Are people with resentment lost?

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DutchJona

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The bible says that , If you forgive, your heavenly Father will also forgive. We must forgive, as we hope to be forgiven.

Are all people whit resentment lost ?

John 20: 23 Says :
If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven; if you retain anyone’s sins, they are retained.

catholic.org/bible/book.php?id=50&bible_chapter=20
 
That determination is above our pay grades. Really, we cannot know for sure and one need not speculate except with regard to oneself, y’know?
 
DutchJona said:
Are all people with resentment lost ?
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In a word, no.

Keeping resentment in your heart certainly doesn’t make things better. It violates the commandment to love one another. Resentment might cause you to neglect to do charitable works, help the needy, and so on. Resentment is also very self-centered. How can we be close to God when we are so wrapped up in ourselves and not concerned about our fellow man? Perhaps this is behind the phrase in the Lord’s Prayer, “forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

Be that as it may, there is always the chance that the resentful person will repent and change.

And there is always the love and mercy of God, the Good Shepherd who seeks out the lost sheep and brings it home rejoicing.
Luke 15:3-7 (Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition)
So he told them this parable: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
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My understanding of John 20:23 is that Jesus was giving the apostles (and through them, the Church) the authority to forgive sins, which is the basis for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. I am not sure that it relates to our forgiveness of those who have done us wrong.
 
DutchJona said:
The bible says that , If you forgive, your heavenly Father will also forgive. We must forgive, as we hope to be forgiven.

Are all people whit resentment lost ?

John 20: 23 Says :
If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven; if you retain anyone’s sins, they are retained.

catholic.org/bible/book.php?id=50&bible_chapter=20
Click to expand...
John 20:23 is about the apostles forgiving someone else’s sins - the apostolic authority to remit sins in persona Christi. It is not about people with resentment.

Our imperfect nature is such that it is not always easy to forgive others’ offenses. In fact, at times it can be a heroic act. It is certainly something we are called to do. But God, who is perfect, forgives perfectly - thus as long as we repent and as long as we try our best to forgive the offenses of our fellow neighbor, then God will deal kindly with us and our resentments - He does not look at end results, but rather at the intention and at the way.

As for “lost”: nobody is lost in this life. This is guaranteed by the nails stuck in the Lord’s hands and feet. On His Cross is the guarantee that whosoever shall repent and believe can be saved.
 
I am praying: May the Lord strengthen your faith and bring you peace.
 
And there is a difference between feeling resentment and relishing it, nurturing it, and deliberately not wanting to let it go. We all feel resentment against another person from time to time, and we may have the feeling for a long time, depending on the reasons for it in the first place. But to center our lives in it and make it the excuse for not willing to forgive and let go is another matter. We cannot know who falls into the unwilling to let go category, but we can let resentment go in our own lives, no matter how we might feel about it. Letting go and forgiving is an act of our will. Feelings have nothing to do with that. But, as we will ourselves to forgive and pray for those who offend us, the less resentment we tend to feel. 🙂
 
I like Della’s answer, as I usually do.

Also I think one of the beautiful things about Catholic theology is that it teaches us there is a difference between venial sin and mortal sin.

I would think - and I personally because of my own sinful resentments HOPE - that being unable to let go of some resentments is a venial sin. One which we should of course try to conquer and overcome and root out. But still venial.

I think many Catholics lose heart over their imperfections. We need to keep the difference between venial and mortal sin in mind when we examine our consciences and not let our hearts be excessively troubled. As long as we are sincerely trying to repent of all our sins, I would think we can have a firm hope that God will save us and bring us to Himself in heaven.

"For a sin to be mortal, three conditions must together be met: “Mortal sin is sin whose object is grave matter and which is also committed with full knowledge and deliberate consent.”
Catechism paragraph 1857
 
should be nice to tell the world that we can be free of pain and bitterness.
Healing power of forgiveness, Letting go of grudges and bitterness can make way for compassion, kindness and peace. Forgiveness can lead to:

Healthier relationships
Greater spiritual and psychological well-being
Less anxiety, stress and hostility
Lower blood pressure
Fewer symptoms of depression
Lower risk of alcohol and substance abuse

list of big forums boards
big-boards.com/kw/society/
 
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