MEM

What is your concept of being forgiven of sin; from a biblical prospective? (see "Forgiveness" section)

Our first response may be, "What is sin?" There are a few "Sin is…" scriptures. However defined sin forms a barrier that separates us from fellowship with the Eternal God. Sin leaves us in bondage to the adversary of God’s plan for mankind. Sinners are blind to the fact they are walking a path leading to death. How are they doing that? By giving homage to the Deceiver, that is the Serpent, the Devil, called Satan. (see "Sin" section)

There is Good News, we can be delivered from our bondage to the law of ‘sin and death’. It is about restoration to fellowship with our Creator - a way to everlasting life that is through the Savior/Deliverer, Jesus (Yeshua) Christ the Lord.

Because sin is a barrier and hindrance - it needs to be removed. We need to start the process of restoration by repenting of our sin. Some might call it being forgiven or justification, but how? The Messiah paid the penalty of our death sentence (…for all have sinned) by His atoning death on the cross.

Just believe in Jesus and be completely forgiven of all sins? Just believe? Is this an unconditional promise? Our sin has already been paid for by Yeshua’s sacrifice. Are there any conditions to our being forgiven? Is there a way we can know we are truly forgiven and on the path of Salvation?

Let us see what Yeshua (Jesus) says.

Matt 6:12 KJV And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

Matt 6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Matt 12:31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. 32 … neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

There were two young teenagers who committed a crime. Standing with heads bowed before the judge he said to them, "Because this is your first offense and you, being young, have pleaded for forgiveness. I will close the books on this case under one condition, you go and do this no more. However if you fail to do this the books will be opened and these transgressions will be used against you."

Matt 18:23 "Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. 26 "The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. 28 "But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded. 29 "His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' 30 "But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. 32 "Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' 34 In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 35 "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."

Mark 11:25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

Luke 6:37 … forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:

Luke 17:3 Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. 4 And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.

We need the redemptive love of Yeshua (Jesus) to truly forgive from the heart

Luke 23:34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do…

Think about this statement. Yeshua made this as His beaten, bloodied body hung sacrificially from the cross. He had just been falsely accused, mocked, spit upon, lashed, disgraced, dishonored, taunted -humiliated and hated by His accusers. Yet in their sin He said, "…Father forgive them…"

From what is quoted in the above Scriptures to have a relationship with the Father and the Son, we need to forgive as He forgave - to walk as He walked - as written by the Apostles.

Acts 26:18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. (Words given to Paul by Yeshua)

Eph 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

Eph 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Col 2:13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

Col 3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

When we turn to the Creator by repenting and asking for forgiveness of our sin (for all have sinned) that we in turn must likewise carry no grudge, bitterness or hatred toward others but to forgive with the thought of the redemptive love of Messiah, that we love one another as Yeshua loves us all. For God so loved the world… and we are to Love one another… Yeshua gives His love to us to help us love others.

1John 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; … 3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

1John 1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleansed us from all sin.

1John 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

1John 2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

1John 2:9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. 10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. 11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

1John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.

1John 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. 5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. 6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. 7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

Repent of sin - Be cleansed - Walk like Yeshua (Jesus) - Forgive and you shall be forgiven.

For more detail see the "Forgiveness ISBE" Section (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia)

A well-done study article (slightly edited for length; added highlighting).

*Looking beyond requires us to be forgiven and likewise to forgive - thus says Yeshua.

Proverbs NET 17:9 ​​​​​​​The one who forgives an offense seeks love…

Proverbs 10:12 Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all transgressions.

TWOT: It is probably the meaning "hide" (cover) leads to the sense, forgive. As in…

Ps 85:2 Thou didst forgive the iniquity of Thy people; Thou didst cover all their sin. Selah.

Ps 32:1 How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered!

