What are the limits to Forgiveness?

Prim90 said:
Bob though no political system be perfect. Still it be precisely that with certain humans with all the malignantly & evil that want to overthrow our way of life including any authority or dominion from God. I have no problems hating such people. But if you want to cuddle up to a crocodile and say I forgive I love you. I’m not so sure how that would work out : )
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Prim90 said:
Learning to let go there be many feeling we experience in life be it love, happiness, the feeling of self preservation when you suddenly learn of the pain of putting your finger on a hot stove. There also be a time for hatred and a time to kill for those who would do harm to us darkness will always be darkness until it is permanently put to rest by the Lord
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Hello Prim90;

I cannot see you as a person who can hate at the shrug of your shoulder. May I ask you to share a personal experience where you hated another human to the point of unforgiveness?

Please leave out institutions where hatred can be understandable or sin that we can hate.

God bless you, sister.
 
Hatred be many things . There also be righteous hatred. But Yes the early church won the world by love. But we no longer be a minority but a religion that embraces entire kingdoms and civilisations. With that comes the responsibility of many things and just not love
 
Hatred and love are special emotions in that they each fully consume whoever expresses them. To love another is to do so fully at the expense of oneself. No sacrifice of self is too great for love. Conversely, to hate another is to do so fully at the expense of the other. No sacrifice of the other is too great for hatred.

Whereas love builds, hatred destroys. You cannot allow yourself to feel the burning flame of hatred without being at least partially consumed yourself.
 
bobinfaith said:
Hello Prim90;

I cannot see you as a person who can hate at the shrug of your shoulder. May I ask you to share a personal experience where you hated another human to the point of unforgiveness?

Please leave out institutions where hatred can be understandable or sin that we can hate.

God bless you, sister.
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Bob I can be sweet and cuddly around the ones I like. But for others we are taught from youth to hate certain things that being the only good red is a dead one. It be the teaching of the church. If you should venture into our homeland wearing a hammer & sickle cap . I may not be so sweet and cuddly : )
 
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Prim90 said:
There also be righteous hatred.
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"Righteous hatred" is a linguistic shortcut. It simply means "desire to see righteousness prevail."

Hatred is a desire to see another fully destroyed and suffering in agony. Hatred is a desire to eliminate all that is human in another. Hatred is the taking of joy at another's ultimate destruction.

Hatred and love cannot co-exist. If you embrace hatred, you condemn not only your enemy but also yourself.
 
LearningToLetGo said:
Hatred and love are special emotions in that they each fully consume whoever expresses them. To love another is to do so fully at the expense of oneself. No sacrifice of self is too great for love. Conversely, to hate another is to do so fully at the expense of the other. No sacrifice of the other is too great for hatred.

Whereas love builds, hatred destroys. You cannot allow yourself to feel the burning flame of hatred without being at least partially consumed yourself.
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Yes that be right . Sometimes things have to be destroyed for the good of all.
 
Prim90 said:
Yes that be right . Sometimes things have to be destroyed for the good of all.
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I agree. Some things should be destroyed. I'm not arguing against that.

My point is simply to be mindful of what emotions you allow yourself to feel. Hatred is very powerful. In many ways it's sexual. The more you allow yourself to hate, the more you will desire to hate, until you find yourself consumed by hatred. At that point you will become something worth being hated. Thus the cycle perpetuates.

Jesus had every reason to hate yet he chose not to. He chose to love and forgive.

There is a powerful message here. Yes, you can and should seek righteousness. You can see evil for what it is and seek its destruction. But don't rejoice your victory. Instead, weep for those you defeat and pray for them, for they suffer more than others.
 
LearningToLetGo said:
I agree. Some things should be destroyed. I'm not arguing against that.

My point is simply to be mindful of what emotions you allow yourself to feel. Hatred is very powerful. In many ways it's sexual. The more you allow yourself to hate, the more you will desire to hate, until you find yourself consumed by hatred. At that point you will become something worth being hated. Thus the cycle perpetuates.

Jesus had every reason to hate yet he chose not to. He chose to love and forgive.

There is a powerful message here. Yes, you can and should seek righteousness. You can see evil for what it is and seek its destruction. But don't rejoice your victory. Instead, weep for those you defeat and pray for them, for they suffer more than others.
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Learning to let go . Thank you for your advice. I’ll keep that As to sex The wonderful world of sex be many wonderful feeling and emotions. But Like everything it can be abused. Thank you for your insight.
 
