Results 1 - 12 of 12
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | How do forgive my dad for his wrong? | John | jen2000 | 150882 | ||
How do I forgive my dad for the wrong he has done to me, because I gave my life to GOD? And I am happy, but I have this void inside me even though I have asked GOD to forgive me? | ||||||
2 | How do forgive my dad for his wrong? | John | Jesusfreak345 | 150883 | ||
I don't necessarily know what your dad has done to you, whether it be mentally or physically, but I can share my story with you and it may shine some light on your situation. Here goes: My mother left me when I was seven years of age, which, in turn, resulted in devistating affects. I can still remember being dropped off at my fathers house and her telling me not to cry about her leaving and to be strong. Remembering the moment when she drove off in her car and rounded the corner was the worst moment in my life. I ended up sitting at that window asking why she went away. Why she seemingly didn't love me. If it was me. I sat there until bed time for I believe three days unitl realized what had happened. I got extremely depressed. She came back. Only when I was nine. She did the same thing again, ended up leaving while I was attached to her, but this time I did cry. I cried in fear, hatred, anguish and pain. My heart felt like it was going to stop it hurt so much (The reason I am being so dramatic is because it has to do with what happened next). I came to know who Satan was...and I loved him. I became a Satanist and, in my personal opinion and I believe my step-mothers' as well, I was possessed. But then there's the good part. I went to church a little more than 3 years later, which led me to a conference called Dare2Share, which has led Satan to hate God and me even more. I became a Christian in 2003 and am now 16, however, becoming a Christian didn't solve all of my problems, it only gave me a link to God through Jesus Christ. My father(physical) taught me many valuable lessons, but I like this one the best. That a life is meant to live. But that life that you yourself are living now is a life that is going to get harder. People will ridicule you for your faith. People that are "of the world," as Jesus said in John 8:37-47, are "of Satan." Jesus' life in general shows us that those who do not know that He is God will resist what is righteous. That's why it gets so much harder fro Christians but yet, at the same time, it's so much easier. We as Christians know a God who will take care of us and will give us peace and strength. That's where it becomes easier at the same time. God takes away our burdens if we ask Him to. Now, back to my experience. Since I grew up having the train of thought that I was the reason my mother left, Satan had me convinced that God had to forgive "me." This was true but Satan is the chief of all liars and he perverted the truth. He didn't give me the whole truth. God did have to forgive me in order for me to be in the presence of Jesus Christ, but there was another reason He had to forgive me. He had to forgive me in order for Him to listen to me because God wont participate in sin. Only recently did I really start forgiving. I still had a burden on my heart. I was still convinced that it was my fault my mother left. But it wasn't. I asked God to forgive her for what she had done to "me" and to help me forget that it happened (When I say "forget" I mean being able to move on). I may not ever literally forget what happened but I'll tell you this much. I felt more free than anyone on earth at that moment because that burden was no longer being carried. That's what you have to do. You have to ask God to forgive your father, no matter what he did to you. Then ask Him to help you "forget." Then, after all that, "allow" God to take you from there and move you in right direction because I can tell you right now that every testamony of yours has a purpose, whatever it may be. Allow God to come to where you are now. Allow Him to meet you where "you" are. Not where everyone else wants you to be. |
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3 | How do forgive my dad for his wrong? | John | Hank | 150889 | ||
Jesusfreak345: The counsel that you gave to jen2000 -- "You have to ask God to forgive your father" -- is unscriptural. ...... Jesus prayed on the cross, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34). Jesus was God Incarnate on earth. God the Son prayed to God the Father, "Father, forgive them." He clearly had this authority. We do not. ...... Jesus' pattern prayer, the so-called Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13), that He taught His disciples says (vs. 12), "Forgive us OUR debts as also WE have forgiven our debtors." This verse teaches us two things: that we are to pray for the forgiveness of our own debts [same as 'sins' in Luke 11:4], and that we are to forgive our debtors, i.e., "others for their transgressions" as Jesus points out in Matthew 6:14. But it says nothing about asking God to forgive someone else. ...... 1 John 1:9 says, "If WE confess OUR sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." ...... --Hank | ||||||
4 | How do forgive my dad for his wrong? | John | Jesusfreak345 | 150934 | ||
I apologize if I have given the immpression of "any" misconception. I will specify what I meant by this. 12And forgive us our debts, "as we forgive our debtors." -Matthew 6:12(KJV). When I said that we should ask God to forgive them, I wasn't necessarily thinking and a I apologize, because I got into the subject a little to much and ended up spitting out something I didn't mean to say. When you say, "I forgive you," it's not the same as saying, "you are forgiven." That's what I was trying to say. That without God, WE could never really forgive someone for what they did to us. I would like to apologize to jen2000 for making a false statement. I sincerely did not mean to confuse you and I apologize if I have but it still happened and I learned something from this mistake. I am still young in my faith and sometimes get prideful. I will not make that mistake again. | ||||||
5 | How do forgive my dad for his wrong? | John | Hank | 150935 | ||
