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Forgiveness: The Very Essence of Our Faith
New Life Ministries ^ | September 10, 2019 | Steve Aterburn

Posted on 08/20/2024 10:27:20 AM PDT by metmom

If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, you Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew 6:14-15

Joseph was the pride and joy of his father. Though Jacob had ten other sons, he favored Joseph, the one born to him in his old age. Jacob never bothered to hide his special feelings—not even from his other sons. In fact, he expressed his favoritism blatantly and visibly by having an expensive coat made especially for Joseph.

This did not go unnoticed by the older brothers, and they began to resent their spoiled young sibling. Joseph, who was either oblivious to their resentment or insensitive to it, made it worse by bragging to his brothers about his dreams that he would one day rule over them. In one dream, his brothers' sheaves of grain bowed down to his. In another dream, the sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed down to him.

Eventually, Joseph's vivid dreams and their father's favoritism so infuriated the brothers that they plotted Joseph's death. While trying to decide the best way to accomplish it, they spotted a caravan of spice traders on the way to Egypt. Instead of killing Joseph, they decided to sell him as a slave. They said good riddance to their dreaming brother and made up a story to tell their father about his favorite son's tragic fate.

(Excerpt) Read more at biblestudytools.com ...


TOPICS: General Discusssion; Theology
KEYWORDS: forgiveness
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1 posted on 08/20/2024 10:27:20 AM PDT by metmom
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To: Alex Murphy; boatbums; CynicalBear; daniel1212; ealgeone; Elsie; Gamecock; HossB86; Iscool; ...

An earlier thread on forgiveness.

Faith to Forgive
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/4258651/posts


2 posted on 08/20/2024 10:28:21 AM PDT by metmom (He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus”)
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To: metmom

Excellent topic metmom. Thanks for posting, and for reminding us of a much forgotten principle.


3 posted on 08/20/2024 10:48:31 AM PDT by ducttape45 (Jeremiah 17:9, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?")
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To: ducttape45

This is an excellent topic.


4 posted on 08/20/2024 10:53:43 AM PDT by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
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To: metmom

There’s no forgiveness of sins, without confession, contrition and absolution.


5 posted on 08/20/2024 11:07:28 AM PDT by ebb tide ("The Spirit of Vatican II" is nothing more than a wicked "idealogy" of the modernists.)
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To: ebb tide
There’s no forgiveness of sins, without confession, contrition and absolution.

Scripture reference?

6 posted on 08/20/2024 11:09:12 AM PDT by ShadowAce (Linux - The Ultimate Windows Service Pack )
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To: ShadowAce

John 20:23


7 posted on 08/20/2024 11:18:30 AM PDT by ebb tide ("The Spirit of Vatican II" is nothing more than a wicked "idealogy" of the modernists.)
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To: ShadowAce

Based on John 20:23...(not that it is needed mind you)


8 posted on 08/20/2024 11:18:55 AM PDT by iluvschnitzle
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To: metmom

What does it mean exactly to “forgive”?


9 posted on 08/20/2024 11:18:55 AM PDT by iluvschnitzle
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To: ebb tide; iluvschnitzle

John 20:23 makes zero mention of absolution.


10 posted on 08/20/2024 11:31:13 AM PDT by ShadowAce (Linux - The Ultimate Windows Service Pack )
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To: ShadowAce

Sure it does.


11 posted on 08/20/2024 11:34:54 AM PDT by ebb tide ("The Spirit of Vatican II" is nothing more than a wicked "idealogy" of the modernists.)
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To: metmom

Should you forgive someone who doesn’t ask to be forgiven? Dennis Prager says, emphatically, that you should not, because doing so will only encourage the transgressor to continue his misbehavior.


