I read an excellent book on forgiveness...Forgive and Love Again by John W. Nieder and Thomas M. Thompson
Small book speaking on forgiveness from a biblical perspective.
"Forgiveness is not to be limited by the offender's response, nor is it to be extended to certain violators. It doesn't matter how the offender responds after his trespass or how heinous his assault was. We are to forgive those who offend us-period" (61-62)
Dan57 said:
We are instructed to forgive others just as our Father has forgiven us. When we confess our sins to the Lord and repent of them, God forgives our transgressions. I believe that's the same basis on which God expects us to forgive those who have transgressed against us. In other words, if someone steals your lawnmower out of your garage and refuses to apologize (confess) and refuses to return it (repents), I don't think a Christian is obligated to forgive them. "If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him" (Luke 17:3).
Also, just because someone repents and you forgive them, it doesn't mean that they aren't liable or responsible for what they did. If someone wrecks your car, you can forgive them, but it doesn't mean they aren't responsible to reimburse you for the damages, that's what true repentance is. Its the same with a murderer, they can repent of the crime and be forgiven, but it doesn't absolve them from paying the penalty of the land. Spiritual forgiveness does not prevent us from reaping what we sow in the here and now. jmo
The book directly speaks to the Luke passage...
"In the context of the command our Lord is preparing us for the offenses that will inevitably come. He admonishes us to make positive, loving, forgiving responses to anyone who hurts us. He is making a general statement about forgiveness that should not press too far on the one word
repent.
Furthermore, in the Greek text the
if in the phrase
if he repents means
maybe he will, maybe he won't. The point of the verse is not the offender's repentance but our readiness to forgive, even if the offense is repeated an infinite number of times by the same person." (63-64)
Why should you forgive?
1. Forgiveness exercises God-pleasing faith.
2. Forgiveness is the honorable thing to do.
3. Forgive because God says so.
and in the negative...
1. Unforgiveness imprisons you in your past.
2. Unforgiveness breeds bitterness.
3. Unforgiveness gives Satan an open door.
4. Unforgiveness hinders your fellowship with God.
(45-54)
Forgiveness is the heartfelt decision to release the person who hurt you from the obligation incurred when you were mistreated.
The Bible gives 88 different word pictures of forgiveness...here are a few.
To forgive is to turn the key, open the cell door, and let the prisoner free.
To forgive is to write in large letters across a debt, "NOTHING OWED".
To forgive is to shoot an arrow so high and so far it can never be found.
(57-59)
"Release" is the best one-word definition for "forgiveness" in the Greek and Hebrew used in biblical times.
(197)
