Friday, June 10, 2005
Verse of the Day
“ Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ”- Colossians 3:13
Today's passage is from the New International Version.
Today's passage is from the New International Version.
Comments:
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Luciano,
That is a very good verse! Everyone needs to obey that verse too!
I was just reading about Forgiveness last night too! :)
You don't have to agree with the person to forgive them!
The discription of forgive that was given in the book I was reading is to "give love as before" for-give.
((HUGS))
Countess
That is a very good verse! Everyone needs to obey that verse too!
I was just reading about Forgiveness last night too! :)
You don't have to agree with the person to forgive them!
The discription of forgive that was given in the book I was reading is to "give love as before" for-give.
((HUGS))
Countess
Indubitably, one of the best verses there is - nice play on words there too, "for-give"... Sometimes, though, the give is all about giving the... BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT just as before... cause I surely never gave "love" (and never will - lol) to some of my harshest adversaries... especially if they are male! *LOL*
An anonymous -and very good- friend of the blog has some pearls of wisdom to share on the subject - and these are more than welcome... these are verily the right approach (although my previous comment was done with tongue frimly in cheek... sheesh! *lol*)
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Forgiveness is a lot more than just giving someone the "benefit of the doubt." True forgiveness is exercised even when evidence for "the doubt" is in full force. Forgiveness is chosing to overlook and move beyond a past offence, regardless of the motive for that offence and regardless of the current state of mind of the offender - whether the offender has asked for forgiveness or not, or whether he/she is repentant or not is irrelevant. As is the question of whether the offender is considered "an adversary."
Victims of violent crimes, past abuse, etc, have testified that they were only able to achieve peace of mind and move on with their lives after they had reached the point of forgiving those who had hurt them. Sometimes this had to happen even after the offender was no longer around to literally forgive.
One also has to keep in mind that if our forgiveness is to be modeled after the forgiveness that has been shown to us, remember that in forgiving us, Christ is not "giving us the benefit of the doubt." There is no doubt in His mind at all - He knows all our thoughts, all our motives - nothing is hidden from Him. He forgives anyway. And as we seek to emualate Him, the only way we can truly forgive others is if we allow Him to love and forgive others through us - we in our human flesh cannot forgive - it goes against our nature to forgive, especially the act of extending forgiveness to those we consider our enemies.
Just a few thoughts from out East.
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Forgiveness is a lot more than just giving someone the "benefit of the doubt." True forgiveness is exercised even when evidence for "the doubt" is in full force. Forgiveness is chosing to overlook and move beyond a past offence, regardless of the motive for that offence and regardless of the current state of mind of the offender - whether the offender has asked for forgiveness or not, or whether he/she is repentant or not is irrelevant. As is the question of whether the offender is considered "an adversary."
Victims of violent crimes, past abuse, etc, have testified that they were only able to achieve peace of mind and move on with their lives after they had reached the point of forgiving those who had hurt them. Sometimes this had to happen even after the offender was no longer around to literally forgive.
One also has to keep in mind that if our forgiveness is to be modeled after the forgiveness that has been shown to us, remember that in forgiving us, Christ is not "giving us the benefit of the doubt." There is no doubt in His mind at all - He knows all our thoughts, all our motives - nothing is hidden from Him. He forgives anyway. And as we seek to emualate Him, the only way we can truly forgive others is if we allow Him to love and forgive others through us - we in our human flesh cannot forgive - it goes against our nature to forgive, especially the act of extending forgiveness to those we consider our enemies.
Just a few thoughts from out East.
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