Jesusfreak345: Thanks so much for responding. The spirit in which you accepted correction on this point deserves and certainly gets my highest commendation. I appreciate the fact that you are young in the faith still. But we all of us, baby Christians or otherwise, make mistakes all our lives. The wise learn from theirs. Fools never do. Young Christian, your response indicates to this old Christian that you indeed already exhibit the marks of wisdom. May God bless you richly in your walk with Him. --Hank | ||||||
6 | Can we not ask God to forgive another? | John | Aixen7z4 | 150946 | ||
We do have clear instruction from the Lord to pray for those who hurt us (Matthew 5:44). Please say what you think we should pray for in such cases. I must say I am surprised to hear that we are not authorized to pray that God would forgive them. It is true that we do not have the position of our Lord Jesus Christ; he is God. But was Jesus not acting in his humanity when he made his petition? After all, he did not grant the forgiveness in this situation, but asked the Father to do it. Did not Stephen do the same thing (Acts 7:60) when he prayed, “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge”? And wasn’t Paul expressing the same desire, (in 2 Timothy 4:16) that God would forgive those who would not stand with him during his trial? It seems quite admirable that this person wants to encourage a resolution of the matter at hand, and since the original questioner is having difficulty, it seems appropriate that they be encouraged to pray. But again, what should they pray for? They could have prayed for vengeance. That is preferable to taking it themselves (Romans 12:19) since God has said that is his job (Deuteronomy 32, etc.). Paul prayed for a just recompense for Alexander (2 Timothy 4) and certainly there is a lot in the Psalms of asking God to punish the enemies. It seems the more humane and loving thing to do, to pray that the person would find forgiveness. We are asked to forgive those who trespass against us (Matthew 6) but there is also the requirement that the person repent and ask for that forgiveness (Luke 17). One may say, then, that there is no such thing as forgiveness in the absence of repentance. And who can grant repentance. It is only God, as far as I know (Acts 11:18). I would assume that the one who asks God to forgive someone else is implying a request that God grant that person repentance, without which not even God can forgive that person (Luke 13). It may be said that it in some sense it is not our forgiveness that a person needs, but God’s. A person may trespass against us, and we should forgive them if they repent, but all sin is really against God (Psalm 51) and it is God’s forgiveness that the person really needs. If we really care about the person, and I assume that this person cares about their father, they would desire that God find a way to forgive him of his sins. We do not know what the offense is in this case, but the questioner is having difficulty to forgive the offender. Is it because he has not repented? Is it because the person feels they have been hurt too deeply? Is it because they fear it might happen again? It seems impossible to even suggest a solution when there is such a dearth of information. But it does seem appropriate to ask the person to pray. Not only Jesus, but also Stephen and Paul prayed that God would forgive another, and I am inclined to believe that we can as well. |
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7 | Can we not ask God to forgive another? | John | Mommapbs | 150948 | ||
Greetings Nobel! The forgiveness of God in Christ is an accomplished fact - it is finished - the penalty for sin was paid. Could we ever forgive another apart from the forgiveness of God in the first place? Eph 4:32 God has already forgiven - if we pray for God to forgive another person, what does that have to say about our belief in what He has already done? Jesus tells us how to handle offenses in Mt 18. We are to SHOW the offense to the offender - didn't God do the same for us? God makes us aware of our sin and when we are conscious of our sin a response is necessary. No response is a response too. Perhaps we are to pray the the offender recognizes his offense and chooses to respond with repentance? Our enemy is hungry and thirsty, in need of the "bread of Life" and "living water" . . .perhaps this is the what we should pray that he finds in his relationship with us; perhaps this is the cup of water (unconditional forgiveness?) we are to offer. (Romans 12:20) Blessings, mommapbs |
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8 | Can we not ask God to forgive another? | John | Aixen7z4 | 150950 | ||
Hi: I agree that forgiveness is an accomplished fact (Colossians 2:13, etc.). Yet, strangely, God speaks of forgiveness as something he will do, or not do, depending on whether we meet certain conditions (Matthew 6:15; 1 John 1:9, etc.). It seems there is some appropriation to be done, somehow. All sin has been forgiven, and yet forgiveness is a part of salvation. And we do not believe in universal salvation, do we? It may be a matter of sanctification as well. We have been forgiven for all our sins, but we need forgiveness for our daily sins. We have been bathed, but we need our feet washed (John 13). I agree too, that we are to pray the offender recognizes his offense and chooses to respond with repentance. I suppose that is what we are really praying for when we ask God to forgive them. We tell him the results we would like, but that is his way of bringing it about. I agree as well, that it is good and necessary that the offender be confronted with his offence. But overall, there is too little information, too few facts about this case. We do not know what either person has done. Nor do we know what the capability of each one is. That is why I suppose we would want to put this in God’s hand. It does seem that these people may need professional counseling, but even if they do, the wise counselor will know the need to put it, and them, in God’s hand. |
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9 | Can we not ask God to forgive another? | John | Mommapbs | 150951 | ||