LearningToLetGo said:
I agree. Some things should be destroyed. I'm not arguing against that. My point is simply to be mindful of what emotions you allow yourself to feel. Hatred is very powerful. In many ways it's sexual. The more you allow yourself to hate, the more you will desire to hate, until you find yourself consumed by hatred. At that point you will become something worth being hated. Thus the cycle perpetuates. Jesus had every reason to hate yet he chose not to. He chose to love and forgive. There is a powerful message here. Yes, you can and should seek righteousness. You can see evil for what it is and seek its destruction. But don't rejoice your victory. Instead, weep for those you defeat and pray for them, for they suffer more than others.
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Prim90 said:
Learning to let go . Thank you for your advice. I’ll keep that As to sex The wonderful world of sex be many wonderful feeling and emotions. But Like everything it can be abused. Thank you for your insight.
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Good morning, LearningToLetGo;

You shared excellent points and taking nothing away from Prim90, the exchange between the two of you ministered to me, and gave me much to think about.

I had an unpleasant exchange with a man early last year and I did allow myself to feel my emotions. The problem I have is it can linger within and this takes my peace from me. I did lift my problem in prayer to the Lord and as I was processing my confrontation with the man the Lord began to reveal things about the man's life (and mine) that can trigger run ins with others. My emotions did subside, loving and forgiving him gave me peace and calm.

You wrote, Jesus did have every reason to hate yet He chose not to but instead, love and forgive.

At the end of the year my wife and I gave the man a Christmas gift. He thanked us and we left it at that. We pray that it gave him the love in Christ, we don't hold anything against him and hopefully him against me.

God bless you, brother, and thank you for sharing.

Bob
 
Love and hate not simply just emotions.

Is God himself merely an emotion? I mean after all, scripture tells us God is love, doesn't it?

We are commanded to pray for our enemies...
The book of Jude tells us much about what we should do.

Even in Psalm 23.. it speaks of forgiving.

I have very much to share on the topic of hate/hatred... Even when we do have real reasons to feed that hate. However, right now my online time is limited. But I encourage everyone in this thread to pray and look into some deep study about this.

Hate is so very much more than merely an emotion.

-God bless, and may His Holy Spirit of Truth, encourage and guide each of us to truly seek God's wisdom in this matter. Amen.
 
What are the Limits to Forgiveness?

From the human level: Who in their right mind would count to 490 times and then say 'sorry, but my forgiveness is depleted?

Matthew 18:21-22 NKJV
Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" [22] Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

From God's level: He is eternal, no? What limit would there be?
 
Cosia said:
Is there a limit to what kind of sin should we be willing to forgive? I believe not. We should be able to forgive any kind of sin. That is not always easy, but essential.
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Hello Cosia;

You ask a tough question. In the unforgivable sin verse,

Matthew 12:30-32, 30 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. - ESV

I've actually had nominal and seasoned Christians curse Jesus, renounced their faith and the Lord's teachings during those moments in front of me. They just lose it when their life has broken them. It's as if they're intentionally directing their renouncement at me.

I take it personal and rebuked them but after they or myself walked away I still felt it inside me to forgive them. Ultimately it's God's call one day to judge but not mine to take the place of Him.

I have also known others who turned around (repented) and sought God's forgiveness alone or in a group setting. It's one of those moments that can reach a climax, such as what if the person suddenly dies for whatever reason?

It is complicated for the person who breaks down but for the one who witnesses this.

God bless you, sister.

Bob
 
Hi bobinfaith
I believe the unforgivable sin is beyond our forgiveness, Only God can decide. Iagree that it is very upsetting when we hear the curses, even painful for us, bit the sin is actually against God not us. We feel the pain because we love God. I wod tell them how grave a sin it is, and leave it at that, I wod probably feel angry to, but also afraid for that person.

Any sin against myself I would have to forgive.

Welcome home Bob, hope you had a nice break.
God Bless
 
Cosia said:
Hi bobinfaith
I believe the unforgivable sin is beyond our forgiveness, Only God can decide. Iagree that it is very upsetting when we hear the curses, even painful for us, bit the sin is actually against God not us. We feel the pain because we love God. I wod tell them how grave a sin it is, and leave it at that, I wod probably feel angry to, but also afraid for that person.

Any sin against myself I would have to forgive.

Welcome home Bob, hope you had a nice break.
God Bless
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Hey Cosia;

Thank you for the welcome back.

After reading your post, I do agree with your points but are you saying that you can forgive a person who commits the unforgivable sin?

God bless you always, sister.
 
bobinfaith said:
Hey Cosia;

Thank you for the welcome back.

After reading your post, I do agree with your points but are you saying that you can forgive a person who commits the unforgivable sin?

God bless you always, sister.
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I don't think I have the right to decide to forgive the unforgivable sin. I would leave that with God. Only God knows.
It is a very hard question to answer. I would probably.pray about it.
 
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