Matthew 6:14-15 "If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions."
My brothers and sisters, this is a fundamental part of our faith. There are many times that I've heard either through acting or in real life the all too familiar phrase "I will never forgive you!" but I tell you that you are doing a damage to your soul but not forgiving, a damage much greater than anything physical, because the damage of what's physical hurts the body but the damage of what's spiritual hurts the soul. In the end all that matters is the soul. For you own sakes I hope you heed this warning.
~~~Below is a list of parts in the Bible I've found have spoken for forgetting the past and sins~~~
Psalm 25:7 "Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, O LORD."
Isaiah 43:18 "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past."
Isaiah 43:25 ""I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.
Isaiah 64:9 "Do not be angry beyond measure, O LORD; do not remember our sins forever. Oh, look upon us, we pray, for we are all your people."
Isaiah 65:17 "Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind."
Ezekiel 33:16 "None of the sins he has committed will be remembered against him. He has done what is just and right; he will surely live."
Zechariah 13:2 "On that day, I will banish the names of the idols from the land, and they will be remembered no more," declares the LORD Almighty. "I will remove both the prophets and the spirit of impurity from the land."
Phillipians 3:13 "Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,"
Hebrews 8:12 "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."
Hebrews 10:17 "Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more."
~~~ For those who don't repent, confess, and change their ways~~~
Jeremiah 14:10 "This is what the LORD says about this people: "They greatly love to wander; they do not restrain their feet. So the LORD does not accept them; he will now remember their wickedness and punish them for their sins."
Hosea 7:2 "but they do not realize that I remember all their evil deeds. Their sins engulf them; they are always before me."
Hosea 8:13 "They offer sacrifices given to me and they eat the meat, but the LORD is not pleased with them. Now he will remember their wickedness and punish their sins: They will return to Egypt."
Hosea 9:9 "They have sunk deep into corruption, as in the days of Gibeah. God will remember their wickedness and punish them for their sins."
(Revelation 2:5 "Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.")
Revelation 18:5 "for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes."
~~~And for those who have changed and are faithful~~~
2 Corinthians 7:15 "And his affection for you is all the greater when he remembers that you were all obedient, receiving him with fear and trembling."
~ ~ ~ To continue ~ ~ ~
We are called to be like God, not like men. Although bound to the realm of physical life where sin overwhelms, we must reach for the better and go against the current. Like Jesus said, if someone smacks you then offer the other cheek, if someone goes to law over your tunic then offer them your coat as well. It is much easier to shout an insult than to extend a helping hand, remember that. The way to Heaven is only one and it's not easy, but the ways to Hell are many and most are not hard at all.
If someone does you wrong, reproach them. If they repent and ask for forgiveness, then forgive and forget. If they don't ask for forgiveness it is not your fault because you are willing to forgive but they aren't willing to repent; forgive them when they are ready to repent and do so. If someone commits the same sin against you and they are sincerely sorry and ask for forgiveness, then forgive and forget. Always forgive and forget.
How would anyone like it if when we die, we are before God for Judgement and he says "you have blasphemed against me before your family and friends, destroyed many lives by not giving to the poor, lusted after men even though you yourself are a man, lied to everyone except male partner everyday of your life, and were too proud to notice your folly. I am sorry, but you cannot enter Heaven. Be gone, I never knew you!". No, I don't think anyone would like that, especially since at that point we can't repent, our life is over and we have to accept our just desserts. But if we acknowledge our sins and are good and merciful He might say "Come my child, Welcome home!". Doesn't that sounds great? instead of "i never knew you" you get "welcome home"... and that just because you have forgiven others there sins and forgetten their iniquities.
Remember that Matthew 7:2 says "For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you." So be merciful, and then forget, so when it comes time for you to be judge God can be merciful and forget your sins, make you white as snow, and enter into the Kingdom of God for all of eternity.
My brothers and sisters, this is a fundamental part of our faith. There are many times that I've heard either through acting or in real life the all too familiar phrase "I will never forgive you!" but I tell you that you are doing a damage to your soul but not forgiving, a damage much greater than anything physical, because the damage of what's physical hurts the body but the damage of what's spiritual hurts the soul. In the end all that matters is the soul. For you own sakes I hope you heed this warning.
~~~Below is a list of parts in the Bible I've found have spoken for forgetting the past and sins~~~
Psalm 25:7 "Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, O LORD."
Isaiah 43:18 "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past."
Isaiah 43:25 ""I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.
Isaiah 64:9 "Do not be angry beyond measure, O LORD; do not remember our sins forever. Oh, look upon us, we pray, for we are all your people."
Isaiah 65:17 "Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind."
Ezekiel 33:16 "None of the sins he has committed will be remembered against him. He has done what is just and right; he will surely live."
Zechariah 13:2 "On that day, I will banish the names of the idols from the land, and they will be remembered no more," declares the LORD Almighty. "I will remove both the prophets and the spirit of impurity from the land."
Phillipians 3:13 "Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,"
Hebrews 8:12 "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."
Hebrews 10:17 "Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more."
~~~ For those who don't repent, confess, and change their ways~~~
Jeremiah 14:10 "This is what the LORD says about this people: "They greatly love to wander; they do not restrain their feet. So the LORD does not accept them; he will now remember their wickedness and punish them for their sins."
Hosea 7:2 "but they do not realize that I remember all their evil deeds. Their sins engulf them; they are always before me."
Hosea 8:13 "They offer sacrifices given to me and they eat the meat, but the LORD is not pleased with them. Now he will remember their wickedness and punish their sins: They will return to Egypt."
Hosea 9:9 "They have sunk deep into corruption, as in the days of Gibeah. God will remember their wickedness and punish them for their sins."
(Revelation 2:5 "Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.")
Revelation 18:5 "for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes."
~~~And for those who have changed and are faithful~~~
2 Corinthians 7:15 "And his affection for you is all the greater when he remembers that you were all obedient, receiving him with fear and trembling."
~ ~ ~ To continue ~ ~ ~
We are called to be like God, not like men. Although bound to the realm of physical life where sin overwhelms, we must reach for the better and go against the current. Like Jesus said, if someone smacks you then offer the other cheek, if someone goes to law over your tunic then offer them your coat as well. It is much easier to shout an insult than to extend a helping hand, remember that. The way to Heaven is only one and it's not easy, but the ways to Hell are many and most are not hard at all.
If someone does you wrong, reproach them. If they repent and ask for forgiveness, then forgive and forget. If they don't ask for forgiveness it is not your fault because you are willing to forgive but they aren't willing to repent; forgive them when they are ready to repent and do so. If someone commits the same sin against you and they are sincerely sorry and ask for forgiveness, then forgive and forget. Always forgive and forget.
How would anyone like it if when we die, we are before God for Judgement and he says "you have blasphemed against me before your family and friends, destroyed many lives by not giving to the poor, lusted after men even though you yourself are a man, lied to everyone except male partner everyday of your life, and were too proud to notice your folly. I am sorry, but you cannot enter Heaven. Be gone, I never knew you!". No, I don't think anyone would like that, especially since at that point we can't repent, our life is over and we have to accept our just desserts. But if we acknowledge our sins and are good and merciful He might say "Come my child, Welcome home!". Doesn't that sounds great? instead of "i never knew you" you get "welcome home"... and that just because you have forgiven others there sins and forgetten their iniquities.
Remember that Matthew 7:2 says "For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you." So be merciful, and then forget, so when it comes time for you to be judge God can be merciful and forget your sins, make you white as snow, and enter into the Kingdom of God for all of eternity.
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