Love the sinner, hate the sin?

[Lady_Love]

So I have been thinking about this some more and in talking with a friend this morning I can see that their can be an act of forgiveness that could be selfish. If we are forgiving for God and glorify Him by doing it that is good. When it becomes a selfish act would be when we do it for our own benefit and self glorification. It is something I find myself questioning all the time and I believe we all should be questioning. Are we doing what we are doing to glorify God or ourselves. Does this make sense?

What you are discussing would be perfect forgiveness, definitely what we are aiming for. But often forgiveness can be a work in progress. Jesus says to Peter, “Forgive seventy times seven times.” The number seven represents perfection so we might gather from this statement that we should forgive until it is COMPLETE. We may start out forgiving with imperfection and selfishness but if we continue in the commitment to forgive eventually we will arrive at perfect forgiveness.

We can look at the carrying of the cross as the journey of forgiveness. It can be painful, grueling, seem impossible, exhausting, etc. But like Jesus we keep climbing, then we nail ourselves to our cross by making the commitment, and with the help of Jesus we can cry out in union with Him, “IT IS CONSUMMATED!” or otherwise translated to “It is finished!” Then we can release it just like Jesus released His spirit and then enter into GLORY!

 

[simple_soul]

What you are discussing would be perfect forgiveness, definitely what we are aiming for. But often forgiveness can be a work in progress. Jesus says to Peter, “Forgive seventy times seven times.” The number seven represents perfection so we might gather from this statement that we should forgive until it is COMPLETE. We may start out forgiving with imperfection and selfishness but if we continue in the commitment to forgive eventually we will arrive at perfect forgiveness.

We can look at the carrying of the cross as the journey of forgiveness. It can be painful, grueling, seem impossible, exhausting, etc. But like Jesus we keep climbing, then we nail ourselves to our cross by making the commitment, and with the help of Jesus we can cry out in union with Him, “IT IS CONSUMMATED!” or otherwise translated to “It is finished!” Then we can release it just like Jesus released His spirit and then enter into GLORY!

All I can say is that was very beautifully put. Thank you for Sharing that.

 

[AlanFromWichita]

It is something I find myself questioning all the time and I believe we all should be questioning. Are we doing what we are doing to glorify God or ourselves. Does this make sense?

Makes perfect sense to me.

When I think about it, I do have mixed motives for nearly anything good I might do. Who can say which is the one driving me, but either way my decision has to be, to do the good. If I don’t, then self-doubt will have claimed victory over a good act. This thinking has helped me.

Alan

 

[simple_soul]

Makes perfect sense to me.

When I think about it, I do have mixed motives for nearly anything good I might do. Who can say which is the one driving me, but either way my decision has to be, to do the good. If I don’t, then self-doubt will have claimed victory over a good act. This thinking has helped me.

Alan

So in other word, trust what I believe my reason is for forgiving and stop letting what others "might" think my reason is for forgiving because it makes me second guess myself. :)