What Does It Mean To Forgive Others As You've Been Forgiven?

Jesus said; If you forgive others their trespasses, your Father in heaven will forgive your trespasses.
But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father in heaven forgive you.

Paul went as far as to say, Just as God in Christ forgave you, so you must also forgive.

What does this mean to you?
 
To me it means to forget about it. As our sins are blotted out and there is no longer a record of it, so should we actively seek to acquire that same principle. Remembering only leads to bitterness, contempt, vengeful thoughts, hostility, etc. In a literal sense, I think it means to forget and remember no more. Hebrews 8:12. But as Jesus died for us, so our sins would be remembered no more. It means looking at that person and not thinking immediately of how they wronged you. It takes prayer, but practice as well. I'm learning in my walk that we need to be actively engaged and work for some of the things we and God wants from us.
 
I want to ask a simple question and please forgive my ignorance as I struggle with unforgiveness. Christ forgives, but isn't it only the repentent that He forgives?
If this is so. Are we to do more than what Christ Himself does?
Are we commanded to forgive those who ACTIVELY continue to plot our demise?
Are we called to forgive the unrepentent?
Why?
 
i'm glad you asked that question dan.
Was there any reason for Jesus to consider Himself, i.e. the plank in His eye?
Was there any reason for Him to be grateful for the forgiveness of His sins?
Obviously not.
The thing is dan, that unlike Jesus, we have the opportunity to either see ourselves as the woman who washed Jesus' feet with her tears (she loved much) or we can compare ourselves to others (the pharisee who thanked God he wasn't like the publican).

The "woman" realized that she'd been forgiven much!

personally i think it is more difficult for some that by society standards have never really done anything "that bad", as it causes a sense of superiority that bleeds even into a person's
DOING "christianity"
We aren't supposed to be DOING anything really.
We are to LET the Holy Spirit do what He wills.

Jesus said; Bless those who curse you and pray for those who spitefully use you.
If your ENEMY is hungry feed him.
Why?

Because He is the only one without sin and all sin separates from God.
What do you have that you have not received?
Faith? Comes from God and belongs to Christ, as there is only 1 Lord, 1 faith and 1 baptism and the life i now live in the flesh, i live by the faith OF THE SON OF GOD.

Salvation? Belongs to the LORD and is of the LORD.

Good works? The only works that count are the ones done by the Spirit of God and not through good intentions.


No dan, we forgive simply because we've been given the power to forgive by His Spirit and honestly, forgiveness is
inevitable in the true believer, as Christ longs to forgive and the whole reason He came was to RECONCILE the world to Himself.
The works of the flesh are evident and these are spoken of by Paul to timothy as well. In the last days, (perilous times) men will be IRRECONCILABLE, this is the actual word used for unforgiveness, used in some translations, and all of this is rooted in the first sign Paul says (men will be lovers of themselves), that is the flesh.
That is why the antichrist agenda is rooted in self-esteem.
All about what YOU "deserve", yet the bible makes clear that we ALL deserve hell fire.

We can either trust God as we say and DO what He says we're to do, very explicitly in His Word, or
we can trust what man says God meant.
The bible is so simple a child can understand it and the only reason man consistently complicates it is to avoid teaching something he refuses to do himself.

There is a lot more to say on the subject and ALL with scriptural confirmation, but i will wait
until asked.

Blessings,

His servant

PS On a personal note, i have been the victim of some absolutely horrendous sins, including but not limited to betrayal, adultery, and severe emotional, physical and sexual abuse as a child.
 
2 Timothy 3

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

“Difficult Times Will Come”

3 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful,unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, [a]haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,5 holding to a form of [b]godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. 6 For among them are those who [c]enter into households and captivate [d]weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, 7 always learning and never able to come to the [e]knowledge of the truth. 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith.9 But they will not make further progress; for their folly will be obvious to all, just as[f]Jannes’s and Jambres’s folly was also.
10 Now you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, [g]perseverance,11 persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium and atLystra; what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord rescued me! 12 Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 13 But evil men and impostorswill proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learnedthem, 15 and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is [h]inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for [i]training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
 
Thanks Servant,
My mind wished you'd said something else to release me from this burden of trying to forgive these people. I have prayed for them, but as I try to pray, the memories of what they did, the anger of what they're doing, the fear of what they'll do next and how to counter it floods my mind and back into unforgiveness(extreme anger) I find myself once again.
I have found that some other people I used to be in unforgiveness about, I seemed to have found easier to forgive and I asked myself "why? Why is it easier to forgive them but not these others? I feel it is because the ones I found easier to forgive are either dead or are not in my life in a way that can cause me harm.
The ones that I have the hardest time forgiving are those who at this moment cause me, my wife and my son harm with absolutely no intention of stopping.
Here is one of my dilemas. My mother caused me great harm as a child and as an adult and continues this to this day. She is elderly and her days are short. I know when she does finally die ....it will not be so much a day of mourning for me as it will be a day of release. I do not wish to hurry her death as I feel I must find a way to forgive her BEFORE she dies. It will be much easier to forgive her after she dies because she can harm me(us) no more. For some reason I feel a great burden to forgive her now while she is alive.
I find it so much easier to forgive those dead or gone. Is this forgiveness? Am I lying to myself? Is forgiving only those who no longer harm me even forgiveness?
 
Dan, either we're going to fight our battles or we're going to obey God's Word and let Him fight our battles.

According to the bible, the very best thing we can do is serve those who persecute us, as it is what Jesus did.

