“I have heard exactly what you allude to here, that without repentance from the offender against me, there is not a path for outwardly forgiving them.”
Lack of repentance isn’t an impediment to forgiveness, because repentance is for the benefit of the person who has committed the wrong. If they don’t repent, they will just need to be forgiven again and again. However, if they refuse to repent, that doesn’t stop anyone from forgiving them.
Think of it as a debt, like some translations of the Lord’s prayer word it, “forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors”. The person who is owed can forgive a debt, whether the debtor comes to beg forgiveness or not. However, if the debtor doesn’t turn away from whatever incurred the debt in the first place, the forgiveness will be of little help to them, because they’ll just get into debt again.
Thank you! I agree. My own flesh may revolt, but my spirit seems to know the righteous path in spite of myself. I must forgive. I don’t find it that difficult.
Maybe I am wrong, but I see forgiveness in certain circumstances as not every time meaning I must then give occasion for the offender to continue sinning against me. Removing one’s self from within further reach of an offender is not a foolish thing, though he goes on his way with my blessing of forgiveness, just not my overt friendship.
It is different of course for different relationships. We cheerfully forgive spouses and children with regularity.