tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2087443128769701074.post3084007650004910823..comments2023-05-20T08:15:32.309-07:00Comments on Somewhere in my Memory: CraptacularMattityahuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05549061279827942555noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2087443128769701074.post-91634982100239031302007-09-24T20:10:00.000-07:002007-09-24T20:10:00.000-07:00Matthew... I've had days like that. Not with my r...Matthew... I've had days like that. Not with my relatives as much as with some close friends. Just this week I've been dealing with some huge difference of opinions with some people in my small group (one woman in particular, who is a great friend). It gets deep, but the root of the disagreement is that she is saying that if we don't forgive others, God won't forgive us. And it's not just at a theological level here. She is trying to get another man in our small group to forgive some other people based upon this "command" to forgive.<BR/><BR/>I've tried saying that we're in a new covenant, and that we're already forgiven, and it takes time for a person to come to more fully understand the love, grace and forgiveness of our Father, and that we can't simply live by a "command" to forgive, but we must know God's forgiveness more and more, and then the fruit of walking in the Spirit will be a natural outflow of forgiveness for others rather than dead obedience to a command.<BR/><BR/>This has led to her saying that I'm going "against the Word," and as much as I've tried to back myself up, she still can't believe how unbiblical I'm being (in her mind).<BR/><BR/>Fortunately, we've exchanged a few emails since then and we've agreed that even though we disagree, we're still a body and we're still a family.<BR/><BR/>I think it's a good place to be. I'm unhappy that she doesn't see what I believe to be the truth of the "rightly divided" Word of Truth, and I told her that there's no way that I could ever be untrue to what I fully believe to be truth, but when all is said and done, love is even bigger than us all agreeing on everything.Joel Bruesekehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10395847887953875757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2087443128769701074.post-86986554732640798662007-09-24T05:40:00.000-07:002007-09-24T05:40:00.000-07:00How many sins the thief on the cross repented off ...How many sins the thief on the cross repented off before Christ said 'you will be with me in the Paradise'?<BR/>He came to a belief in the Messiah and thats what saved him, not his repentance of past sins. He acknowledged his belief by saying, 'Remember me when you come in to your kingdom'.<BR/>How many sins the people who killed Jesus repented off when Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them for they don't know what they are doing'? Was there any confession or repentence of sins required for God's <I>unconditional</I> forgiveness? Why is God's forgiveness 'unconditional'? Because it is <B>unconditional</B>.Bino M.https://www.blogger.com/profile/02303467552834533436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2087443128769701074.post-26442568630921725432007-09-23T19:37:00.000-07:002007-09-23T19:37:00.000-07:00I actually agree with that. It's what I used to sa...I actually agree with that. It's what I used to say. That repentance is a change of heart toward Jesus, which causes one to put their faith in Christ. <BR/><BR/>When God first gave me repentance/change of mind, I wanted to quit my lifestyle of sin. I wasn't yet saved. I didn't know the gospel, but I was well on my way to understanding it.Mattityahuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05549061279827942555noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2087443128769701074.post-41696736868435942672007-09-23T19:07:00.000-07:002007-09-23T19:07:00.000-07:00Matthew,Have a look at this and see what you think...Matthew,<BR/><BR/>Have a look at <A HREF="http://www.bible.org/qa.php?qa_id=305&topic_id=22" REL="nofollow">this</A> and see what you think.<BR/>I think it lines up with what I have understood.Gary Kirkhamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12870342469118915243noreply@blogger.com