Luke 6:37 ...Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned...

[dougishere]

I need sincere brotherly help with this. Only encouragers please.

Back in high school I played chess with a guy named Dale. Dale often blurted out the Lord's name in vain. I went to a strict church where the doctrine was not always right, now that I look back. The Sunday School teacher told us that saying the Lord's name in vain was blasphemy, and I thought he said of the Holy Spirit. I was frightened, and I promised myself never to say that, or else I would be facing an eternal sin.

Back to chess club. Dale was playing chess with us all, and he said it again, using the Lord's name in vain. I told him what I had learned from Sunday School, that what he did was an unforgiveable sin...this is what I see I did back then:

Luke 6:45
The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.

I chose to bring condemnation on him, so I fulfilled Luke 6:45. I was just in High School! But I did a very evil thing.

A few years later, Dale died of an anyerism in the brain. I never was able to tell him I was sorry.

Maybe he never listened to me. I hope so. But that doesn't matter. I condemned him, and so I was going to experience condemnation until this thing got reconciled. Through my mental illness, I experience torment. I'm trying to root out what is causing it all, and this is where I'm starting.

I've prayed to God to forgive me of such an evil act. I went to his family, and said I was sorry for what I did. I believe God has forgiven me eternally for what I said, but it still gnaws at me.


Please, listen to Luke 6:37

Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned.

These aren't just trite words. They really go into action if you do them.

 

[Lively Stone]

It is obvious that you have a sensitive spirit before the Lord. He has definitely forgiven you and you must believe that and not bring it up again before Him. God has promised you that He will never remind you of it, and He always keeps His promises. He is never taken aback by our sins because He has always known you would do it, just as He always knew your friend would do what he did. He also knew you would have remorse as you became aware and that you would choose the right path regarding your sin--repentance! In the same way, He had a plan for Dale. God has a wonderful way of turning what we mean for evil, committed in ignorance or immaturity, into something for His glory.

Please allow Him to take that immature act on your part and remove the sting from it. We all have said things in our spiritual youthfulness that have not hit the mark. Think of Peter and his exuberance and impulsiveness! The Lord can remove certain consequences of that, and because He has forgiven us, we are free of the pain of it. If we are reminded with guilt, we can be sure that it is not of the Lord, but it is the enemy reminding us of our past. Don't let the enemy have a foothold any longer. Tell him to hit the road, because you are a blood-bought child of Jesus Christ, and that God considers you righteous!

The devil will do anything to keep us distracted and immobile, spiritually. Don't let him do that to you. I posted this pic on my Facebook status today. It says so much about this whole thing. I offer it to you, today...look at the lion cowering. That is exactly what the enemy does when we take our rightful stand against him.

.

 

[justaname]

First of all neither one of you did a sin that was unforgivable. Again you did nothing unforgivable and neither did Dale.
You have remorse, and have gone much further than most would have, with reconciliation. I commend you for that.
Now I want you to listen to a verse
Luke 6:37


"Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned.
Apply this to yourself!!!
You asked God for forgiveness, that is all you have to do. You went to the family for forgiveness, that is going the extra mile. Now pardon yourself, do not condemn yourself, do not judge what you did but learn from it.
We all make mistakes, this is why we need a Savior. You were simply teaching what you were taught and believed to be true. Understand you were young, young in Christ also, and God knows that.

 

[aspen]

Doug - you already know from experience that part of mental illness is perseverating on painful or disturbing thoughts. As painful as it is to think back on that memory - it is your mental illness speaking, not the devil or God. I am sorry that you lost your friend before you could say goodbye and ask forgiveness, but I trust that God worked through you and your relationship with him. This can also be an important reminder to you to forgive everyone for all the wrongs they have done towards you. Give this anxiety over to God and be nice towards yourself.

Blessings