Forgiveness is a powerful, central concept in the theology and life of Jesus. He calls us to forgive, and He expects us to do so.
But how do we be sure that we are actually forgiven? Are we really forgiven if we don’t ask for it?
The answer is yes—and no! – There are two parts to the forgiveness story: (1) The first part is that we are forgiven by God; (2) the second part is that we can actually choose to be sorry and ask for forgiveness ourselves.
The first part of the forgiveness storyis that God forgives us. But how do we know whether or not we have been forgiven? Is being sure that you have been forgiven enough? Or does being more fully repenting and asking for forgiveness require a different kind of recognition from God?
In this article, we will discuss some basic concepts about the second part of the forgiveness story: how to choose to be sorry and what choice means.
Contents:
Who can forgive?
A person can forgive if she understands what it means to be forgiven. The word forgiveness comes from the Latin word for “to give up to,” which is the way we ask for it—we forgive someone for something they did to us.
We can’t decide whether or not we will be able to forgive people, but we can understand what it means to be forgiven.
The Bible teaches that we all make mistakes and that forgiving someone is a good thing to do. It also tells us that there are specific reasons why someone shouldn’t be able to (1) forget their mistake, (2) have complete confidence in their ability to forgive, and (3) trust that God will take care of them if they do forgiveness.
Who Can Forgive? The Bible Says No One Is Innocent Of Any Action That Offends Them.
Who can be forgiven?
The short answer is, everyone can if they ask for it. The longer answer includes discussing who can and cannot be forgiven based on what the Bible does and does not say.
The main distinction between those who can be forgiven and those who cannot is that those who can be forgiven are higher up the ladder of faithfulness. They have been given the opportunity to seek forgiveness and restoration, which is very special.
The key difference is that those who can be forgiven are more likely to receive it than those who cannot. The level of certainty someone has about their forgiveness will depend on their own faith, how often they have received God’s forgiveness in previous lives and how they responded to it in this one, including whether they were higher up the ladder of faithfulness or not.
It also depends on where someone finds forgiveness.
Examples of forgiveness in the Bible
While most people associate the word forgiveness with positive things like receiving money back or being allowed to leave something clean and untouched, the concept of forgiveness is very important.
The concept of forgiveness can be difficult to apply in our everyday lives, which is one of the reasons it’s such a valuable concept.
It’s crucial that we understand and apply the proper types of forgiveness in our lives, especially when things do not go our way. When we understand what God is asking of us when he asks for our forgiveness, it helps make everything feel more justified and worth it.
Here are some examples of what the Bible says about forgiving someone else: how to do it right; how to do it wrong; why it’s so important; and tips to help you get started.
What is an example of God’s Forgiveness? When someone makes a mistake and sins against you (eg: murder). You can either forgive them or not (eg: don’t!). An example of what He Is Requiring Of You In That Situation Is That You Treat Them With More Kindness And Love Than They Have Told Or Sinned Against You.
Forgiveness and repentance
Forgiveness and repentance are not exclusive to the Christian faith. Both concepts have a place in spirituality.
In fact, they both have a place in psychology as well.
Forgiveness is an integral part of many cultures, including our own. For example, in some parts of Africa, people do not completely forgive someone who has wronged them. They instead hope that the person who committed the wrongdoing will someday change their behavior and/or don’t completely forget what they did.
In other cultures, such as our own, people don’t fully forgive someone for fear that they will later regret their forgiveness and return to old behavior.
But does the concept of forgiveness have anything to do with being a repentant person? Does plain old forgiveness help or hinder would-be repentants? Are we sinners who need to be forgiven or are we already saved? These questions and more can be answered by reading the Bible.
How to receive forgiveness
When we ask for forgiveness, we need to be clear on what we have done to deserve it. We must also realize that our actions haven’t ruined our relationships with others and that they have just need to be repaired.
Receiving forgiveness doesn’t mean we are forgiven! It only means we can begin to repair our relationships with others. This takes time and effort, but it is possible.
We can receive forgiveness when the following conditions are met:
We have committed a serious sin (i.e., grave sin) The person has not yet been made aware of our sin, but has felt its consequences (i.e., guilt), so they have not totally abandoned us Communion is received and a confession is made before the forgiver So many as necessary are made.
Why should we seek forgiveness?
At the heart of every forgiven person’s experience is a desire to turn away from their past and live a new, more complete life. This is what the Bible calls living in the present with an eye to what will make you happy now and in the future.
forgiveness is called into play when someone steps out of their past and into a new, more complete one. In that new context, they can find peace with themselves and with others.
To seek forgiveness is to step out of your past into another life — a new life that includes other people, a different place in space–time, and a different kind of happiness.
It is to open your eyes to what was hidden before, which was you hiding from yourself. It is to step out of shame or guilt over something you did in the past, which obscured recognition that it was wrong. It is to forgive someone else as an act of restoration that brings back parts of oneself that were good.
What about eternal punishment?
A final area of concern for many who are called to forgive is whether or not the punishment in the afterlife is eternal or limited.
Many believe that since the punishment in this life is not always consistent with what sin we committed, that in the afterlife, it will be.
The Bible does speak about this kind of punishment being eternal, but not always. Sometimes when someone has made a significant mistake, God will remove that person’s sins from those they have connected with and reward them with something more substantial than forgiveness.
There are some places where God will use removal of sins as a means to punish someone. These places include situations where people have shown bad character over time, or when people have committed really serious sins that cannot be forgiven in this world.
While scholars do not always agree on these differences between temporal and eternal punishments, people who have spent time in prison or in prayer-focusing situations know both kinds of punishments to be true.
Does God really forgive us?
It’s certainly not taught in the Bible. Most Christian denominations do not even mention it. Most Christians don’t think about it much, either. It’s something they pray to God to do, but most of us don’t dwell on it.
Most of us aren’t baptized into a church, so we don’t necessarily know what that means about forgiveness. But considering how important forgiveness is to the New Testament, we should pay attention to what the Bible says about it.
The New Testament teaches several times that we are not supposed to hold on to anger or punishment for ourselves. We are not supposed to put a lot of thought into how much or little we deserve forgiveness, because God is the ones who decides whether or not someone gets it.
It also says that we are never allowed to just blame or apologize when things go wrong. We are required to ask for and accept God’s kingdom-level forgiveness.