I am not propsoing universal salvation but I do believe in the universal atonement of the cross. Salvation is called a gift for good reason. First of all it is freely given and secondly, it must be received. Forgiveness is a completed act of God, but the result is not effected until it is appropriated by the recipient. We appropriate the blessing of forgiveness when we repent. Can one enjoy God's forgiveness while continuing in sin? It's like a pig in mud. He can't be clean unless he gets out of the mud for a bath. (First he has to recognize that he's dirty though!)The pig must choose to leave the mud puddle. Some pigs prefer to wallow a while, I think. Perhaps this is where the prayers of the saints come in - to pray for other pigs to see their dirt and leave the mud hole. We have a role to play in this, but I suspect that many in the herd expend too much effort upon "mud spot inspection" - which I believe is ultimately the responsibility of the Shepherd. mommapbs |
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10 | Can we not ask God to forgive another? | John | Wild Olive Shoot | 150953 | ||
If I may be so bold as to interject, I think the discussion may be an amalgamation of two very distinct topics: 1. Our forgiveness of our fellow man; 2. God’s forgiveness of man. The first is mentioned in Matthew 6:14,15 / Matthew 18:21,22 / Matthew 18:34,35 / Mark 11:24-26 / Luke 17:3,4 / Colossians 3:13, and I’m sure other places as well. The latter is mentioned in Matthew 26:27,28 / Mark 2:9-11 / Acts 2:38 / Acts 13:38 / Ephesians 1:7 / Colossians 1:14 / Hebrews 8:12, and again, other places as well. We can forgive others for their trespasses against us, but only God can forgive trespasses against God. I think they are to very different applications of forgiveness one, from us to others, and the other, from God to us. We should continue to forgive those who wrong us so long as they repent. God on the other hand has granted us forgiveness of sins eternally through the blood of Jesus, should we confess and repent 1 John 1:9. I don’t know if I presented my thoughts eloquently enough to properly convey them. Maybe another who can more easily convey this thought can help or correct my understanding of the two? WOS |
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11 | Can we not ask God to forgive another? | John | Mommapbs | 150956 | ||
WOS - I'm not equating man's forgiveness of others with God's. You wrote: "We should continue to forgive those who wrong us so long as they repent." My question: When one "trespasses" against another, who is actually being "tresspassed?" We can not forgive others for their trespass against God, but we can forgive them for their tresspass against us. We can even choose to forgive them unconditionally, meaning, they don't have to come and say "I'm sorry" before we choose to forgive them in our heart. When offended, most folks would rather repay "in kind" than forgive. What does Jesus tell us to do in Mt 5:39? (I've been told that we only have one cheek to turn though . . . is this what He would do?) We also also are admonished not to be conformed to the pattern of the world, but to be transformed - (Romans 12:1-2) so, what SHOULD our response to offense be? Might we strive to adopt and attitude of humility and compassion toward the offender, being mindful of our own sinfulness and God's forgivenss of us? Most of the time I suspect that when offended we are more concerned with our "rights" than our responsibilities toward God. Since this post was to be a source of encouragement to one who was offended, I would prefer to look to God for a response that will glorify Him. In doing so perhaps this will also be a source of encouragement to the offender to come to repentance toward God as well. imo, the strongest prison bars are made of unforgiveness and they are self built. Didn't Jesus came to free us from these bonds? We can forgive be cause we are forgiven. mommapbs |
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12 | Can we not ask God to forgive another? | John | Wild Olive Shoot | 150964 | ||
mommapbs, It wasn’t my intent to insinuate that you were equating God’s forgiveness with man’s nor was I being accusatory. As I read through the posts that originated from jen2000, I read were she was informed that she should “ask God to forgive” the person who trespassed against her. A follow up post stated, that remark was unscriptural and pointed out that Jesus had the authority as God the Son to request God the Father’s forgiveness we however, do not. It further pointed out that, referencing The Lord’s Prayer, “This verse teaches us two things: that we are to pray for the forgiveness of our own debts [same as 'sins' in Luke 11:4], and that we are to forgive our debtors, i.e., "others for their transgressions" as Jesus points out in Matthew 6:14. But it says nothing about asking God to forgive someone else. “ After that point, it seemed to me anyhow, that the discussion started, not necessarily comparing God’s forgiveness of man and our forgiveness of man, but intertwined the two. My point is that, and I agree with you concerning. “Since this post was to be a source of encouragement to one who was offended, I would prefer to look to God for a response that will glorify Him”, while encouraging another, there as well runs the risk of further confusing that person. All I wanted to do is point out that there is a difference between the two. Whether or not we forgive another has only an effect on our own relationship with God, not necessarily the offender’s. However, God’s forgiveness has an eternal effect. With God’s forgiveness, we must first have faith, then confess and repent. Through the blood of Christ we have atonement. But just as you stated, we can forgive another without them even asking and probably should. I know many that would never “stoop” to apologizing and asking for forgiveness when they harm another, intentionally or not. But when Paul wrote to the Church in Corinth about forgiving the sinner, it is never mentioned that the sinner repented yet they were still instructed to forgive and comfort. (2 Corinthians 2:7) I think it is important to distinguish between the two for the sake of the person who initiated the question. WOS |
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