1 Peter 4:8 (NAS) … because love covers a multitude of sins.

"It is said that forgiveness is "giving up your right to hurt someone because they hurt you."  This simple statement is indeed profound, but it does not go far enough.  Biblical forgiveness is based on a revelation on what YHWH has done, and not on what another person has done.   It is actually "giving up your desire to hurt someone because they have hurt you."  When a person shows true forgiveness, the right and the desire to exact judgment are lost and replaced with love and mercy."  Daniel Rendelman

 ISBE: International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

Forgiveness (edited for length and highlighted by MEM)

Christ taught that forgiveness is a duty. No limit can be set to the extent of forgiveness (Lu 17:4) and it must be granted without reserve. Jesus will not admit that there is any wrong so gross nor so often repeated that it is beyond forgiveness. To Him an unforgiving spirit is one of the most heinous of sins…

It was the one blemish of the elder son which marred an otherwise irreproachable life (Lu 15:28-30). This natural, pagan spirit of implacability Jesus sought to displace by a generous, forgiving spirit. … His answer to Peter that one should forgive not merely seven times in a day, but seventy times seven (Matt 18:21; Matt 18:22), not only shows that He thought of no limit to one's forgiveness, but that the principle could not be reduced to a definite formula.

Conditions of Forgiveness:

Jesus recognized that there are conditions to be fulfilled before forgiveness can be granted. Forgiveness is part of a mutual relationship… The effect of forgiveness is to restore to its former state the relationship which was broken by sin. Such a restoration requires the cooperation of both parties. There must be both a granting and an acceptance of the forgiveness. … Hence, Jesus commands forgiveness when the offender turns again, saying, "I repent" (Luke 17:3; Luke 17:1).

The Offended Party:

It is not to be supposed, however, that failure to repent upon the part of the offender releases the offended from all obligation to extend forgiveness. Without the repentance of the one who has wronged him he can have a forgiving state of mind. This Jesus requires, as is implied by, "if ye forgive not everyone his brother from your hearts" (Mt 18:35). It is also implied by the past tense in the Lord's Prayer: "as we also have forgiven our debtors" (Mt 6:12). It is this forgiving spirit which conditions God's forgiveness of our sins (Mark 11:25; Matt 6:14; Matt 6:15). In such a case the unforgiving spirit is essentially unrepentance (Mt 18:23-35).

The offended is to go even farther and is to seek to bring the wrongdoer to repentance. This is the purpose of the rebuking commanded in Lu 17:3. More explicitly Jesus says, "If thy brother sin against thee, go, show him his fault between thee and him alone" (Mt 18:15-17). He is to carry his pursuit to the point of making every reasonable effort to win the wrongdoer, and only when he has exhausted every effort may he abandon it. The object is the gaining of his brother.

That there is a close analogy between human and Divine forgiveness is clearly implied (Matt 5:23; Matt 5:14; Matt 6:12; Mark 11:25; Luke 6:37; Col 1:14; Col 3:13). God’s forgiveness is conditional upon man's forgiveness of the wrongs done him, not because God forgives grudgingly but because forgiveness alone indicates that disposition of mind which will humbly accept the Divine pardon.

Repentance is a necessary ingredient of the fully developed forgiveness. There is no essential difference between the human and the Divine pardon, though the latter is necessarily more complete. It results in the complete removal of all estrangement and alienation between God and man. It restores completely the relationship which existed prior to the sin. The total removal of the sin as a result of the Divine forgiveness is variously expressed in the Scriptures: "Thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back" (Isa 38:17); "Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea" (Mic 7:19); "I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin will I remember no more" (Jer 31:34); "I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions" (Isa 43:25); "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us" (Ps 103:12). Ideally this same result is attained in human forgiveness, but actually the memory of the sin remains with both parties as a barrier between them, and even when there is a complete restoration of amity the former state of alienation cannot entirely be removed from memory. When God forgives, however, He restores man to the condition of former favor. Release from punishment is involved, though Divine forgiveness is more than this. In most cases the consequences, which in some instances are spoken of as punishment, are not removed, but they lose all penal character and become disciplinary. Nor does the forgiveness remove from human mind the consciousness of sin and the guilt which that involved, but it does remove the mistrust which was the ground of the alienation. Mistrust is changed into trust, and this produces peace of mind (Ps 32:5-7; Rom 5:1); consciousness of the Divine love and mercy (Ps 103:2); removes fear of punishment (2Sa 12:13); and awakens love to God.

