Are Christians to forgive everyone or only those who repent?

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Waiting on him

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That's a little depressing...

Well then let's start from the begining: Do you believe that God forgives everyone of their sins and transgressions, or only those who ask Him to, and wish to reconcile themselves to Him?
Another good question would be is Gods love unconditional, or is it grounded in the effort of men?
 

stunnedbygrace

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I'm not sure I understand your statement. Rephrase it for me if you can.

I'm saying if I'm to forgive as Jesus forgives, even while someone is torturing me, I am to forgive them, they don't know what they are doing. But you say I am only obligated to forgive them if they ask me to. Once again though, I won't lie and say I am able to do that.
 

Waiting on him

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I'm saying if I'm to forgive as Jesus forgives, even while someone is torturing me, I am to forgive them, they don't know what they are doing. But you say I am only obligated to forgive them if they ask me to. Once again though, I won't lie and say I am able to do that.
With men this is impossible.
VIJ and I were just talking about this, only the Christ in you can perform it.
 

Jane_Doe22

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I'm saying if I'm to forgive as Jesus forgives, even while someone is torturing me, I am to forgive them, they don't know what they are doing. But you say I am only obligated to forgive them if they ask me to. Once again though, I won't lie and say I am able to do that.
Us forgiving a person is taking all of that anger/hatred/resentment, and handing it over to Christ. Letting Him be the one to exercise His judgement in the most righteous way (which is way better than what any of us can do). In the mean time, free of this burden of anger/hatred/resentment, we each are free and able to let His healing into our hearts.

Such handing over burdens is hard-- we want to be angry because we have been hurt. Frequently, I find such handing over isn't a once-and-done thing, but rather something that comes in stages.
 

Philip James

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Our Lord has forgiven us everything,
How then can we demand an accounting of others?

His master summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to.

Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?'


Peace!
 
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Hidden In Him

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I'm saying if I'm to forgive as Jesus forgives, even while someone is torturing me, I am to forgive them, they don't know what they are doing. But you say I am only obligated to forgive them if they ask me to. Once again though, I won't lie and say I am able to do that.

Ah... you are referencing Stephen's statement when he was being stoned. Yes, well the situation there was that Stephen was asking God to forgive them because they were committing a grave sin in killing a servant of God. But again, the question becomes, what is saying by the word "forgive." If you go back to the original verse that she posted in the OP, you have the Lord commanding that if your brother sins against you, rebuke (i.e correct, chastise) him. And if he repents, then forgive him. This is the same pattern repeated in other passages as well that we can get to in a minute. So when Stephen is praying to God to "forgive them," it is still contingent upon this pattern. They will have to ASK God to forgive them before He will.

In the Parable of the Unmerciful Debtor, we have this:

21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.[a]
23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.[c] He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’
30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.
32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

Now in v. 21 Peter starts off by simply asking how many times should he forgive, without any qualification about whether the person asks for it or not. But in v.26 you see the qualification our Lord puts upon it (if you believe the Parable is about God forgiving sins). You see it again implied as necessary in v.28 when the wicked debtor refuses forgiveness to someone who was specifically asking for forgiveness. Then the Lord simply references in v.33 that there are occasions when He will NOT forgive, and this includes the disciples if they do not obey Him, as v.35 states. He was talking to them directly, not theoretically, and they understood very well that He was talking to them directly.
 

stunnedbygrace

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Us forgiving a person is taking all of that anger/hatred/resentment, and handing it over to Christ. Letting Him be the one to exercise His judgement in the most righteous way (which is way better than what any of us can do). In the mean time, free of this burden of anger/hatred/resentment, we each are free and able to let His healing into our hearts.

Such handing over burdens is hard-- we want to be angry because we have been hurt. Frequently, I find such handing over isn't a once-and-done thing, but rather something that comes in stages.

And sometimes it has to be done 490 times.
 
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Hidden In Him

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At what point do we stop pretending that we can do what we are commanded to do? I can't do it. Its not in me. I'm sick of it.

Well in Christ you can? Scripture says that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us, and unlike some statements the people apply universally to everyone on the planet, that is one verse that most certainly should be coming out of the mouths of every Christian. You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. Why don't you believe that?

It sounds like you are under attack lately, SBG. You don't seem yourself. That happens to all of us, and it's nothing to be ashamed of. But fight against it. Don't let that spirit weigh on you like that. You are more than a conqueror through Christ who strengthens you : )
 
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Truth

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I am supposed to forgive people who actually HATE me and treat me awfully. Mind you, I don't say I can, I'm not going to lie. Its highly doubtful that person is going to ask me to forgive them.

Three was an offence against me several years ago, and it took me almost two years to forgive it, them. I was like the Baboon that reached into the mason jar to get a bit of food, and while holding on to the bit of food [offence] I could not get my hand out of the Jar. I had to let go of the offence [food] or never be free from the Jar!
Offence's will come, it is a promise, our Savior suffered through Many, yet He still laid down His Life for You/Us!
 
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Hidden In Him

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Actually, I was thinking of Jesus when He said it, But yes, Stephen too.

Ah yes. Both those passages bring to my remembrance Moses praying and interceding for the Israelites before God in the wilderness, but even though God spared them for Moses sake, there were still a BUNCH of them that ended up coming under His judgment and losing their lives. There was such a thing as God forgiving sins in the OT, or we wouldn't have the Psalms, LoL. But those who refused to repent and ask His forgiveness ended up being on the wrong side of God, and the wrong side of judgment.
 

Hidden In Him

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Exactly. With me and in me, all things are not possible. In HIM all things are possible. So I'm going to be honest even if it kills me.

It's good to be honest with ourselves. That's the first step. But now, I agree with Waiting's post. What's preventing you from taking the next step and seeking God to empower you to do so now?
 
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Hidden In Him

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I don't know!!!

I think you're under attack. Scripture says resist the devil and he will flee from you. In other words, we come under a spiritual attack, especially when it comes to bitterness of heart (which is kinda what James is about), and when that happens we have to spiritually resist it. It also says we are to humble ourselves, and in this context I mean in prayer. Spend some time in prayer. Pour your heart out and tell Him EXACTLY how you feel, about the situation, about the people who you are having trouble forgiving... all of it. Let it out.

I can promise you what will happen. He will speak to you, and turn things in a new and better direction. Trust me.