ways to forgive; one is the person may not come forward to ask for Forgiveness: 2nd, you could always forgive without waiting for the person to come. When you forgive and forget, you may have peace of mind, better sleep, and better days, and the one that causes it will have more burdens. When you treat them like your own brother that needs care, guidance, and discipline with goodness and humility, then we already did what a Christian should do in a time like this; and that is our strength; that is how we are called to minister to spiritual needs of many lost souls.
We need to exercise the power of confidence to draw people near God. Let them learn that Forgiveness comes from the Love of God and that we need to share the goodness of the Father in heaven with others with others with others with others with others with others. Repentance is always necessary to receive fully deserved Forgiveness. Repentance changes our attitude towards God and commits a complete turn to godly living as Jesus said, “Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God.” Luke 13:3.
Always remember that after you receive Forgiveness, the holy thing to do is to start the Spirit of unity among others. The righteous act will never come back void. Be an average God-fearing individual and believe that no one can be against you with God in you. So many are called, and few respond and are the ones that will carry the calling to the best of their capability without bending what was written. God will be with you on this journey.
“But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Highest because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.’ ‘Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”
“Do not judge, and you will not be judged? Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Luke 6:35-38(NIV)
Willfully, willingly, and sinning due to ignorance are sins that can be forgiven, but blasphemy to the Holy Spirit is unforgivable. Matthew 12:30-32: “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. And so I tell you, any sin and blasphemy can be forgiven. But blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.” Some extreme conservative groups consider blasphemy a crime against their religious order, and death comes as punishment.
After we receive the knowledge of the truth, there will be no more sacrificial agent from heaven that is coming for redemptive work but the thought of fear of judgment and the raging fire that will overwhelm the earth.—Hebrews 10:26. Willful sins help bring God’s judgment sooner and quicker with a blink of an eye. Sinning willingly has something to do with our free will, but it does not mean we are permitted to sin and charge it to our free will card. Free will, as it connotes, gives us freedom of choice but choose responsibly and wisely, not carelessly, as the Bible said to take “heed to yourself” advice to pay attention, and watch out for every action we do that may harm our relationship with the Father and the Son that may grieve the Holy Spirit. Watch earnestly and pray fervently that we may be declared worthy to be spared and skip the wrath that will come to pass and stand before the Son, the faithful witness, the firstborn to rise from the dead, and will rule the earth with his Saints, the King of kings and Lord of lords. All glory to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his blood for us—Revelation 1:5
So when the due time comes, our sinful debt, which was paid before by the Son, will take its toll one last time, and this time, we are on our own if we ignore all the warnings before us by the Holy Spirit and do not take it seriously, we commit an unforgivable blasphemy. On the other hand, if we use our free will wisely, we will let the Holy Spirit do it for us, and all we need to do is obey what He wants us to do. The Spirit grieves when we ignore Him when he wants to use us for His purpose.
God’s Love revealed His mercy and grace during ancient times. He directly involves Himself with humanity, and the earth, continuously enjoying sinful acts that He sent His Son to redeem the world until it ended up on the cross and victoriously accomplished his mission. The Son was seated at the right-hand side of the Father and requested the Father to send the Holy Spirit, and that is what we are now under the watchful Love and guardianship of the Holy Spirit. Many still don’t get it that the Holy Spirit, who is in charge now, day in and day out, is being ignored of His work in guiding and protecting the gift of Salvation given to us by the Father so that through Him we may achieve the glory of eternal life. Free Will will not be used against us as described in Genesis 11, but it is already a part of us. We have to use our gift of free will wisely.
Jesus, our 2nd and last Adam, our brother, clearly said during his ministerial days on earth. “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). He also said that “Everything and everyone that the Father has given me will come to me, and I won’t turn any of them away.” (John 6:37-CEV). Therefore, we should also consider “what Jesus means that no one comes to the Father except through him” and connects it to his word that he will not turn away everything that the Father sent him. This word of Jesus is not in conflict but needs more communication with the Holy Spirit through prayer so that more revelation will be handed to you.
If you ask the Father for Forgiveness and the Father says you are forgiven, then there is no usurpation of authority. It passes through the process that the Son is part of the process of Salvation. When he offered his life on the cross and in his last breath, he said it is finished, then it is finished mission accomplished.
John 14:6 is probably one of the most controversial truths. If not misunderstood, statements in the Bible interpreted by a self-made interpreter, self-thinkers claiming it is a revealed word to them, some mislead the people by missing the point.
When Jesus spoke the words, I am the way, the truth, and the life, Jesus did not claim to be God but maybe god “we are all gods, sons of the highest,” he said.
This word of Jesus most likely means; I am the way that brings the gift of Salvation to the world, delivered the truth of the word of Father, and I am the giver of new life – Jesus is the giver of renewed life. Bread of life (new creation-regeneration-born again). There is one writer I encounter in his article that is very close to my understanding of Jesus’ word by name of Jeff Lee-Truth Seeker, like me. His explanation goes like this—”My way is the Truth and the way to life; no one goes to Father except through the way I demonstrated.”
A fool takes no pleasure in understanding a godly, honest opinion by a learned individual anointed by God but only listens to his own opinion. Although Jesus is conscientious during his religious life, he does not want to jeopardize his mission to spread the word that the Father handed him. If he claims he is God, he will be charged with blasphemy and will end up with unfinished business.
