{"id":2891,"date":"2019-01-16T15:21:26","date_gmt":"2019-01-16T14:21:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.manual4life.org\/en\/?p=2891"},"modified":"2019-09-12T11:26:40","modified_gmt":"2019-09-12T10:26:40","slug":"forgiving-practice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/delevensschool.org\/en\/forgiving-practice\/","title":{"rendered":"Forgiving in practice"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>To forgive<\/strong> is the translation of the Greek word <strong>\u2018aphiemi\u2019<\/strong>.<br \/>\nIts correct meaning is explained in \u2018Forgiving \u2013 word study\u2019.<br \/>\nIn that study it is made clear that <strong>\u2018aphiemi\u2019<\/strong> is <strong>a general expression<\/strong> and usually indicates that someone:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>lets go of <strong>something<\/strong> (an event or a statement)<\/li>\n<li>whereby <strong>people<\/strong> are set free.\u00a0 (the person who is \u2018forgiven\u2019 and\/or the person who \u2018forgives\u2019)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>What <strong>forgiving<\/strong> means in practice is explained in this study.<br \/>\nThe focus here is on the <strong>concept<\/strong> of \u2018forgiving\u2019. Therefore little attention is paid to the feelings in the relationships between people, which can play an important role in this context.<\/p>\n<p>There are four discernible areas in which forgiving plays a role:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>man in relationship to God<\/li>\n<li>God in relationship to man<\/li>\n<li>a person in relationship to himself<\/li>\n<li>people in relationship to each other<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Man in relationship to God.<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Some people need to forgive God!?<br \/>\nThis sounds strange against the thought that forgiving has to do with sin and guilt.<br \/>\nGod is perfect and cannot sin, for He is light. Why would anyone have to forgive Him therefore?<br \/>\nThere are nevertheless people who find that God makes mistakes. They are angry with Him and reproach Him for events in their personal life, in the lives of other people or in the world.<br \/>\nThat anger stands in the way of their relationship with Him. They are suspicious as far as He, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are concerned, because they do not fulfil expectations.<\/p>\n<p>For these people it is important to \u2018forgive\u2019 <strong>Gods acts<\/strong>, to <strong>let go of<\/strong> their <strong>judgement<\/strong> of Him.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>God is sovereign and cannot be called to account by people<\/li>\n<li>no one is capable of fathoming God\u2019s acts<\/li>\n<li>He will never anyone who seeks Him in the lurch, however<\/li>\n<li>God is also righteous and leaves a person free as far as his personal responsibility for his own decisions is concerned.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">God in relationship to man.<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Jesus wrought complete forgiveness of sins through His death on the cross.<br \/>\nIn doing so:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em><strong>He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins<\/strong>, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the <strong>whole world<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0 (1 John 2:2)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>a. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">An atonement for the sins of the whole world.<\/span><\/strong><br \/>\nPaul writes:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u2026 that God was <strong>reconciling the world to himself<\/strong> in Christ, not counting people\u2019s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.\u00a0\u00a0 (2 Corinthians 5:19)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>God\u2019s desire was for society to be perfect, and He therefore provided a service of sacrifice for forgiveness of sins, or the removal of the sinner from society by means of capital punishment.<\/p>\n<p>The death of Jesus has wrought complete forgiveness of sins, for every person in the whole world.<br \/>\nGod has reconciled Himself to the world, by <strong>giving everyone the opportunity<\/strong> to receive forgiveness of sins through faith in Jesus Christ.<br \/>\nThis does not mean that everyone is saved automatically, however.<\/p>\n<p><strong>b. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Atonement through faith.<\/span><\/strong><br \/>\nOnly by faith in Jesus Christ is anyone <strong>freed<\/strong> from <strong>transgressions<\/strong>.<br \/>\nThe sins are \u2018let go\u2019, removed from him, as Peter writes that Jesus<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>He himself <strong>bore<\/strong> our sins\u201d in his body <strong>on the cross<\/strong>, so that we might die to sins and <a title=\"Discipleship (1)\" href=\"http:\/\/www.manual4life.org\/en\/discipleship-1\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">live for righteousness<\/span><\/a>; \u201cby his wounds you have been healed.\u00a0\u00a0 (1 Peter 2:24 )<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>When, through faith\/trust in Jesus Christ, sins are removed from a believer, He then places the believer before Himself,<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u2026 without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (Ephesians 5:27)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>Remark:<\/strong><br \/>\nWhen the <strong>forgiveness<\/strong> of sins is referred to, the deeper meaning is always: <strong>letting go of, or being made loose from the sins<\/strong>.<br \/>\nThe sin sacrifice, which the high priest offered during the <a title=\"Studies in preparation\" href=\"http:\/\/www.manual4life.org\/en\/studies-preparation\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Great Day of Atonement<\/span><\/a>, whereby the sins were laid on a billy goat, which was brought to the desert, to die there, illustrates this splendidly.<\/p>\n<p>A person is set free by God through faith in Jesus Christ, because he is <strong>set free<\/strong> from <strong>his sins<\/strong>. The <strong>sins<\/strong> are <strong>removed<\/strong> from him.<br \/>\nLike the slave in the parable in Matthew 18:23-35 was <strong>set free<\/strong>, because the pressure of the debt amounting to 10,000 talents was removed from him.<\/p>\n<p>Isaiah prophesied:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>But your iniquities have <strong>separated<\/strong> you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.