: Grace Whitfield
: Forgiveness Biblical Truth About Repentance, Spiritual Accountability, and Confronting Unrepentant Wrongdoing
: Publishdrive
: 9781807655556
: 1
: CHF 7.10
:
: Religion/Theologie
: English
: 121
: DRM
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: ePUB

This book examines biblical teachings on repentance, moral accountability, and the conditions surrounding interpersonal reconciliation within a Christian framework. Drawing extensively from Scripture and contextual interpretation, it explores how passages related to repentance, rebuke, and restoration have been understood and applied in situations involving wrongdoing, conflict, and harm. The discussion highlights the relationship between repentance and forgiveness as presented in biblical texts, while addressing common misunderstandings and interpretations that often appear in religious and social contexts.
The work is intended for readers interested in Christian theology, biblical interpretation, and faith-based perspectives on justice, responsibility, and reconciliation. It may be particularly relevant for individuals studying Scripture, members of Christian communities seeking deeper understanding of doctrinal teachings, or readers examining ethical questions related to accountability and personal boundaries within religious life. Through scriptural analysis, commentary, and thematic discussion, the book offers a structured exploration of how biblical passages address repentance, rebuke, and the process of restoring relationships after wrongdoing. The approach is primarily interpretive and explanatory, combining theological reflection with detailed references to biblical texts in order to clarify the principles presented in the Christian scriptures.

CHAPTER 2


Things the Bible Says About the Requirement of Repentance Before Forgiveness


There are scriptures that talk about God’s forgiveness, and then there are scriptures that talk about man’s forgiveness. Many abusers and abuse-defenders like to insist that these are two separate issues in terms of the prerequisite of repentance. They preach that God’s forgiveness is somehow “different” than man’s forgiveness, in that God always requires repentance, but for some reason, man is not supposed to do the exact same thing and follow the model that God lays out for us. Of course, the rest of the time, they accuse us ofnot being “godly,” but in this particular instance, it works in their favor totell us not to be “godly.”

What the wicked say about repentance not being necessary and forgiveness having to be granted on demand is, of course, not true. It is another lie of the devil. Jesus himself contradicts their assertion in Luke 17:3, which is specifically about man’s forgiveness of another man:

TAKE HEED TO YOURSELVES: IFTHY BROTHER TRESPASS AGAINST THEE, REBUKE HIM; ANDIF HE REPENT, FORGIVE HIM…Luke 17:3 KJV.

*Context~ THEN SAID HE UNTO THE DISCIPLES, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE BUT THAT OFFENCES WILL COME: BUT WOE UNTO HIM, THROUGH WHOM THEY COME! IT WERE BETTER FOR HIM THAT A MILLSTONE WERE HANGED ABOUT HIS NECK, AND HE CAST INTO THE SEA, THAN THAT HE SHOULD OFFEND ONE OF THESE LITTLE ONES. TAKE HEED TO YOURSELVES: IF THY BROTHER TRESPASS AGAINST THEE, REBUKE HIM; ANDIF HE REPENT, FORGIVE HIM, AND IF HE TRESPASS AGAINST THEE SEVEN TIMES IN A DAY,AND SEVEN TIMES IN A DAY TURN AGAIN TO THEE, SAYING, I REPENT; THOU SHALT FORGIVE HIM…Luke 17:1-4 KJV.

*Commentary~ Jesus is very clear that we are to rebuke an offender, and forgive himif he repents. Most Holier-Than-Thous who criticize us for not forgiving very conveniently overlook the entire middle part of this verse which talks about rebuking and repentance. It is almost unheard-of for an evil person to come to us even once and repent, much less seven times in a day.Not because of our “un-forgiveness,” but because of their own “stiff-necked,” stubborn refusal to give up their wickedness, the forgiving-seven-times-in-a-day part of the scripture will pretty much never apply to our situations.

The following verses talk about God’s forgiveness, and repentance being a condition of it. Note that God does not “forgive everyone.” We are only forgiven if and when we repent of our sins:

AND GOD SAW THEIR WORKS, THATTHEY TURNED FROM THEIR EVIL WAY; AND GOD REPENTED OF THE EVIL, THAT HE HAD SAID THAT HE WOULD DO UNTO THEM; AND HE DID IT NOT….Jonah 3:10 KJV.

BUT IF THE WICKED WILLTURN FROM ALL HIS SINS THAT HE HATH COMMITTED, AND KEEP ALL MY STATUTES, AND DO THAT WHICH IS LAWFUL AND RIGHT, HE SHALL SURELY LIVE, HE SHALL NOT DIE. ALL HIS TRANSGRESSIONS THAT HE HATH COMMITTED, THEY SHALL NOT BE MENTIONED UNTO HIM: IN HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS THAT HE HATH DONE HE SHALL LIVE. HAVE I ANY PLEASURE AT ALL THAT THE WICKED SHOULD DIE? SAITH THE LORD GOD: AND NOT THAT HE SHOULD RETURN FROM HIS WAYS, AND LIVE?...Ezekiel 18:21-23 KJV.

THEREFORE, I WILL JUDGE YOU, O HOUSE OF ISRAEL, EVERY ONE ACCORDING TO HIS WAYS, SAITH THE LORD GOD.REPENT, AND TURN YOURSELVES FROM ALL YOUR TRANSGRESSIONS; SO INIQUITY SHALL NOT BE YOUR RUIN. CAST AWAY FROM YOU ALL YOUR TRANSGRESSIONS, WHEREBY YE HAVE TRANSGRESSED; AND MAKE YOU A NEW HEART AND A NEW SPIRIT: FOR WHY WILL YE DIE, O HOUSE OF ISRAEL? FOR I HAVE NO PLEASURE IN THE DEATH OF HIM THAT DIETH, SAITH THE LORD GOD: WHEREFORE TURN YOURSELVES, AND LIVE YE…Ezekiel 18:30-32 KJV.

SAY UNTO THEM, AS I LIVE, SAITH THE LORD GOD, I HAVE NO PLEASURE IN THE DEATH OF THE WICKED; BUT THAT THE WICKED TURN FROM HIS WAY AND LIVE; TURN YE, TURN YE FROM YOUR EVIL WAYS; FOR WHY WILL YE DIE, O HOUSE OF ISRAEL? THEREFORE, THOU SON OF MAN, SAY UNTO THE CHILDREN OF THYPEOPLE,