Is Jesus able to forgive sins at the white throne judgement?
In a word, no. This is the final judgment. The first resurrection, see Revelation 20, involved the righteous dead: Old Testament (OT) saints, and those who become Christians during the Great Tribulation. One verse in Rev. 20 says, "the REST of the dead" didn't come back to life till the thousand years are over. So at this judgment, there won't be anyone except the dead, small and great. No mention of any other category. Those who are there will be judged according to their deeds. The worst thing of all is the statement that those who receive sentence will be cast, KJV, or thrown (NASB) into the lake of fire. Won't it be horrible, the last glimpse of anything before spending forever in flames is the look of Jesus and you, or anyone else, realizing you didn't have to be there or go there. The remedy is salvation! You have today and no guarantee of any additional days. Once you're dead, that's it, as there is no coming back according to the Bible. Please trust Christ as your savior today.
Do you forgive with judgement?
It means willing to overlook your disputes with others. It does not mean you magically think the other person is right. You are just willing to let it go and let God handle it. You ask God to bless the other person. If it was an offense against you, then you are willing to pass over it and put it in the hands of God without harboring feelings of anger and wanting to get back at the other person. Most people know when someone does something with the intent to do another harm. Of course, you would not agree with that. But true forgiveness dictates that you let go and let God see that person is brought to repentance. We believe in God's justice and His ability to bring this about. Therefore we should seek to see the person as God sees him, and this should move us to total compassion and a willingness to overlook his transgression against you.Even more so knowing how much God has forgiven in our own lives. Peace!
Do you think that injustice too should be forgiven? Why or why not?
Some injustice can be forgiven, such as in the court of law if the perpetrator is remorseful. Forgiveness is due yet punishment must be carried out, perhaps to a lesser degree depending if it is a repeat crime and so forth. HOWEVER, I am a realist and understand that some injustices are unforgivable and nonnegotiable with "diplomacy" such as trying to rationalize with Al-Qaeda and groups like Ansar al-Sunnah who behead people in front of cameras with knives or execute people whom they have "passed" judgement on based on their interpretation of Islamic law Your question is valid yet it is general. Things aren't really that BLACK and WHITE in reality, unfortunately~ And not to poke at people's sensitive sides here but sometimes I think Obama gets carried away with thinking he is Jesus who can bring peace through "talking and forgiveness" People like him are like Neville Chamberlain who thought trying to rationalize with those who are unjust (i.e Hitler and the Nazi Party) can somehow bring about a positive outcome. Injustice to a certain degree can be forgiven, but who is to say where that line is drawn?
Can justice and forgiveness go hand in hand? Should they?
Wow. this is a great question. The answer is yes. If you believe in our justice system, and justice is meted out, the criminal does his or her time, and then becomes a law abiding citizen, they can be forgiven. Some people forgive others who murder loved ones, that are doing life or waiting for the death penalty. Justice is not supposed to be revenge, and revenge rarely includes forgiveness. They should go together but many people just can’t find forgiveness. Then perhaps, they need to be forgiven. In all honesty, I do not find forgiveness easy. I am a Christian. I just can’t forgive some things. But I can admit that and I will not pretend I forgive in order to be a Christian. I am a sinner and I am forgiven. We can’t know who is sincere all the time, so forgiving is for each of us to decide. So yes, it can be done, I’m just not that big of a person. Working on it.
Forgiving Your Enemies?
Hello Dantes dear! What great questions! Question #1. Forgiving our enemies does not absolve them of their crimes and while we through the power of the Holy Spirit can forgive them, they still must be punished in accordance to the law for their wrong doing. Forgiveness is not a replacement for justice. Question #2. When the accused are found by a court of their peers to be innocent of the charges then yes, they are supposed to be completely absolved of any accusation. Unfortunately we live in a society of people who take upon the mantle of judgement themselves and do not always agree with the courts as we should. Take for instance O.J. Simpson...did he kill Nicole? Who knows for sure other than God...the court announced him innocent by the jury's vote...and yet so many continue to judge him as a murderer. That is not right. If in fact he did kill his wife...he will be judged by God, but we should let it go. Hey have a great weekend my friend! Hugs, Pami xoxo
Does forgiveness equal forgetting?
Of course not, we dont have any conscious control over our memories. To lose the pain, you need to accept that what happened, happened. Its in the past, there's nothing you can do but move forward now. (easier said than done for sure) But forgiving someone doesnt mean that you let them walk all over you. It means that you're not going to hold onto the pain and the hurt. This person needs to earn your trust. They need to show you that they're trust worthy. It definitely takes time.
Why is forgiveness better than revenge?