\u00a0\u00a0 (Isaiah 59:2)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Forgiveness of sins, through faith in Jesus Christ, removes this separation, because the sins of the believer are removed.<br \/>\n<strong>Forgiveness is not the final goal<\/strong> in this context, but rather the <strong>door<\/strong> that gives access to <strong>a life in relationship with God<\/strong>, the Father, for people who have <a title=\"Flesh and Spirit, curse and grace\" href=\"http:\/\/www.manual4life.org\/en\/flesh-spirit-curse-grace\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">become a new creation<\/span><\/a> during their lifetime.<br \/>\nThe purpose of forgiveness is that whoever is freed by Jesus Christ in this way, goes on thankfully to live as His disciple <strong>in an intimate relationship with Him<\/strong>.<br \/>\nThrough following Jesus Christ the disciple is loosed from the desire to sin, because the love of God <a title=\"Discipleship (2)\" href=\"http:\/\/www.manual4life.org\/en\/discipleship-2\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">is poured out in his heart<\/span><\/a>, by the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Someone in relationship to himself.<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Anyone who realises that he\/she has been absolved of all guilt, however great that may be, through faith in Jesus Christ, must not continue to accuse him\/herself.<br \/>\nWhoever \u2018consecrates himself and <a title=\"The law and the curse\" href=\"http:\/\/www.manual4life.org\/en\/law-curse\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">does his very best<\/span><\/a>\u2019, to live as a disciple of Jesus Christ, is completely accepted by Him and may become free by forgiving himself.<\/p>\n<p>God judges in a completely righteous manner.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>He knows that people live and act as a result of their past: origin, education, choices and events.<\/li>\n<li>He knows that no one can live without sinning, but will stumble regularly, even as a disciple of Jesus Christ.<\/li>\n<li>He knows that everyone can fall, however good his intentions may be.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If God wants to go further with someone, in spite of his failures, and sets him\/her free, he\/she may not condemn him\/herself, but go on to live in that freedom.<\/p>\n<p>Paul takes that freedom as well, when he says:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, \u2026<br \/>\n(1 Corinthians 4:3-4)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>This is not a licence for a life without God\u2019s law, of course, for he says:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u2026 but that does not make me innocent.\u00a0\u00a0 (1 Corinthians 4:4)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Paul leaves the judgement of his life to Jesus Christ, who judges righteously, when he says:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>It is the Lord who judges me.\u00a0\u00a0 (1 Corinthians 4:4)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>This does not discharge anyone from his responsibilities in relationship to other people, of course.<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">People in relationship to each other.<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>There are three areas of importance as far as the relationship of people to each other is concerned:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Allowing others\u2019 personal responsibility.<\/li>\n<li>Allowing others\u2019 responsibility even when I am disadvantaged.<\/li>\n<li>Forgiving others who have consciously done me wrong.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>1. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Allowing the other person\u2019s personal responsibility.<\/span><\/strong><br \/>\nPeople often pronounce judgement on others, even though it is no concern of theirs, or they criticise people because they do things differently to what they themselves are used to.<\/p>\n<p>Jesus was invited to a friend\u2019s house and, during the meal,<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u2026 a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.\u00a0\u00a0 (Mark 14:3)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Some of those who were at the table were indignant at this waste (with a value of approximately 15 months\u2019 salary) and judged that it would have been better to have sold the myrrh and to give the proceeds thereof to the poor.<\/p>\n<p>But Jesus said:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u201c<strong>Leave her alone (aphiemi)<\/strong>,\u201d said Jesus. \u201cWhy are you bothering her?\u00a0\u00a0 (Mark 14:6 )<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>This could also have been translated as follows: <strong>Forgive<\/strong> her; why are you bothering her?<\/p>\n<p>The woman performed a deed for Jesus. She was not accountable to anyone with regard to what she did with her personal property. The only person who could have made a remark about this was Jesus, because the woman performed a deed for Him.<\/p>\n<p>Paul expresses this as follows:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>Who are you to judge someone else\u2019s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.\u00a0\u00a0 (Romans 14:4)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Everyone must let others, with whom he has no relationship of authority, assume their own personal responsibility and \u2018forgive\u2019 others\u2019 acts, \u2018let go of\u2019 others\u2019 acts.<br \/>\nIn this way their relationship will not be disrupted by condemnation.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Let others assume their responsibility even if I am disadvantaged.<\/span><\/strong><br \/>\nThis can have two aspects:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Another person does wrong by accident.<\/li>\n<li>Another person carries out an order.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Another person does wrong by accident.<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\nIt can happen that someone disadvantages someone else unintentionally.<br \/>\nEveryone does wrong by accident from time to time.<br \/>\nSomebody can cause hurt by an unthinking statement, or by an act as a result of which someone else suffers damage, even if it was only a stain on someone\u2019s clothing by knocking a cup of coffee over.<\/p>\n<p>Jesus teaches in the \u2018Lord\u2019s Prayer\u2019:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>And forgive us our debts, <strong>as we also have forgiven<\/strong> our debtors.