In "Amish Grace", a book I am reading about the Amish Response to the Nickle Mines School Shooting, the Amish many times refer to the verses below as their basis for forgiving the shooter and his family for the crime. As you read this book you find that the Amish view of salvation hinges on these verses. They say that God will not forgive us if we do not forgive others.
Mt 6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
Mt 6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
On the other hand, non-Amish Christians say that we forgive others because God has forgiven us.
Eph 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
Eph 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
We also believe that faith and repentance are required for salvation and that faith is a gift of God.
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:(KJV)
1Jo 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
So how do the verses that the Amish focus on figure into the picture?
Forgiveness is a Christian virtue. If we are unable to forgive others, then perhaps this is an indication that we are not a Christian. It would be a call for self-examination.
What do you think?
Do you agree with what I said above? If not, why not? If so, why?
How do you define forgiveness?
Does forgiveness mean that you also are to forget?
Does forgiveness mean that you pardon the wrong?
Can you forgive someone, yet still have desire for justice?
Is forgiveness an on-going act that must be re-visited mulitiple times or is it a one time done deal?
If you forgive someone, then what happens when the bad feelings come back on you? What then? Have you truly forgiven them or is it something you must do over and over again?
Is forgiveness active or passive (something done in your heart only)? If active, what action is needed toward the offender? Or, does whether it is active or passive depend on the situation?
I would love to hear some comments and get some discussion going on this.
3 comments:
A friend gave me a "Table Talk" devotional guide over the week end that had something on this issue by R.C. Sproul. He says, "...His will includes forgiveness, and only those who forgive can pray this prayer (The Lord's Prayer) sincerely. Only an arrogant person asks God to do for him that which he refuses to do for others, and our Father will not pardon the unforgiving person (MT 6:14-15). By no means, however, do we merit God's forgiveness. He who forgives knows his own wickedness and sees that he is no better than anyone else. He cannot hold a grudge against other sinners since the holy Creator has forgiven him, a sinner. An unforgiving person has not really seen himself as a transgressor undeserving of God's love and in need of forgiveness. Not having truly repented, he does not really know the Lord's pardon and is unable to forgive other sinners. Matthew Henry comments, "He who relents toward his brother thus shows that he repents toward his God.""
This is interesting. There is a large Amish population where I live, and I've often wondered about their doctrine.
What words... super, a brilliant idea
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