A very, very long time ago, two very powerful and all-knowing divine beings met on a sparkling path not far from where the latter lived. We'll call them Newman and Tu, and they were rival gods from rival heavens. But heaven knows what they were rivals about!They circled around each other for a while, wondering what to do, until Newman opened his mouth to speak. (Now, Newman, you see, was a bit of a devil in his youth. Known for causing trouble and playing tricks; he liked to tease the lesser beings by hiding great wisdom in the sweetest of fruits. Tu was an upstanding sort, a bit of a hero, always saving the most divine girls and always, always known for his honesty.)Newman said... I forgive you.Tu thought for a long time... centuries in fact. He sought every corner of his mind for evidence of his crime. And finding nothing, he thundered at Newman; he had done nothing that needed forgiving! Newman just smiled.Tu yelled louder and louder, but Newman just smiled. I forgive you, he said.So Tu, at the end of his wits, drew his saber with such speed the air itself whistled in shock, a frightening sword made of solid light, and he drove it deep into Newman's chest. Newman just smiled, stood up, brushed himself off (as very powerful divine beings often do). As gentlemanly as he could with a black hole in his belly, he reached over and squeezed Tu's shoulder warmly, and he whistled softly as he walked off up the path. Before long, he was so busy playing with his worlds, he quite forgot the whole thing!Tu... he stormed and grumbled and set fire to the trees, sliced valleys deep into the core of the land, drained the oceans down to the sand, tore apart continents with his bare hands, and turned all the sky to ash and tears. And he's still there, plotting his revenge, while Newman has grown old and forgetful and rather fond of plotting his garden.It just goes to show... A devil in heaven is worth Tu in hell.Hmm. Or is it: Tu's error was Newman; to forgive is divine.Ah, I wrote a story in need of a punishingly bad - I mean amorally so - moral. Anyone have ideas?
What Is FORGIVENESS ...?
Forgiveness is a 'total letting go' ... not just of the bad that was done to you, but also of the 'bad' you are doing to your friend/acquaintance by not trusting her. You don't have to trust her, but you do need to 'let it go' and then the two of you will be able to interact and possibly let trust build again over time. I'm married, and my husband did something he shouldn't have ... I couldn't trust him by myself, but over time, he has earned my trust back because I was able to 'let go' of what he did wrong. People are amazing creatures ... we are the only beings on earth that use 'trust' as a 'biggie' in our lives. Animals all simply interact, with no 'judgement' of the others' deeds ... let's say you forget to feed your dog one day ... it's hurt and lets you know it's hurt, but the next day, at the normal time, the dog 'expects' to see its dinner right there where it belongs ... that should show you the sort of 'forgiveness' you need to have, for yourself, and for your friend. It's difficult, and you may need to 'force yourself' to see things in a different light ... but if you can, then a small miracle has happened, because the next time you are 'hurt' it will be easier to 'forgive' ... and so on until you can 'forgive' even as you are being 'assaulted' by others ... and that forgiveness will be so overwhelming that the assaults will become fewer and fewer, because when you 'forgive' instantly, the 'assault' (insult, slap, cheating, whatever) can not HURT you, and if that can't happen, then why bother doing the 'bad deed.' Try it ... and then go call your friend and make a date to get together for some 'old time fun' ... and see what happens. Have a happy Independence Day!
Why do we ask for forgiveness?
I've identified a couple of reasons:1. To benefit ourselves when we have offended someone. If we are asking a person that we offended or hurt in some way to forgive us, then we may be wanting them to release any offense or judgment in order to help reconcile and restore the relationship. If we are asking God to forgive us, then it is for our benefit to restore the relationship with God and receive cleansing.2. To benefit the person we offended. If we understand forgiveness and know that when the offended person holds on to offenses, they hurt themselves and pollute their minds and bodies with bitterness, then we may ask them to forgive us because we care about them and don't want them to needlessly suffer.An offended person who holds on to offenses and judgments also cuts themselves off from God, so if we truly care about them, then we should ask them to forgive us and to forgive others and to make things right with God.Forgiveness is about releasing the evidence of our afflictions and any judgments or condemnation so the one ultimate Judge over all people can take that evidence, weigh it on His perfect scale of righteousness, determine where the guilt lies, make a right judgment, pronounce the sentence, convict the guilty party, and execute justice at the perfect time.God can always be trusted to carry out the job of Judge and Executioner of Justice perfectly, so when we refuse to forgive, we are actually hindering justice from being served.Forgiveness is extremely rewarding on many levels. When we forgive others or ask for forgiveness and encourage others to forgive, we are opening the door for God's supernatural power to move in the situation and create life and light where darkness had once been. It's like detonating a nuclear bomb in the middle of the enemy's camp, which is why Satan fights so diligently to keep us in the dark regarding the true purpose and power of forgiveness.Let's keep pressing on!