1 Pet 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed [himself] to him that judgeth righteously:

Notice how often we're reminded that Jesus never had need of repentance or forgiveness?
Yet He without sin gave us an example to follow as those who do sin.
So, shouldn't we who do sin be willing to forgive others who also sin, when He who knew NO SIN forgave us ALL sin, so that He could live His life of forgiveness through us, as He did in the person of Jesus of Nazareth as the bible says?


It is only pride that keeps one from forgiving as they've been so richly forgiven.
Pride comes before destruction and this word for "destruction" is the Hebrew shever and equates to being broken or shattered and a haughty spirit before stumbling.
Now this word "stumbling" is very important, because unlike a fall it is a hindered walk by its very definition.
So, when we read in 1 Joh 2:10 the one who agapes (allows God to love through them) has no cause for "stumbling".
We also see this in 2 Pet 1 4 [f]For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. 5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral [g]excellence, and in your moral excellence,knowledge, 6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, 7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about Hiscalling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble;11 for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.

Dan, there's really no nice way of saying you must forgive as it is evidence of receiving God's forgiveness and by that the Holy Spirit.

i'm more than happy to share with you all the scriptural evidence to support this truth and it is so freeing to desire to be reconciled with the ones who hurt you most of all.
After all, that's what Jesus did and continues to do.
It is the ministry of reconciliation and unfortunately as we read in 2 Tim many are irreconcilable.

Blessings,

His servant
 
Forgiving doesn't mean approving of what they did, or even coming to feel good about your experiences with them, it simply releases them from the impossible burden of somehow making it up to you. your mother, even if she could have a time of perfect clarity and repentance, could never undo all the things she did or make them all up to you. Only Jesus can do that work of atonement, redemption, and healing in your heart. And, in releasing them from the burden, it also releases you from the burden of carrying their debt on your books.
 
When u truly receive God's forgiveness, it's like someone tipped over a barrel of honey in ur heart.
-anonymous

In other words, when you truly receive God's forgiveness, you can't help but forgive others in like manner.
 
Thanks Servant,
My mind wished you'd said something else to release me from this burden of trying to forgive these people. I have prayed for them, but as I try to pray, the memories of what they did, the anger of what they're doing, the fear of what they'll do next and how to counter it floods my mind and back into unforgiveness(extreme anger) I find myself once again.
I have found that some other people I used to be in unforgiveness about, I seemed to have found easier to forgive and I asked myself "why? Why is it easier to forgive them but not these others? I feel it is because the ones I found easier to forgive are either dead or are not in my life in a way that can cause me harm.
The ones that I have the hardest time forgiving are those who at this moment cause me, my wife and my son harm with absolutely no intention of stopping.
Here is one of my dilemas. My mother caused me great harm as a child and as an adult and continues this to this day. She is elderly and her days are short. I know when she does finally die ....it will not be so much a day of mourning for me as it will be a day of release. I do not wish to hurry her death as I feel I must find a way to forgive her BEFORE she dies. It will be much easier to forgive her after she dies because she can harm me(us) no more. For some reason I feel a great burden to forgive her now while she is alive.
I find it so much easier to forgive those dead or gone. Is this forgiveness? Am I lying to myself? Is forgiving only those who no longer harm me even forgiveness?

You dan.......more of us are like you than are willing to admitt it!

We read the Scriptures, we grasp what they say and even understand them BUT when it comes to practical application, there is where we have a problem. I know I do.

All I can say is something I learned a long time ago. FORGIVENESS IS RELATIONAL.
Our relationship with Christ is the totality of the reason behind God forgiveness of our sins. He allowed His Son to pay the price for our sin. Hw has already removed the greatest debt we could ever owe. But even with that, we still have the consequences of sin, WHY???

Because CONSEQUENCES ARE CIRCUMSTANTIAL Not relational. The man who smokes all of his life and gets lung cancer knows it is the result of his smoking. He is living the negitive effect.

It is never easy to face the negitive consequences of our life when we struggle to live as God wants us to do. But.......
nothing is so bad that we can not rejoice in the grace of God and the forgivness that is our eternal assurance.

What the point?? We all wear the scars of life!!! I believe God does that so as to give us a reminder of sin and a tribute to God's mercy and grace. If we do that we can grow in grace and hopefully stay away from bitterness.

Anyway..........I hope that helps you!
 
Here is one of my dilemas. My mother caused me great harm as a child and as an adult and continues this to this day. She is elderly and her days are short. I know when she does finally die ....it will not be so much a day of mourning for me as it will be a day of release. I do not wish to hurry her death as I feel I must find a way to forgive her BEFORE she dies. It will be much easier to forgive her after she dies because she can harm me(us) no more. For some reason I feel a great burden to forgive her now while she is alive.
I find it so much easier to forgive those dead or gone. Is this forgiveness? Am I lying to myself? Is forgiving only those who no longer harm me even forgiveness?

Forgiving is really not negotiable for a Christian who should clearly understand grace. The issue is more needing to discern when we are casting pearl before swine and trying to 'in as much as depends on us', remaining at peace with all (Romans 12:18).

Unconditional forgiveness is imho the strongest force to cause a change in her life!
 
Forgiving is really not negotiable for a Christian who should clearly understand grace. The issue is more needing to discern when we are casting pearl before swine and trying to 'in as much as depends on us', remaining at peace with all (Romans 12:18).

Unconditional forgiveness is imho the strongest force to cause a change in her life!

Exactly KingJ!
You hit the nail squarely on the head.
Understanding grace means one gives freely as they've been given!
And what we've been given is forgiveness as the means to be RECONCILED!

Blessings,

His servant
 
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