Results 1 - 3 of 3
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | 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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2 | Can we not ask God to forgive another? | John | Aixen7z4 | 150963 | ||
When I sin against my brother or sister, I am at the same time sinning against God. Thus David, having done some considerable wickedness to Bathsheba and Uriah said, “Against you, you only, have I sinned (Psalm 51). And Jesus said to Saul, as he was persecuting the church, “Why are you persecuting me?” Saul asked, "Who are you?" The Lord replied, "I'm Jesus, the one you're persecuting. Think of that. When I think that someone has offended me, it is useful to think that they have actually offended God. God is the one who says, “Love one another” and when we break that rule, we are offending God. God sometimes says that I am the apple of his eye. Did you hear that? I am the apple of his eye. So when you stab me, you are poking God’s eye (Zechariah 2:8). God sometimes says, “Touch not my anointed, and do my prophets no harm“ Psalm 105). It sounds like a warning to me. And we have to cross God to get to our brother. All in all, then, I am not so sure the two things are entirely separate. In fact, it seems there only limited circumstances where we can sin against God without having harmed a person. A person can sin against his own body (1 Corinthians 6) and there are sins directly against God (It seems good not to mention them). But most sins involve harm to other people. When we hurt people, and especially our brethren, we are at the same time, and in the process, and in many ways, offending God. It seems to me that we are not able to forgive someone who has not repented. God also cannot forgive someone who has not repented. By definition, forgiveness implies repentance. But also, when we have forgiven someone, we must realize that, although they must seek it themselves, they also need forgiveness from God. |
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3 | Can we not ask God to forgive another? | John | Wild Olive Shoot | 150965 | ||
If you wrong me in some way, and you ask for my forgiveness and I don’t offer it, what effect does that have on you? What effect does that have on you if I do extend forgiveness? But, refuse the atoning power of the blood of Christ and do not seek God’s forgiveness and tell me what effect that would have on an individual. There seems to me to be a rather enormous difference. WOS |
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