When someone asks us for forgiveness, our very salvation is at stake in how we answer.
The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.[a]
23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold[b] was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.[c] He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’
30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.
32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” Matthew 18:21-35
Correct! We don’t forgive someone for their benefit we forgive for our benefit. Holding a grudge is like drinking poison and expecting your enemy to get sick.
But it is a lot easier said than done, that is for sure!
Forgiveness doesn’t mean the crime didn’t happen, and it doesn’t mean the person shouldn’t go to prison. It means you are handing the “right to revenge” over to God so that bitterness doesn’t destroy you.
Repentance requires telling the truth and not lying or deleting the evidence.
You cannot forgive a different sin or a made up one.
I agree with the prior post: she never repented. She lied about hitting a coyote. She deleted all video that proved her manslaughter. She obstructed justice at every turn. She deserve NO forgiveness. It is time for her to suffer in prison for a long time. Hopefully, after a while the family will feel she has suffered enough and will find it in their hearts to forgive.
Forgiveness and repentance have a strong association.
One without the other makes the transaction incomplete. Most often you do not get both. But BOTH are important with God, many like the forgiveness from God, but have never repented.
You have referenced the forgiveness part, but I suggest you read more on the repentance part.
2Co 7:10 For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.
Luk_17:3 So watch yourselves! “If another believer sins, rebuke that person; then if there is repentance, forgive.
“Forgive us our debts…”