Basically the question above: if someone forgives you for some terrible thing you did to them, will God forgive you as well?
Are there any sayings in the bible that speak either way?
2007-09-03 07:21:49 · 23 answers · asked by substance_of_desire 3 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
Here's another example of what I'm trying to ask:
Say a dog bit you when you were a child, and you completely, without a shred of doubt, forgive that dog for biting you. Would God forgive the dog, too?
2007-09-03 07:32:43 · update #1
Yes... when someone forgives us, God also forgives us for God is not the form of human beings. In the cosmic system of things everything is governed by the doctrine of karma... as we sow so shall we reap... nothing less or more! Forgiveness is one of the biggest traits of character existing in human beings.
Forgiving one means eradicating the thoughts of one from the very soul of ours forever. Unless you truly forgive one... we keep invoking more and more negative thoughts about one! The moment we forgive one... all thoughts related to one just seem to disappear! Only when one truly forgives another are we forgiven!
Continuing despising others carries no meaning! We understand the past cannot be done away! Neither can we change our past. Why indulge in matters that directly affect our thinking and the psyche! God Almighty does not directly interfere in the affairs of his! God always acts as a Dhrista (onlooker)!
Why indulge and spoil our present... life is living the present to its full! The more we indulge in the past... greater unhappiness engulfs us! To break free of all the indulgences... we must practice forgiveness in each and every affair of ours. Forgiveness is killing the matter in its roots. Once forgiven... the matter ends there and then!
Why recollect the unhappy happenings of the past! Every Scripture... every religion advocates practicing forgiveness to its extreme. Hinduism and Jainism scriptures make it absolutely clear that it is only human beings who need to forgive one another. God Almighty is not the least concerned in the affairs of human beings. More on Forgiveness - http://www.godrealized.org/Forgiveness.html
2007-09-10 16:02:47 · answer #1 · answered by godrealized 6 · 5⤊ 0⤋
The blessed quality of forgiveness applies to the person doing the forgiving, no one else. If you feel that you need forgiveness from God for something you are guilty of in the past, then you only need to forgive yourself and do your best not to do the same thing again. Jesus said ´go away and sin no more.' To dwell in the past is to block your happiness.
To think of God as a judge is not very useful. He loves us all the same no matter what we do. He would like us to be happy, though, and the best way to be happy is to live the best life we can, with compassion, charity and humility
2007-09-03 08:23:55 · answer #2 · answered by Karlito 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The god in the bible seems to forgive you even if the person involved doesn't. As long as you are sincere about it.
If you believe the old testament, you'd have to sacrifice a lamb. But the new testament is a little more 'soft-sell'. I think you just have to ask to be forgiven. (although you have to forgive others to be forgiven)
There is someone else important to consider. Yourself. You have to forgive yourself. Otherwise you will continue to feel guilty. Don't be too fixated on what a religious book says...
2007-09-03 07:43:26 · answer #3 · answered by David B 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
God definitely forgives you, when you confess to God that you have sinned. It says in Psalm 103:11-12, "For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us." Transgressions in simple words is sins or bad things. Forgiveness only comes from God, whether or not if the person forgave or not. Forgiveness is ONLY possible if you believe in Jesus Christ, because of Jesus taking the punishment for our sins because he loved us so much (John 3:16). Once you have confessed with your mouth to God what you have done wrong, you are instantly forgiven. If you begin to feel guilty, dismiss it because guilt does not come from God. If you are not saved, please read Romans 10:9.
2007-09-11 07:07:50 · answer #4 · answered by Leesha 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
God forgives you whether or not. The person you did something to should forgive you, but if he can't, certainly God can.
The Jews have a very interesting tradition called T'Shuvah. If you do something bad, you have to realize that what you did was wrong. You have to make it up to the person, one way or another, to do as much as you can to satisfy the person you transgressed against. Then you have to say you know it was wrong and promise never to do it again. You don't have to say it -to- anyone, but God wants to hear you say the words aloud (words have power!)
THEN, you are actually better of than if you hadn't done it! A person who has succumbed to temptation and then overcome his weakness is better than someone who never did anything wrong!
2007-09-03 07:33:17 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Someone forgiving you does not mean that you yourself are forgiven. You are held accountable for what you have done in God's eyes. You will be forgiven by God when you ask for forgiveness from Him. He is a generous God, eager to forgive, if you first acknowledge and admit what you have done to him, and them ask for his forgiveness. In a way, the person who forgives you, is acting exactly as God would act, by being kind enough to pardon you of your guilt. Confess your guilt, and be forgiven by God.
2007-09-09 17:02:55 · answer #6 · answered by Guy E 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Only through God's undeserved kindness and a person's faith in Jesus's ransom sacrifice can he be forgiven. Look at
Ephesians 1:7, James 5:13, 2 corinthians 2:10
2007-09-03 07:29:59 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
"Give us this day our daily bread
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive
those who trespass against us."
God does not want us to live in cold bitterness against each other with self-righteous judgmental attitudes.
His level of forgiveness unto us is "as we forgive".
In short, God forgives the one who forgives others.
It is important to seek God's forgiveness, in addition to the person we "did something terrible to".
When we come to him in humility, with sincere repentant hearts, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
The dog bite example really wasn't a good one.
God expects more from us, as we are created in his image, than he does from dogs. Dogs rarely bite out of malice and cruelty, except that someone may have trained them that way. It wasn't sitting around all day waiting for you to come around to bite lol.
Nor did it actively hunt you down just to bite you for the sheer enjoyment of it. Now your question becomes cloudy, the dog may have bit you to teach you something, like how to act around dogs, it may have been sick, etc. but in any case - If you assumed it had human motives behind the bite - it is good that you forgave it. Cheerio! Keep forgiving!!
2007-09-03 07:43:44 · answer #8 · answered by Joe H 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't know that God was ever upset with you in the first place.
I imagine God is pretty busy so he doesn't sweat the small stuff.
Honestly, how does any of us even pretend to know what God thinks.
Just live your life honorably and things will work out eventually.
"He who crosses no man does not fear the knock on the door at midknight."-Lao Tzu
2007-09-03 07:31:40 · answer #9 · answered by spidertiger440 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I believe God will forgive you if you believe in him. As for animals, I think they all know who God is.
2007-09-07 21:13:14 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