Forgiveness is a remitting of debt. To send away a debt, in other words to act as though the debt no longer exists.
When we do this for unrepentant people they tend to believe they can get away with everything without any consequences. I know lots of people who have incurred college debt that they have no intention of paying because they can get "government forgiveness for their school debts." This is wrong, mainly because the money they borrowed belongs to you and I and other hard working tax paying workers. Also, if we did this with our taxes they would seriously punish us for not paying our taxes.
The fact is that the more we let people get away with their sin the more they do that sin and even move on to other sins they might not otherwise have done.
Forgiveness is for those who are sorry, however even if they are sorry about a monetary debt, they are still required to pay what they owe. Forgiveness does not remove consequences or responsibilities. And yet, in our culture this monstrous injustice is growing because of the propensity to focus on personal feelings more than responsibility and justice.
A thief or rapist may be sorry they did their crime, even repentant, they are still required to do the time. There are many criminals who are sorry they got caught but are not sorry they did the crime. That's why we must maintain accountability. Also, a truly repentant criminal will want to do their time.
The one who demands forgiveness without contrition is very likely not sorry and will continue their sin.
A good Christian witness is to do things God's way. It is not a good Christian witness to allow sinners to keep on sinning who are not sorry. They must understand the justice of God and fear Him. We remove all fear of God when we allow sin to be easy to do and easy to keep doing.
Proverbs 26:3 "
3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the backs of fools! 4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be like him.…"
Proverbs 10:13
"Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning, but a rod is for the back of him who lacks judgment."
Proverbs 17:10
"A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool."
Proverbs 19:25
"Smite a scorner, and the simple will beware: and reprove one that hath understanding, and he will understand knowledge."
Proverbs 19:28-29
"28 A corrupt witness mocks justice, and a wicked mouth swallows iniquity. 29 Judgments are prepared for mockers, and beatings for the backs of fools."
Some of the things that foolish people are saying now were never said when we were growing up. In fact just the opposite things were being said. The reason our culture has degraded to the degree it has is because we have set aside Biblical principles in order to follow the dictates of psychology.
Even the church has set aside God's teachings and principles in order to be accepted by the world. Does anyone notice the world filled with psychology is getting worse with every passing day?
This all reminds me of the two foolish psychiatrists who encounter a broken and bleeding man in the ditch as they are on their stroll. They both look into the ditch with dismay and agony as they proclaim to one another, "the man who did this really needs our help."
Does anyone else see this very mentality exercised every day in our culture as though it is gospel truth?
The fact is that the broken and bleeding man in the ditch needs someone's help and the person who beat him needs punishment. Yep, that's as simple as it gets.
Proverbs 18:2
"A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion."
Proverbs 1:7
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction."
Proverbs 29:9
"If a wise man has an argument with a fool, the fool only rages and laughs, and there is no quiet."
Sadly educators have been coddling the wicked while beating up on the righteous as though the righteous are doing something wrong by exacting punishment on evil doers.
Proverbs 26:3-12
"A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of fools. Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes. Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool cuts off his own feet and drinks violence. Like a lame man's legs, which hang useless, is a proverb in the mouth of fools. ..."
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