Thread Title
Can there be forgiveness without repentance?
There can be no Salvation without Repentance -----Repentance is the first step in receiving Salvation ----
Repentance is a mind change ------one must come to the end of themselves and realize they are a sinner and in need of a Saviour ---
unbelievers live in this world ---so they are not interested in Spiritual Repentance ----nor receiving God's Salvation -----
True Forgiveness is for Believers only -----it flows out of the believers Agape for God -------so it is a fruit of the Spirit ----
the first Commandment is -----
------this love ----Agape---- is a fruit of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit -------and true Forgiveness flows out of this Love -----as does compassion -----
We are to forgive all wrongs done to us and we do this __WHY --Because ----God forgave us first ---we were sinners ----filthy rages ---not worthy of God's forgiveness -----but God Forgave us anyway -----So we are to do the same -----Forgiveness is not about the other person repenting or doing anything at all ---it is all about us Loving God who forgave us and so to mature in our walk with Christ we must forgive the other person ----be it another believer who has wronged us or an unbeliever who has wronged us ----
Also ---we believers have to know that Satan is on the loose in this world and the person who wronged us just may have been influenced by Satan to wrong us --Satan is a tempter and has access to our thinking ---and hates God and believers -----so I think it is so freeing for believers to understand that you can love and forgive the person who is being nasty to you because you understand that the enemy may be at play here --and the person has been influenced to be nasty to you ------
So we see here -----Satan works in believers as well as unbelievers ------
John 13:2
Amplified Bible
2 It was during supper, when
the devil had already put [the thought of] betraying Jesus into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son,
Ephesians 4:27
Amplified Bible
27 And
do not give the devil an opportunity [to lead you into sin by holding a grudge, or nurturing anger, or harboring resentment, or cultivating bitterness].
Acts 5:3
Amplified Bible
3 But Peter said, “Ananias,
why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and [secretly] keep back for yourself some of the proceeds [from the sale] of the land?
So if you go back and read JohnB's post -on page 3 post 58 ----where he talks about his brother -----
I am just posting this part of it ---
I told him, "GOD provided you with a roof over your head, food on the table and I gave you a car to use"
He lifted both fist to heaven and screamed "F GOD" than let out a torrent of swear words at me. Would you forgive him or speak to him again?
Could this be he was influenced in his thoughts by the enemy ---to lash out -----
So his question here ----
Would you forgive him or speak to him again?
For me I would certainly forgive him and I speak to him ----as I Agape God and God forgave me ------and I am called to forgive others ------