Category: Book 2 Chapter 13

We must remember this crucial point, which may help some people who are struggling to forgive.  It is that we do not forgive people for their sake, so that they can benefit.  It is done, primarily, for our own benefit.  So, it is not something …

The same principles apply as with the original wrongdoing.  So, along with the difficulties that come from the original wrong, you have the extra ordeal of facing the wrongdoer and seeing him, large as life.  Perhaps he is even attending the same church as you, …

For many of us, this is the hardest thing to bear – seeing the wrongdoer walking around, carefree and not even showing any concern, let alone repentance, for what He has done.  He may even taunt us about it and laugh about the harm he …

There is another good reason to forgive others.  It is that when we judge other people (in the wrong sense of that word) we bring God’s judgment upon ourselves.  Moreover, He has said that He will use the same standards, or criteria, to judge us …

We have seen above how so many important biblical words and concepts are seriously misunderstood.  We shall now look at two more, i.e. ‘anger’ and ‘rage’.  The first, anger, is not necessarily sinful.  Indeed, it can be entirely justified and even righteous, depending on the …

There are many harmful consequences that follow if we will not forgive others.  One major problem is the ongoing emotional effect that it has on us.  If the many wrongs done to us are not forgiven and handed over to Jesus to judge (and punish …

I believe that God has two main reasons for requiring us to forgive others, i.e. at least in the narrow, basic sense, before He will forgive us.  They are as follows: a) For us to judge and punish people ourselves is to usurp the role …

As you consider the issue now, does it occur to you that it is odd that we are so prone to misunderstanding words like forgiveness, but understand other words very easily?  For example, have you ever met anybody who does not understand words like ‘refrigerator’ …

It may assist our understanding of how forgiveness works in its narrower and broader senses, to present a simple illustration.  Imagine that you have loaned your lawnmower to your next door neighbor.  However, you then discover that he has misused it, either carelessly or deliberately, …

As we saw, people often confuse words like reconciliation with forgiveness, as if they were the same thing.  There are other words as well which have their own separate and distinct definitions.  Yet they are frequently assumed to be the same as forgiveness, or at …