New perspective on forgiveness

[Batfan7]

We're all familiar with the usual sermons on forgiveness and why we should forgive others (because we ourselves are forgiven and it is just plain bad for our spiritual health to carry unforgivnesss), but I had an interesting thought about a perspective I hadn't noticed before.

So, let's say someone has wronged you (I was personally contemplating a fist-sized dent in my car that magically appeared while I was in the grocery store), and there's no chance of this wrong being addressed in this life. We know from scripture that "God will avenge", so we can simply leave it in His hands and move on. But, when you think about it, for an unbeliever, that person will go to hell and the wrong he/she did to you will be added to the eternal ledger that determines what the eternal punishment of that individual will be. The fires of Hell will be just a touch hotter, a tad more miserable, for all of forever. That's a pretty sobering thought! Do I really want the person who dented my car to suffer for an eternity for that action?

No, I really don't think i do. So, I pray for forgiveness for them. And, then believe that God will not hold that person accountable for that sin (at least in as much as the sin was against me - I can't ask on behalf of anyone else, and the person will still "owe" God as all sins are primarily against Him).

My thought on this was just that it seems that we have a choice - we can accept God's justice towards the wrong done to us (which is Biblical and valid) or we can ask God to extend Grace and Forgiveness on behalf of those who wrong us, and in so doing "lessen" that just penalty the wrong-doer accrues. This was the new perspective I had on this topic. That we can not just forgive as an emotional assistance to myself or as an action God requires of forgiven people, but as an act of love towards someone who will regret and pay for that action for all of endless forever.

So let's practice forgiveness and ask God to forgive as well!

 

[Andy C]

We're all familiar with the usual sermons on forgiveness and why we should forgive others (because we ourselves are forgiven and it is just plain bad for our spiritual health to carry unforgivnesss), but I had an interesting thought about a perspective I hadn't noticed before.

So, let's say someone has wronged you (I was personally contemplating a fist-sized dent in my car that magically appeared while I was in the grocery store), and there's no chance of this wrong being addressed in this life. We know from scripture that "God will avenge", so we can simply leave it in His hands and move on. But, when you think about it, for an unbeliever, that person will go to hell and the wrong he/she did to you will be added to the eternal ledger that determines what the eternal punishment of that individual will be. The fires of Hell will be just a touch hotter, a tad more miserable, for all of forever. That's a pretty sobering thought! Do I really want the person who dented my car to suffer for an eternity for that action?

No, I really don't think i do. So, I pray for forgiveness for them. And, then believe that God will not hold that person accountable for that sin (at least in as much as the sin was against me - I can't ask on behalf of anyone else, and the person will still "owe" God as all sins are primarily against Him).

My thought on this was just that it seems that we have a choice - we can accept God's justice towards the wrong done to us (which is Biblical and valid) or we can ask God to extend Grace and Forgiveness on behalf of those who wrong us, and in so doing "lessen" that just penalty the wrong-doer accrues. This was the new perspective I had on this topic. That we can not just forgive as an emotional assistance to myself or as an action God requires of forgiven people, but as an act of love towards someone who will regret and pay for that action for all of endless forever.

So let's practice forgiveness and ask God to forgive as well!

Nobody goes to hell for denting a car, or for that matter, any other sin. They go to hell based on their lack of belief in Jesus as their Savior.

I agree, we are called to pray for those who have wronged us, but that person is still accountable for their sins, just like we are.

 

[Andy C]

Question: I know we are supposed to pray for our enemies, but I run into trouble on what to pray about? Can you give me a sample prayer for the way you would do it? I’m thinking of people who are enemies of our Country foreign and domestic.
Answer: The intent of the admonition to pray for those who persecute you (Matt. 5:44) is more personal than general. It has to do with praying for those who’ve wronged you for no reason, because of race or religion for example, or simply because they have power over you.

Unresolved anger is bad for our health and gives the enemy an opening to torment us (Ephes. 4:26-27). Praying for those who persecute you helps displace the anger you would otherwise feel toward them. It restores peace in your life and protects you against the enemy’s attacks. The way to pray is to ask the Lord to forgive and bless the ones who are persecuting you, and to forgive you for your anger about it.

At first, you might not feel like doing this. But if you do it anyway, if only out of obedience to the Lord, He will cause your feelings to be aligned with your actions, and it will become easier to do.

Keep praying until you no longer harbor any ill feelings toward them, so you will know for sure that you have forgiven them.
There is one form of persecution that will earn you great rewards in Heaven, and that’s being persecuted for your faith.

Jesus said,
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matt 5:11-12).

https://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher/praying-for-our-enemies/

 

[Batfan7]

Nobody goes to hell for denting a car, or for that matter, any other sin. They go to hell based on their lack of belief in Jesus as their Savior.

I agree, we are called to pray for those who have wronged us, but that person is still accountable for their sins, just like we are.

Sorry, I think you misunderstood what I was saying. I was saying that IF a person was already an unbeliever, and they died in their unbelief, then they are going to Hell. And then that person's level of torment is then determined by their actions in this life. So, if domeone wrongs you, then that action will be "avenged" by God as part of their eternal punishment. Right? So you have the option to ask God to forgive the wrong done to you by someone else and not have it added to that other person's eternal ledger. Right? That's why Jesus on the cross asked God the Father to forgive the soldiers. Jesus was asking, as a human (as opposed to as God who could forgive without asking) that the men who wronged Him not have those actions held against them. So, I'm saying we can do the same thing and ask that God not hold others accountable when they hurt us on some way.

We can't ask on the behalf of a wrong done to someone else since that's not our injury to forgive, which is why our prayers for forgiveness for someone else won't keep them out of Hell, because their sin of unbelief is towards God, not us.

Did that make more sense?

 

[Andy C]

Sorry, I think you misunderstood what I was saying. I was saying that IF a person was already an unbeliever, and they died in their unbelief, then they are going to Hell. And then that person's level of torment is then determined by their actions in this life. So, if domeone wrongs you, then that action will be "avenged" by God as part of their eternal punishment. Right? So you have the option to ask God to forgive the wrong done to you by someone else and not have it added to that other person's eternal ledger. Right? That's why Jesus on the cross asked God the Father to forgive the soldiers. Jesus was asking, as a human (as opposed to as God who could forgive without asking) that the men who wronged Him not have those actions held against them. So, I'm saying we can do the same thing and ask that God not hold others accountable when they hurt us on some way.

We can't ask on the behalf of a wrong done to someone else since that's not our injury to forgive, which is why our prayers for forgiveness for someone else won't keep them out of Hell, because their sin of unbelief is towards God, not us.

Did that make more sense?

Thanks for clarifying my missreading of your post.

We are called to forgive, but I dont see in scripture where that has any impact on a persons punishment in the lake of fire.

Not all Christians agree there are levels of punishment in the LOF.

 

[Batfan7]

Thanks for clarifying my missreading of your post.

We are called to forgive, but I dont see in scripture where that has any impact on a persons punishment in the lake of fire.

Not all Christians agree there are levels of punishment in the LOF.

Yeah, honestly it might not have any impact on them, just an impact on me. But I thought it was an interesting idea nonetheless.