Hot answers tagged forgiveness
17
This is an interesting and very common question. There are a few inherent assumptions in this question that are worth identifying.
This is answer is from the perspective of a Biblical literlist (non-Catholic)
Assumption 1: Asking forgiveness for my sins every day is necessary for my salvation.
The Scriptures indicate that salvation is by faith, and "by ...
14
True repentance involves repairing damages done (where possible). In this case, it would mean returning the money.
Leviticus 6:2-7 (KJV)
2 If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the LORD, and lie unto his neighbour in that which was delivered him to keep, or in fellowship, or in a thing taken away by violence, or hath deceived his neighbour;
...
13
Actually, it never worked.
Hebrews 10:4 (ESV)
For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
All the OT sacrifices were useless in an of themselves. What they did all along was not actually solve something but point people to the idea that something needed to be solved and the way that had to happen was through sacrifice. ...
12
Depends, are they a believer or an unbeliever?
Unbeliever
(Mark 11:25 ESV)
"And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
When you forgive an unbeliever you are acknowledging that they have wronged you but you will not try to seek justice yourself, ...
11
I've heard a variety of theories on this topic:
He "knew" (or hoped) the crowd wouldn't accept them (they were asking for men, after all)
Females were considered a sub-class of society, and therefore were his "possession" wherewith to do as he pleased
It was the offer of a desperate man trying to save the guests whom he suspected of being more than just ...
11
This is one of the more difficult questions I know of when it comes to Christianity.
Clearly, there is precedent in scripture for someone repenting at the time of their death and being promised by no less that Jesus Himself that he would be with Him in paradise.
From Luke 23:38-43 KJV:
38And a superscription also was written over him in letters of
...
9
No.
Paul makes it clear that we cannot avoid sinning:
Romans 7:21-25 (ESV)
21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my ...
8
Building on @warren's response:
Yes, righteousness does not indicate that he was perfect. Additionally, crimes against humans by humans are particularly abhorrent to both humans and God. So why, then, would Lot be considered righteous?
There are also a couple of other factors that may influence our understanding of this:
Context. Peter is addressing a ...
6
Just because Jesus forgives you, it doesn't necessarily mean that there are no consequences in the social sense. Forgiveness from God is a purely spiritual condition, that removes the blight of sin from your soul. However, if you have wronged another through your sin, it would be expected that you make some recompense (in your example, you'd return the money ...
6
Let's start with your question title. For the sake of argument let's turn it around and ask "Why would God not be allowed for forgive us?" The problem lies in God's idea of justice. We could spend a lot of time one this one, but let's keep it it simple:
Isaiah 61:8 (ESV)
For I the Lord love justice; I hate robbery and wrong [...]
In order for Him to ...
6
The simple solution is, yes. The problem though, is will you remember to repent? What you propose is in fact a kind of gambling, but instead of playing progressively unlikely games of poker or roulette with a month's salary, you're betting your soul, your very life and existence.
This is an excellent question, because many people take the attitude that they ...
5
Outside of being offered by their father in this incident, there are really only two things we know about Lot's daughters:
they were betrothed or in some translations actually married to men of Sodom (Gen. 19:14 - the latter option making Lot's claims to their virginity suspect), and
after the destruction of Sodom, they get their father drunk and seduce ...
5
Catholics make a distinction between types of sin. There are venial sins and mortal sins (one unconfessed mortal sin will prevent a person from getting to Heaven). Its possible to avoid mortal sins. To completely avoid all venial sins is very difficult, but perhaps St. Francis of Assisi or St. Benedict achieved this, I don't believe that this is knowable. ...
5
Jesus said to be "as wise as serpents, but as gentle as lambs.". Being a Christian does not mean checking our brains at the door when it comes to interacting with the world. Indeed, we are often called to be "discerning."
My interpretation of that word is this - forgiveness doesn't mean forgetfulness.
We can still be guarded when dealing with others, and ...
5
According to most Christian traditions, God cannot change His mind.
There are those that teach that He can change His mind, a position inherent in Open Theism. However, this is seen as a heresy by most orthodox Christian traditions. It denies the omniscience of God.
From http://www.reformationtheology.com/2011/07/does_god_ever_change_his_mind.php
...
4
Yes.
(in theory)
This is what Jesus calls us to do:
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. —Matthew 5:48
He wouldn't set a standard that was impossible for a human being to reach. That would be setting us up to fail. And, of course, Jesus himself was sinless, and fully human.
God has also promised to "sanctify [us] ...
4
In the Sermon of the Mount, Jesus gives commandments on how enemies and those who have wronged someone should be treated.
Matthew 5:23-26 (ESV)
23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember
that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there
before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and ...
4
It's important to remember that there were two separate things happening here. The Crucifixion was only the end of the Atonement, which needed to cover both aspects of the Fall: sin and death.
When Christ was taken by the Roman soldiers, he wasn't still at the scene of the Last Supper, where Judas had been before he left to go betray him. He went up to ...
4
There were two main meanings to this. The first was as a symbol of Christ, whose blood makes it possible for everyone to have their sins forgiven. The second is as a sacrifice in the more traditional sense: willingly giving up something important and valuable. And when your animals are both your livelihood and the food on your family's table, giving the ...
4
Paul addresses exactly this issue in Romans 6:1-7:
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through ...
4
Short answer: yes, He can forgive if we make a vow and fall short. I'd specify that this is from [insert denomination] perspective, but I think this is agreed upon by all mainstream denominations.
Longer answer, with support:
Yes. Even to those that believe you can "lose your salvation", you can repent and confess it. To those that don't believe you can ...
4
Short answer: Yes, sorta.
Long answer:
Murder is a very serious sin, and while it can't be forgiven it can be pardoned. Also it will stop you from doing or holding certain church offices. See paragraph 4 of this article for more on why D&C 42 says it is unforgivable.
Now to address your scripture reference.
Book of Mormon: Alma 24: 10) And I also ...
4
God did not punish Sarah because:
God promised to bless Sarah, not curse her.
Sarah and Abraham seem to have laughed in a sort of prophesy, because the name of their son would sound the same as the Hebrew word for laughter.
God is merciful! Directly after this He allows Abraham to ask Him, repeatedly, not to destroy Sodom if there are any righteous people ...
4
In the 10th chapter of The Pursuit of God, A. W. Tozer says this:
Here are the facts as I see them. For four hundred years Israel had dwelt in Egypt, surrounded by the crassest idolatry. By the hand of Moses they were brought out at last and started toward the land of promise. The very idea of holiness had been lost to them. To correct this, God began at ...
3
Let us look at Hebrews 6:4-8.
“It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all ...
3
I will provide two answers here, although the core of the two answers I believe is the same.
Hank Hannegraaff briefly answers this question here, and in much more detail other places, by saying:
Forgiveness is by definition a two-way street leading to the restoration of fellowship.
In other words, he argues that it is impossible to forgive someone ...
3
As far as the verse you are looking for, it's sure to be this:
Luke 6:29-30 (ESV)
To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back.
Remember this is advice to YOU, not ...
3
The hope is that we will we will take on the "image of Christ" as we walk closer to him. Consider this verse:
1 John 3:2-3 KJV 2Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet
appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we
shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3And every
man that hath this hope in him ...
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