\u00a0\u00a0 (Matthew 6:12)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The disadvantaged person should \u2018let go of\/forgive\u2019 the other person in every situation, thus keeping the relationship free from condemnation.<br \/>\nFor the \u2018guilty party\u2019 to ask for forgiveness does not make much sense therefore, but it is very important, of course, that he\/she realises what has been caused, expresses sincere regret (is repentant) and assumes his responsibility as far as the possible damage is concerned.<\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Another person carries out an order.<\/span><\/strong><br \/>\nSomeone can feel disadvantaged by someone else who is simply exercising his profession and acting in accordance with his responsibility, such as a police officer, for example, who writes out a fine for incorrect parking.<br \/>\nThe officer is simply doing his job and it is wrong to scold him for that.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Forgive\u2019<strong> the remark<\/strong> that the department head makes about a task that has not been carried out correctly. Accept his comment and try to do the work better in future, without grudge or bitterness.<\/p>\n<p>The most extreme situation is to be found in Jesus\u2019 case, when He is crucified.<br \/>\nWhen the soldiers hammer the nails through His wrists and feet, He obviously experiences in His Spirit that His Father can no longer look at this and wants to intervene.<br \/>\nThen Jesus said, maybe calling this out in His pain:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u201cFather, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 (Luke 23:34)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>In other words:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>Father, let go of the soldiers, let them carry on, forgive them for doing so. They are only carrying out an order.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>3. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Forgiving someone who has wronged me.<\/span><\/strong><br \/>\nPeter approached Jesus with the question:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u201cLord, how many times shall I <strong>forgive<\/strong> my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 (Matthew 18:21)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Jesus answered:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.\u00a0\u00a0 (Matthew 18:22)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The number 7 is the number of the fullness of God in the Bible.<br \/>\nThink, among other things, of creation in seven days, seven days trekking round Jericho and seven times on the last day, the Feast of Tabernacles that lasted seven days, 7&#215;7 for the year of jubilee.<br \/>\nWhen Peter asks \u2018up to seven times\u2019, that is more than enough according to his way of thinking.<br \/>\nJesus answers however: 10 x 7 x 7.\u00a0\u00a0 (10 is the number of completeness)<br \/>\nIn other words: <strong>Always<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Anyone who realises that Jesus is always ready to forgive must also be ready to forgive others himself.<br \/>\nThis is extremely important, for:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>With the measure you use, it will be measured to you &#8211; and even more.\u00a0\u00a0 (Mark 4:24)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Jesus warns:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>For if <strong>you forgive other people<\/strong> when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will <strong>also forgive you<\/strong>. But if <strong>you do not forgive other<\/strong>s their sins, your Father <strong>will not forgive your sins<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0 (Matthew 6:14-15)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>A disciple of Jesus Christ must always be ready \u2018to let go of\u2019 others\u2019 faults, so that the relationship with those persons remains open and it is possible to make repairs.<br \/>\nThe question: \u201cWill you forgive me\u201d, is also unnecessary in this context.<br \/>\nThinking about what Jesus says, the answer of a disciple of Jesus Christ can only be \u201cYes\u201d, therefore.<\/p>\n<p>When someone has consciously or unconsciously caused damage to someone else, he must not ask for forgiveness, but show true repentance and realise what he\/she has caused.<br \/>\nOnly then is the way free to keep the relationship open between them both, or to repair it.<\/p>\n<p>See also the studies: <a title=\"Forgiveness \u2013 basic principles 1\" href=\"http:\/\/www.manual4life.org\/en\/forgiveness-basic-principles-1\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Forgiveness \u2013 basic principles 1 and 2<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Print this study as a PDF document:<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.manual4life.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Forgiving-in-practice.pdf\">Forgiving in practice.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>To forgive is the translation of the Greek word \u2018aphiemi\u2019. Its correct meaning is explained in \u2018Forgiving \u2013 word study\u2019. In that study it is made clear that \u2018aphiemi\u2019 is a general expression and usually indicates that someone: lets go of something (an event or a statement) whereby people are set free.\u00a0 (the person who [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/delevensschool.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2891"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/delevensschool.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/delevensschool.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/delevensschool.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/delevensschool.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2891"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/delevensschool.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2891\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2982,"href":"https:\/\/delevensschool.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2891\/revisions\/2982"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/delevensschool.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2891"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/delevensschool.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2891"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/delevensschool.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2891"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}