When Paul said not to listen to other Jesus than the Jesus he preaches, it is not surprising that questions will come out all over the place and lead people to doubt what was said. How many Jesus in the Bible teach about the kingdom of God? Some anti-Paul said it is better that Paul was not born and the earth will be peaceful. Thomas Jefferson added that Paul was the first corrupter of the doctrine of Jesus Christ. This comment raised eyebrows for many believers who believe that the Bible is free from errors.
In 2 Corinthians 11:3-5 (NIV), Paul said, “But I am afraid that just as the serpent’s cunning deceived Eve, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough. So, I do not think I am inferior to those “super-apostles.”
It seems during the early century of Christianity, there were struggles about doctrinal views, the teaching by the Apostles of Jesus Christ, who saw Jesus, worked with Jesus, and followed the instructions of Jesus, and the teachings of Paul, who claimed that he ministered the gospel with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. But if these things become a burden and in your way to your spiritual growth, ask the Holy Spirit for guidance and revelation of the truth, and you will have it. Let us forgive those who wrongfully accused Paul; likewise, we also have to ask for Forgiveness if we are the ones that made it wrong.
John gives us clarity on the matter of Forgiveness: “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8-9).
Those who reject Jesus and His teachings due to ignorance and lack of knowledge must confess and accept Him in repentance and receive Forgiveness. Even though Jesus made this abundantly clear in Matthew 15:24; Matthew 10:6, It is all about the lost sheep of Israel— It doesn’t matter whether someone misses the way because of missing links which due to deliberate omission of parts of the Bible by some people who want their way to control the spiritual state of mind of their followers during the earlier year in biblical history. Many versions of the Bible have been produced, churches of different denominations made their own, and some don’t even acknowledge some of the written words. Perversion of the Bible becomes the way to have an edge in entering a crowded market.
People are not as ignorant as before regarding their spiritual well-being, however. The people can turn the world upside down, and still, they will utter and believe God, and there is no excuse not to acknowledge His existence and no excuse to live in disobedience. The apostle Paul said, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. What can be known about God is plain because God has shown it to them. His invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been perceived ever since the world’s creation in the things made. So they are without excuse” (Romans 1:18-20).
We can always be assured of God’s Forgiveness. God can do great things; He can make impossible things possible. God has no weakness but to forgive those who submit to Him. Confession and repentance are on our end; it is all up to us if we want to be ignored. “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8-9).
Our Forgiveness of others is to be patterned to God’s Forgiveness of us (Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13 Forgiveness has its strength, and no matter how one tries to disconnect it from the psychological well-being of a person, it cannot be denied its interconnection to spiritual well being which is intact. The mind is the arena of our spiritual battle, and sin is one of those battles that we can easily win if we know how to fight a good fight of faith. We must wear God’s armor to be thoroughly equipped for a winning battle. We need 1) faith to strengthen our position or wall of defense, and 2) we should free ourselves from unrighteousness— sinners against sinners have nothing to gain but sin.3) If we partake in God’s divine nature and eternal power, no one can even get close to defeating us. 4) When we apply the word of God, they will flee faster than a flying arrow. 5) Our relationship with God through the Son will make us whole. You will not feel alone. The LORD himself will fight for you. Just stay calm and do not be afraid of them. See how good it is to be loved by Him.
Psychological freedom can only be achieved when our mind is free from distraction, deception and temptation, lies, greed, and desires of luxurious living. With all these things cleared up, there will be no more confusion about forgiving. We can perceive, hear, feel, and smell the aroma of sweet victory. Our senses help build our faith in seeking God’s provision for Forgiveness through the Son Jesus. God freely offers us Forgiveness because He wants us not to perish. Likewise, He wants us to extend Forgiveness to anyone confessing and repenting. We should be delighted that we pleased God using the pattern of Forgiveness he initiated.
When you confess and repent of your sin, you can claim forgiveness. Even if your sin over and over again, you are already forgiven, and you do not need to confess and repent. Forgiveness of sin through faith in Jesus Christ includes past, present, and future sins. Jesus died to pay the penalty for all our sins, which are perpetual when they are forgiven. How true is that? It seems like the notion that once you are saved, you are protected and never lose it! God is Holy, and we cannot see Him face to face for not being holy.
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9)., Do we still need to confess our sins since we are already forgiven the first time we sinned? Do we need to confess every time we sin? Can we confess before we sin? When we confess our sins to God, we acknowledge to Him that we fall short of His standard of holiness—When we vow not to sin again, we must do it or not make any promise at all.
“Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.”— Proverbs 28:13. We are bound to confess once we sin to keep our relationship with him who redeemed us and our position as a justified and sanctified believer of Christ remains active.
We must remember to work out for our Salvation with fear and trembling. This means that the gift of Salvation is freely given inside us. More simply or technically, it is free, and you do not need to work hard to get it. Faith that works alone can justify us. So working out what is on the inside of us happens by faith. All we need is faith to make it more rewarding, faith in Jesus Christ, as John 3:16 made clear.
Without the sacrificial work of Jesus, believing is not bound to exist. The Love of Jesus that produces Forgiveness is our rest. That is why we confess our sins to God, as many as we need, and receive Forgiveness as many times as we ask—not to maintain our Salvation, but to bring ourselves back into close fellowship with the God who loves us and has already forgiven us even before we ask.