How to Forgive the UnforgivableVoorbeeld

Forgiveness Does Not Remove Responsibility 

Christ said in the Scriptures that temptations will come into this world. However, He also said that it is woe to those through whom they come. We know that since the fall, the world is full of some horrible things. The world is full of sin. Sins are hateful in nature. They are destructive in nature. Sins are selfish in nature. The world is full of such things. The Bible also tells us that sins are sure to come. Yet, the ones who sin are responsible for their actions.

People who commit sinful acts are fully responsible for them. In fact, the Bible says that it would be better for a person to be thrown into the sea with a stone around the neck than to cause someone else to stumble. Think about the persecution that God’s children encounter throughout the world. There are horrible acts that people commit every day against our Christian brothers and sisters. They will pay for these actions unless they repent.

The Bible also tells us that we need to hold a person accountable if they sin against us. We need to rebuke them. We are to forgive them if they repent. There are, however, consequences to someone else’s actions. For example, if a person does something against us that is criminal, the law enforcement can get involved. We do not have to feel guilty when this happens. That is not unforgiveness on our part. 

Our forgiveness does not free the person from legal consequences of their actions. God gave the sword to authority figures for a reason. God uses the government to restrain evil in society. We can forgive someone and still allow the system of government to do its work in their lives. We need to release them in our hearts through forgiveness. We should even pray for them. Christ told us to pray for our enemies. We can pray for the will of God to be done in this person’s life. 

Forgiveness does not require us to throw away our own wisdom either. If someone steals money from you as a business owner, forgiveness does not mean that you must put this person at the cash register the next day. We can be wise towards such people. We can hear them out and see their attitude about the situation. Then, we can exercise sound judgment in our future dealings with the individuals. Our attitude, however, should never be vengeful.