And when it comes to this forum, or any thread of theological interest among the brethren, I’m very selective about the issues on which I will engage. That is God's will for us.
But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes. And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all [men], apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And [that] they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. – 2 Timothy 2:23-26
My reply was essentially that forgiveness is God’s will for us - and He will forgive us precisely the same way we forgive others - and if we do not forgive, He will turn a deaf ear to our prayers.
Personally, I cannot afford to have my sins in God's mind. Therefore, I choose instead to forgive and forget – asking for the Spirit’s help in the forgetting department, trusting Him and being confident that I have the same kind of forgiveness from God:
For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. [Whereof] the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, This [is] the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;
And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
Now where remission of these [is, there is] no more offering for sin. – Hebrews 10:12-18
As to provocative behavior per se among those advocating the Gospel of Jesus Christ, regardless of who is doing it, I submit that we should always have this mind:
What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice. - Philippians 1:15-18
Masterfully, accurately, Biblically put according to God’s Priorities, as usual.
Stretching to reach the standard but at least I see it as a standard worth stretching to reach, by His Grace.
I cannot imagine God not remembering my sins, in the sense of knowing that they happened. I can hope and believe that he does not remember them against me. A different thing altogether.
I would like to know your position on pacifism and the work of people in the armed forces, law enforcement, or other security work which involves the high likelihood of aggressive and possibly lethal action.
Mine is that such work is undertaken at great personal risk, both spiritual and physical. It is hard to draw a gun on someone or to get in a gang fight with someone in the afternoon and then to pray for him at night.
On the other hand, the world is maybe a little but safer because some of us are willing to do that. The comparative luxury of being able to find a place far from strife is usually at least partially the work of those who go to the front and set up shop there.
Here's a situation: A fellow had been having sexual intercourse with his daughters for years (both daughters say so) Should the daughters and mother and community forgive and forget? Is it wrong to set up a response that is satisfactory to the family (except for the guy himself) line up a hospital bed, and everything else and then go in alone to tell the guy that his behavior is known and that he can choose between jail and contumely on the one hand or an immediate commitment to a mental health facility on the other -- and the guy is probably armed. There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of encouragement here for Catholic bishops "forgiving and forgetting" (if that's indeed what they did) their abusive clergy. Should they have? Which protects "the little ones"? Which, over the long therm is better for the abusers?
Is it wrong to enter a room with an armed drunk and spousal abuser who is talking about suicide and about taking a few people with him and trying to talk him out of it and into treatment? Better to forgive and forget?
A guy, high on who knows what, assaults three deputies. Should the fourth deputy forgive and forget, or should he join the scrum and tussle with the guy until he's "cuffed and stuffed" and THEN try to calm him down and ease his physical and emotional pain, while keeping him from doing any further damage to himself or to the other deputies.
Judgment is for God, and I eagerly leave him to it. I want nothing to do with it.
The guy who came after me with a club when I was out of uniform, and on whom I drew my weapon, that same guy I prayed for every day for a month and about monthly ever since. But I'm glad I drew my weapon and I think I would have been right to shoot him had he gotten within the lethal zone. That guy was all about depriving my wife and kid of the alleged but dubious pleasure of my company, and I don't think I should just forgive and forget. I should stop the guy, THEN forgive and forget.
AND, as I say, I think those for whom what you might call "high-impact judgment calls" are a rarity owe some gratitude to those who, eyes open to the physical and spiritual risk, move to place themselves between the source of danger and the comparatively innocent, try to face and to understand the danger, and then try to settle things down.
A woman all for peace and forgiveness refuses her essential role in an "intervention". Within a couple of years, the subject of the intervention does jail time, and ends up partially responsible for his mother's death. (Think about double doses of coumadin some time.) I'm going to go with the intervention, undertaken with fear, trembling, prayer, and humility, but also with resolution and a determination to succeed. Since I think any good work I might have done was a gift from God and nothing to do with anything about me, I confidently commit myself to Him and sally forth, fully prepared to be, once again, a fool and a goat. Somebody has to say, "Here am I, send me."
Oh wow, I'm gonna take some heat for this.
Amen and amen. Would that I would keep these precepts in mind more often. Well said and thanks be to our God and Lord Jesus Christ.