Bible Discussion Thread

I had a question in regards to Matthew 18:21-22. Perhaps people have thought about this before in regards to forgiving your Brother or Sister 70 times 7 - or an unlimited number of times if they repent. Where is it that Christians draw the line between forgiving someone for their sins towards you an endless number of times verses simply being used as a doormat for a person who has no inward intention of turning around and walking in the opposite direction? When does a Christian forgive and when does a Believer withhold forgiveness when sins seem to go on and on and on ....?

Some never repent. In some churchs they shun those type people.

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The other matter is about the forgetting of the sin. Just as a sinner leaves behind his sins 'at the foot of the Cross' & these are no longer held as a charge against him, yet he will always have memory of those past sins, but endeavour by the Spirit's Life in him not to pursue them again. Does God also forget our sins when He forgives? He does in the sense of never holding our past sins against us, but He knows that we are still sinners 'saved by His Grace' & indeed, He wouldn't be God if He could never recall our previous sinful life. Heb 10:17: "And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more." Though this verse speaks about the time when those Jews would turn to Jesus for salvation instead of obedience to the Law & Sacrifices, it tells us that God will no longer remember their (& our) sins, or, that He will never bring them up against us: He has wiped our slate clean & we have been declared 'not guilty'.

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Brian, I believe that the Christian's response to someone who has erred against you is not only based on his/her repentance to you of that error. It would be wonderful if that person would recognize his error & be humble enough to seek your forgiveness & restoration of the relationship: your forgiving him would be easy & comforting to both.

But if he/she did not come in repentance, & as you also suggest, not only that but also continued to sin against you, how should you & we respond? I believe that our forgiveness is based on what God has done for us in Christ: He has freely forgiven us & we should also do likewise. I realize that God requires our repentance first, but that means that He waits for our acknowledgement that we have sinned against Him & we are convicted & torn by our wickedness. He waits that we recognize that we can be forgiven only through faith in the finished work at the Cross & in nothing else.

So, our repentance must be essential for God's forgiveness to be given us. Whereas, our response to someone who has sinned against us doesn't necessarily require their repentance first, because our forgiving him/her is simply based on Christ's Love in us to forgive them unequivocally, whether or not he repents. This is the heart that is touched by the Holy Spirit: that we have the spirit of forgiveness to all.

First of all how times has Jesus forgiven Christians sins by grace, all the time . how many Christians have said I have forgiven that person but has never forgotten the situation not many. God's love of forgiveness is example for us to follow. Anyways we don't have the right to judge no-one. God bless.