If you say you have forgiven someone but cannot have a relationship, then you have not forgiven; it's just words, only words.
There is a new distortion going around, which is that we can forgive someone in our hearts but cannot have a relationship with them. This is not true.
God's purpose for repentance and forgiveness is to reconcile two people.
When we ask God to forgive us He does and the relationship is reconciled. God does not do something different with us that He does not expect us to do with others.
We are not required to forgive those who are not sorry; this does not mean we are bitter; it means the relationship remains broken.
We pray for people, but not all people we have relationships with; some we must avoid because we are walking a very different path with goals to please God, but the other person is not walking that path and will attempt to derail our closeness to God.
God never intended forgiveness to be used as a means of feeling better about ourselves; that would be a selfish goal. Our love for God and others compels us to work toward the harder and more lasting solution.
When we love Christ, we desire the highest good, that is, that a relationship be mended. When it is not possible to mend a relationship because one element of the formula is missing, then we pray for them and move on with our lives.
When someone will not forgive when they are asked, then we leave their choice with them. When someone will not repent when asked, then we move on with our relationship. In either case, until both happen, that is, confession of sin and forgiveness extended, the relationship remains broken.
Please stop saying that you forgive but cannot reconcile; it is unBiblical and flies in the face of God's purpose for both to be applied, two sides of the same coin.
Luke 17:3-4 "…3 Watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 Even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times returns to say, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
Psychology has twisted scriptures into pretzels, causing the opposite result and truth than God originally intended.
This is what reconciliation based on repentance and forgiveness looks like according to the Scriptures. Read it carefully.
Luke 15:18-20 "I will get up and go back to my father and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’ So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still in the distance, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him."
Repentance is expressed, forgiveness is extended, and the ultimate result is reconciliation.
Monday, July 6, 2026
Should the Bible be Taught in Government Schools?
In the matter of the Bible being taught in a godless government school system, I have this to say. God can use it inspite of the culture, but it will indoctrnate the children in false concepts and principles.
We already see this in the false way in which forgiveness has been taught, leading people to believe repentance is not necessary to become a Christian.
It does not work to force unregenerate teachers to teach the Bible. They will not teach the truth about it and will even teach it as mythology!
Teaching children to follow the Ten Commandments sends the wrong message; it causes people to think they can be saved by being good enough. Teachers in school will not know how to teach the truth of salvation if they are not born again themselves.
The commandments were given to show us our sinful nature, that we could never follow them, and that we must desire to be changed by Christ into a new creation to walk in the ways of God.
Attempting to change the culture through the Ten Commandments does not teach them the way of Salvation through faith in Christ.
The teachers won't teach the Bible as history because the teachers are not born again themselves and do not understand properly what they are reading. They will teach the stories of the Bible as myths, not absolute truth. This ruins the children for future evangelism. Once a person has been convinced of the false way, they will rarely follow the truth.
I have met many "Christians" who do not know the Bible themselves, only portions of it the way they wish to believe it and this is the way they will teach it.
Christian parents need to get their children out of those government schools and teach the Bible themselves.
My husband was taught the Bible in the Catholic schools he attended, and it was taught as good literature, but stories that were not true.
The sad thing is that most of our Christian culture does not follow the Bible and believes many things that are wrong because they have listened to other teachers instead of seeking Christ for their answers.
Once those who have not sought Christ believe the lies, they can never let go of them. This is what we are dealing with right now. It is better for a person who has never heard the truth to hear it from an authentically born-again believer for the first time. Than to try to convince someone of the truth who has already believed the lie.
Just as God never told us to build large church buildings, He never told us to allow others to teach our children the Bible. The best thing Christian parents could do is to take their children out of those government schools and teach them at home.
Even worse is that children in school will be encouraged to join those large apostate churches that entertain, just to get them going somewhere.
Matthew 23:15-16 "… 15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You traverse land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are. 16 Woe to you, blind guides!"
Isaiah 29:13 "Therefore the Lord said: “These people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship of Me is but rules taught by men."
Yes, God can use what man has insisted upon, but that does not mean what is being used is the right thing. I have encountered many Pentecostals who think that if something works, then it is alright to use it.
My concern is that too many teachers will teach the wrong things about the Bible, and the children will never discover the truth because the lie sounds so good to them.
God commanded us to go into the world and preach the gospel. He never commanded us to recruit unregenerate teachers to teach it for us.
In Acts, God said this: "The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord."
Did you see that? "The hand of the Lord was with them", the hand of the Lord will not be with the unregenerate teachers who themselves have been taught the wrong things most of their lives.
It matters that we do things God's way, just because something appeared to work does not mean it was good to do. We do far more harm to people by doing things our own way.
Galatians 1:7-9 "which is not even a gospel. Evidently some people are troubling you and trying to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be under a curse! As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be under a curse!"