12 posted on 08/20/2024 11:35:34 AM PDT by Fiji Hill
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To: ShadowAce
absolution, in Christianity, a pronouncement of remission (forgiveness) of sins to the penitent.
13 posted on 08/20/2024 11:37:30 AM PDT by ebb tide ("The Spirit of Vatican II" is nothing more than a wicked "idealogy" of the modernists.)
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To: ebb tide
John 20:23 :
“If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
Point out the absolution part of this.
14 posted on 08/20/2024 11:37:59 AM PDT by ShadowAce (Linux - The Ultimate Windows Service Pack )
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To: ebb tide
I was temporarily confused. I was mixing up "absolution" with "penitence."

My fault for that.

15 posted on 08/20/2024 11:39:14 AM PDT by ShadowAce (Linux - The Ultimate Windows Service Pack )
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To: ShadowAce
Well, now that you mention "penitence", here are some examples from the Bible:

Luke 13:3
No, I say to you: but unless you shall do penance, you shall all likewise perish.
{This is a solemn promise of Christ to all of us. Unless we do penance, we will “perish.”}
Job 42:6
Therefore I reprehend myself, and do penance in dust and ashes.
Ecclesiasticus 2:22
If we do not penance, we shall fall into the hands of the Lord, and not into the hands of men.
{If we don’t experience discipline in this life, we shall experience it in the next.}
Jeremiah 31:19
For after thou didst convert me, I did penance: and after thou didst shew unto me, I struck my thigh: I am confounded and ashamed, because I have borne the reproach of my youth.
{Notice here, that penance comes after conversion.}
Lamentations 2:14
Thy prophets have seen false and foolish things for thee: and they have not laid open thy iniquity, to excite thee to penance: but they have seen for thee false revelations and banishments.
{Here the spiritual leaders of Israel have wrongly induced the people to follow after false revelations or apparitions. Instead, they should have led the people to penance. Incidentally, Saint Francis is the perfect example of the right leader. He doesn’t appeal to apparitions or even to his stigmata. He appeals to the power of prayer, fasting, and penance.}
Ezekiel 18:21
But if the wicked do penance for all his sins which he hath committed, and keep all my commandments, and do judgment, and justice, living he shall live, and shall not die.
{This is the great promise for Lent. If we humble ourselves and live sacrificially, we will have life. God is merciful and loving and He desires our transformation into the image of Christ His Son.}
Matthew 3:8
Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of penance.
{Here we find that true repentance requires fruit – it requires outward acts that conform to the inward reality.}
Matthew 11:20
Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein were done the most of his miracles, for that they had not done penance.
{This is a sobering verse. Christ doesn’t work miracles where the people don’t repent. Divine power is restricted by human pride.}
Romans 2:4
Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness, and patience, and longsuffering? Knowest thou not, that the benignity of God leadeth thee to penance?
{The love, mercy, and benignity of God brings us to a true repentance. Notice that being mean and hateful does not bring others to penance.}
Apocalypse 2:5
Be mindful therefore from whence thou art fallen: and do penance, and do the first works. Or else I come to thee, and will move thy candlestick out of its place, except thou do penance.
{Here “do penance” and “do the first works” are paired together. Penance has an outward dimension, because sin also has an outward dimension. The horrifying truth is that Christ will snuff out the Church of any region if they don’t live a life of penitence.}

16 posted on 08/20/2024 12:00:07 PM PDT by ebb tide ("The Spirit of Vatican II" is nothing more than a wicked "idealogy" of the modernists.)
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To: ebb tide
Well, your first reference is incorrect.

Penitence and repentance are two different things.

Luke 13:3

I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

17 posted on 08/20/2024 12:10:10 PM PDT by ShadowAce (Linux - The Ultimate Windows Service Pack )
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To: ShadowAce

“and whose sins you forgive are forgiven them”
absolution aka forgiveness


18 posted on 08/20/2024 12:21:04 PM PDT by iluvschnitzle
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To: Fiji Hill

Yet I hear that forgiveness is not for the offender but for the victim.

What is forgiveness? Best I can tell its letting go of the desire for vengeance?


19 posted on 08/20/2024 12:21:04 PM PDT by iluvschnitzle
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To: ShadowAce

absolution is another word for forgiveness.


20 posted on 08/20/2024 12:21:04 PM PDT by iluvschnitzle
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