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NASB | Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Romans 5:8 But God clearly shows and proves His own love for us, by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. |
Bible Question:
I recently got into a discussion about the concept of forgiveness. This person believes you cannot truly forgive unless the person who wronged you asks for forgiveness. While I understand that and it is great if someone confesses they have wronged you but that is not necessarily always the case. I always believed that forgiveness is mainly a choice (whether the person has asked for forgiveness or not - Mark 11:25-26) and the main reason to choose to forgive is so that God can forgive us of our sins when we confess them. If we don't forgive he won't forgive us (Matt. 6:14-15). Am I right? |
Bible Answer: Forgiveness without repentance? 'Should I offer forgiveness without repentance? 'Unconditional forgiveness is canceling a debt to all those who intentionally offend us, whether or not they own up to what they have done. Offering forgiveness without repentance, however, does not follow the biblical model of forgiveness (Luke 17:3,4).' Luke 17:3-4 (ESV) "...If your brother sins, rebuke him, and IF HE REPENTS, forgive him, [4] and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, 'I repent,' you must forgive him." 'The Bible says that we are to forgive as God forgave us (Ephesians 4:32, Colossians 3:13). God forgives us when we repent (Mark 1:15, Luke 13:3,5, Acts 3:19). He does not grant forgiveness to those of us who are stiff-necked and refuse to repent. We must recognize our sin and repent to receive and enjoy God's merciful forgiveness. God requires repentance and so must we. 'Repentance is important because it's a person's only hope for real change (Matthew 18:3; Acts 26:20). If we don't admit our sin, it's impossible to be transformed. If we aren't keenly aware of the sinful direction our lives are going, we will not see a need to adjust the direction. Repentance demonstrates that we need God to help us change our thinking, attitudes, and behavior.' ____________________ To read more go to: www.gospelcom.net/rbc/questions/ |