Yesterday I asked several questions about guilt and sin. Will you answer this follow-up...?

Question

I noticed every answer that speaks of seeking forgiveness from God, neglects to mention any need to make amends for the damage they do to other people.

Oversight? Or is forgiveness from God a substitute to making amends to other people?

Answer 1

Boundaries are always areas of uncertainty. The boundary line between the freedom that comes with forgiveness and accountability is no exception. It takes an awful deal of discernement to take both into account. God's forgiveness should empower me as a wrongdoer to go and make amends, but chances are that such a forgiveness comes through the forgiveness of my direct victim. To make things worse, most of the time the damage is beyond repair. However, it must be said that God's forgiveness is not substitute to making the best to reach out to the victim.

Answer 2

Well, getting forgiveness from God you should repent, you know this. But receiving forgiveness from other people are not that simple. Your responsibility is to ask verbally for forgiveness (be specific and honest). Then you must show people that you have changed by living differently and not making the same mistake all over again.

Forgiveness takes time, so give them time to accept your apology. But in the mean time forgive yourself ( this is the most difficult part) and go on with your life. Remember everybody makes mistakes. Some of us are just unlucky enough that it gets revealed by the ones we love.

God said if you repent and He forgave your sins - it is like it never happened. So, are you going to believe what God say or not?

Answer 3

You are asking 2 different questions. As to our guilt and sin we are forgiven before God (Justified) only by the work of Christ, not anything we do, so it does not include making any amends to others. However when one is justified they are born again and they now start seeking to please God (Sanctification) and this indeed involves making amends. We need to be careful not to confuse the 2 questions to much because many seek to become forgiven merely by living a (good) life and/or making amends but they fall short of the forgiveness of sin before God which is only in Christ. Most who go this route also find they are unable also to live a life of love but only a forced external allusion of being good

Answer 4

It's all well and good to seek forgiveness from God, but the real meaningful act is to make amends. Personally, although I believe in God, I find it meaningless to simply ask for God's forgiveness without doing something to prove that you want to fix what you did.

Answer 5

Making amends with others is important. Somewhere in the bible (and I couldn't seem to locate it this moring - will continue to look for the reference) it talks about making amends with your brother before giving your offerering to the LORD. It tells you to walk away, make amends, then come back.
I don't know how I would make amends to someone I cut off in traffic, but I can make amends with a neighbor, or at least try.

Answer 6

"is forgiveness from God a substitute to making amends to other people?"

Yeah.
Seems to be the Christian norm, all the guilt issues my mother has about not being a supportive mother (not money supportive, but all the other ways). She just goes off and prays about it.

My brother says she was talking about how shes been repenting for it, which does absolutely nothing for anyone. She'll leave the room when my sisters ask for homework help, so she can go repent, it's completely absurd. (I'm glad my brothers there to help them, I moved out when I was 18).

Answer 7

I'm not a spiritual person.
I do not believe in a god.
So I had to learn to forgive people it was scary at first because it made me think they would take advantage of the the fact I did so.
But I think it is hard for people to to say sorry or ask someone for their forgiveness because they are scared they would have to forgive someone if they did the same to them.

To many people rely on something that there is less proof of then aliens existing to feel except. Maybe they should explore the fact the world is unknown becaome comfortable in there own skin.

And most importantly except themselves. Before they forgive some else or ask for forgiveness.

kelly xo.

Answer 8

I think God could care less Bob.

Your right though we need to say that we are sorry and strive to correct or future responses so they have less negative consequences.

I think that sin is an invention designed to scare people into compliance with the wishes of the one calling the action a sin.

Guilt is completely unnecessary. It is a poor substitute for compassionate understanding of the situations of others.

Love and blessings
don

Answer 9

I didn't saw your question yesterday. But in my personal opinion, we must not only seek forgiveness from God, but from the people we have make wrong. And if their if something you could do to amend what you did you must tried it.
Also is important not only to seek forgiveness, but to be repent of what you did; and don't do it again..
And the must important think is also to forgive yourself.
Sometimes people don't want or can't forgive you, but you must tried, and if they don't, then ask God to forgive you; and never again do the same thing!

Answer 10

I wasn't on here yesterday so let me explain this now.Jesus said if thy brother offend thee,rebuke him, if he repent, forgive him.
If we do not make amendments for having wronged our brothers it is not true repentance.
John the Baptist said....bring forth fruit meat for repentance. The fruits are our actions or amends.Thank you for pointing this out,most people think they can just say God forgive me and not consider what they have done to the spirit of the one they have wronged.
No one is going to be just in that.