"Condemnation is not the heart of forgiveness. It's the indispensable presupposition of it."~Miroslav Volf, Yale theologian
"Forgiveness that does not take seriously the offense against an injured party is fraudulent and cheap."~Chrisine A. Scheller, Journalist
To read the entire article that a friend sent me, click on the link below.
How Far Should Forgiveness Go?
6 comments:
The quote about the indispensability of condemnation speaks volumes.
About or own need for forgiveness in the sight of a perfect and holy God...
and about our need to speak the truth in love and care enough to confront.
I pray that, in this life-in the here and now-and specifically with regard to this shameful legal challenge brought against you by a person who has committed vile crimes against those in your care- that you see justice, restitution and resolution!
NEVER look outside the written Word of God for an answer to spiritual matters. As if some mere man (or woman in this case) could know more than God!
Matthew 18:21-35 (emphasis added)
Then Peter came up and said to him, Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times? Jesus said to him, I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.
Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king [God] who wished to settle accounts with his servants [Put yourself in the story as this servant]. When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything. And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants [someone who has done you ANY wrong] who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, Pay what you owe. So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, Have patience with me, and I will pay you. He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. Then his master summoned him and said to him, You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you? And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.
FYI, you cannot pay back your debt to God!
One who does not forgive shows clear evidence that he does not belong to God and if he does not belong to God, he will enter eternal death, the lake of fire where there is weeping and nashing of teeth.
I believe that a part of the chapter was acidentally forgotten.
Since we are having a battle of the Bibles, I capitalized a few verses below.
There are a few mitigating considerations, specifically that this particular local fellowship was complicite with the abuser. Partly by concealy previously know offenses during the legal investigation anad more troubling, assisting a known felon in escaping and hiding while his daughters are arguably in danger of ongoing abuse.
I don't have a spacific verse to pull out for trying to help young women that are being regularly sexually abused, but I'm just guessing God woiuld be for that.
If you can't see that, this is mostly a waste of time.
1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
2 He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.
6 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! 8 If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.
10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.
12 “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13 And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish. Dealing With Sin in the Church
15 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ 17 IF THEY STILL REFUSE TO LISTEN, TELL IT TO THE CHURCH; AND IF THEY REFUSE TO LISTEN EVEN TO THE CHURCH, TREAT THEM AS YOU WOULD A PAGAN OR A TAX COLLECTOR.
18 “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
19 “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
Even IF you are right, how do you treat a pagan or tax collector?
How did Jesus, did he destroy their lives by mocking them before the people? Or did he give his life for them, did not Jesus come for the sinners, ate with them etc?
If you truly understand grace and the gospel, you would lay down your neck to receive Patrick's punishment or anyone else for that matter, because you love them as Christ would. Again, the sin he committed may be awful and horrible, but you are commanded to forgive.
It is not a suggestion.
Context.
Got any daughters your self?
Oh right, now I get it! Jesus had no daughters so he had no authority on the subject. Danielle and Eddy know better than Jesus.
Post a Comment