[metmom]

Part of the act of forgiving is being aware that the sinner is truly repentant and that “Go and sin no more” is his intent.

Christ never put that condition on forgiveness. We are not exempt from forgiving if the person never asks for it.

Those who crucified Jesus certainly didn't ask forgiveness for what they did and yet He forgave them anyway. If we are to be Christlike, we need to follow His example.

Just for the record, is the idea that we don't need to forgive if the person doesn't repent at all connected to the Calvinistic teachings of predestination? Do Calvinists teach that we don't need to forgive someone who is predestined to be eternally condemned to hell? IOW, since God isn't forgiving them, we don't need to?

[Quix]

CHRIST SET THE MODEL AND PATTER FOR FORGIVENESS ON THE CROSS:

FATHER, FORGIVE THEM, FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO.

Are we followers of CHRIST

really “CHRIST-IANS”

or not?

[Dr. Eckleburg]

No, I probably didn't state my opinion as clearly as I should have. Of course we are commanded to forgive all those who sin against us, whether or not they ask for forgiveness. As we desire forgiveness from God, so we forgive others.

However, God does not forgive all sin. He does not forgive the sins of the reprobate. If He did, the reprobate would be forgiven and he would end up in heaven.

We do not know who is saved and who is not, therefore we forgive all men. But God requires a repentant heart. To those who are His, He gives this repentant heart, made sorrowful in the knowledge of the depths of its own sin. To those who are not His, He does not "grant repentance unto life."