God tells us not to listen to those who bring a false gospel or teach a bad doctrine. This applies to allowing anyone to teach these things to others in a school system or church gathering. Government schools are government-run and will not have the same perspective as those who are born again by the Holy Spirit of God.
2 Corinthians 11:13-15 "For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their actions."
I know to many people it sounds good that the government schools should be forced to teach the Ten Commandments, but when we look at all the nuances of that he could be indoctrinating children against the truth while sounding like the truth.
We need to stop pretending this is a Christian nation and admit what we are, which is a nation that worships freedom and pleasure, without regard to the Word of God, and worse angst against God Himself.
Our mandate as born-again believers is to tell the truth to each other and bring the gospel to the unsaved. We are not mandated to make the culture do what we would like them to do; we present the truth, and they choose.
But let's remember, this is a culture that is religious at times but has no interest in pleasing God.
Matthew 15:8-9 "8 ‘This people honors Me with their lips,
But their heart is far away from Me.
9 And in vain do they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”
We already see this in the false way in which forgiveness has been taught, leading people to believe repentance is not necessary to become a Christian.
It does not work to force unregenerate teachers to teach the Bible. They will not teach the truth about it and will even teach it as mythology!
Teaching children to follow the Ten Commandments sends the wrong message; it causes people to think they can be saved by being good enough. Teachers in school will not know how to teach the truth of salvation if they are not born again themselves.
The commandments were given to show us our sinful nature, that we could never follow them, and that we must desire to be changed by Christ into a new creation to walk in the ways of God.
Attempting to change the culture through the Ten Commandments does not teach them the way of Salvation through faith in Christ.
The teachers won't teach the Bible as history because the teachers are not born again themselves and do not understand properly what they are reading. They will teach the stories of the Bible as myths, not absolute truth. This ruins the children for future evangelism. Once a person has been convinced of the false way, they will rarely follow the truth.
I have met many "Christians" who do not know the Bible themselves, only portions of it the way they wish to believe it and this is the way they will teach it.
Christian parents need to get their children out of those government schools and teach the Bible themselves.
My husband was taught the Bible in the Catholic schools he attended, and it was taught as good literature, but stories that were not true.
The sad thing is that most of our Christian culture does not follow the Bible and believes many things that are wrong because they have listened to other teachers instead of seeking Christ for their answers.
Once those who have not sought Christ believe the lies, they can never let go of them. This is what we are dealing with right now. It is better for a person who has never heard the truth to hear it from an authentically born-again believer for the first time. Than to try to convince someone of the truth who has already believed the lie.
Just as God never told us to build large church buildings, He never told us to allow others to teach our children the Bible. The best thing Christian parents could do is to take their children out of those government schools and teach them at home.
Even worse is that children in school will be encouraged to join those large apostate churches that entertain, just to get them going somewhere.
Matthew 23:15-16 "… 15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You traverse land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are. 16 Woe to you, blind guides!"
Isaiah 29:13 "Therefore the Lord said: “These people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship of Me is but rules taught by men."
Yes, God can use what man has insisted upon, but that does not mean what is being used is the right thing. I have encountered many Pentecostals who think that if something works, then it is alright to use it.
My concern is that too many teachers will teach the wrong things about the Bible, and the children will never discover the truth because the lie sounds so good to them.
God commanded us to go into the world and preach the gospel. He never commanded us to recruit unregenerate teachers to teach it for us.
In Acts, God said this: "The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord."
Did you see that? "The hand of the Lord was with them", the hand of the Lord will not be with the unregenerate teachers who themselves have been taught the wrong things most of their lives.
It matters that we do things God's way, just because something appeared to work does not mean it was good to do. We do far more harm to people by doing things our own way.
Galatians 1:7-9 "which is not even a gospel. Evidently some people are troubling you and trying to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be under a curse! As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be under a curse!"
God tells us not to listen to those who bring a false gospel or teach a bad doctrine. This applies to allowing anyone to teach these things to others in a school system or church gathering. Government schools are government-run and will not have the same perspective as those who are born again by the Holy Spirit of God.
2 Corinthians 11:13-15 "For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their actions."
I know to many people it sounds good that the government schools should be forced to teach the Ten Commandments, but when we look at all the nuances of that he could be indoctrinating children against the truth while sounding like the truth.
We need to stop pretending this is a Christian nation and admit what we are, which is a nation that worships freedom and pleasure, without regard to the Word of God, and worse angst against God Himself.
Our mandate as born-again believers is to tell the truth to each other and bring the gospel to the unsaved. We are not mandated to make the culture do what we would like them to do; we present the truth, and they choose.
But let's remember, this is a culture that is religious at times but has no interest in pleasing God.
Matthew 15:8-9 "8 ‘This people honors Me with their lips,
But their heart is far away from Me.
9 And in vain do they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”
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