Paul rarely uses the term "forgiveness," but in its place prefers justification. They are to his understanding practically synonymous (Stevens, Theology of the New Testament, 418). He preferred the latter, however, because it was better fitted to express the idea of secure, present and permanent acceptance in the sight of God. It connoted both a complete and a permanent state of grace. In popular thought forgiveness is not so comprehensive, but in the Biblical sense it means no less than this. It removes all of the guilt and cause of alienation from the past; it assures a state of grace for the present; and promises Divine mercy and aid for the future. Its fullness cannot adequately be conveyed by any one term or formula. Divine, like human, forgiveness is always contingent upon the fulfillment of conditions. It must be preceded by repentance and a firmly fixed intention not to repeat the offense. In addition to this, one was required to conform to certain legal or formal acts before the assurance of pardon was his. These acts were expressive of the sinner's state of mind. They consisted of certain acts of sacrifice in the pre-Christian times and of baptism during the ministry of John the Baptist (Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3) and under Christ (Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16). These acts are never regarded as in any sense a quid pro quo in return for which the benefit of forgiveness is granted. It is an act of pure grace on God's part, and these acts are required as expressions of the man's attitude toward God. The state of mind required in order to obtain the gift of forgiveness is that to which the Prodigal Son came (Lu 15:17-19), and that of the sinner who went to his house justified rather than the Pharisee (18:9-14), because he realized that forgiveness was to him an act of pure favor. There was real and actual forgiveness of sins in the Old Testament times as well as since Christ.

Two passages seem to limit God's forgiveness. They are Christ's discussion of the unpardonable sin (Matt 12:31; Matt 12:32; Mark 3:28-30; Luke 12:10), and the one which mentions the sin unto death (1Joh 5:16; compare Heb 6:4-6). In the former passage there is mentioned a sin which has no forgiveness, and in the latter, one on behalf of which the apostle cannot enjoin prayer that it be forgiven, though he does not prohibit it. In both cases the sin is excluded from the customary forgiveness which is extended to sins of all other classes.

Christ's Power to Forgive Sins:

It is not surprising, therefore, that we find Jesus laying claim to the power to forgive sins. This provoked a bitter controversy with the Jews, for it was axiomatic with them that no one could forgive sins but God only (Mark 2:7; Luke 5:21; Luke 7:49). This Jesus did not question, but He would have them infer from His power to forgive sins that He was the possessor of Divine power. Jesus asserted His possession of this power on two occasions only, though it has been sufficiently inferred from John 5:14; John 8:11 that He was accustomed to pronounce absolution upon all of those He healed.

The Need of an Atonement:

Though forgiveness is on God's part an act of pure grace prompted by His love and mercy, and though He forgives freely all those who comply with the condition of repentance and abandonment of sin, yet this does not dispense with the necessity of an atonement. The parable of the Prodigal Son was spoken to teach the freedom of God's forgiveness and acceptance of returning sinners, and the duty of men to assume the same attitude toward them. This much it teaches, but it fails to set forth entirely God's attitude toward sin. With reference to the sinner God is love and mercy, but with reference to sin He is righteous, and this element of God's nature is no less essential to Him than His love, and must be considered in any effort to set forth completely the doctrine of God's forgiveness of sinners. The atonement of Christ and the many atonements of the Law were manifestations of this phase of God's nature.

The New Testament Doctrine of Atonement:

The idea of an atonement is fundamental in the teachings of the New Testament (Rom 5:10; 2Cor 5:18-21; Col 1:21). It is very clearly implied in such terms as reconciliation and propitiation, and is no less present in pardon, remission and forgiveness. The doctrine of the atonement is not developed by Jesus, but it is strongly hinted at and is unmistakably implied in the language of Matt 20:28; Matt 26:28; Mark 10:45; Luke 24:46; Luke 24:47. John the Baptist's salute, "Behold, the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world!" (Joh 1:29), also implies it. In the writings of the apostles it is repeatedly and clearly affirmed that our forgiveness and reconciliation to God is based upon the death of Christ. "In none other is there salvation" (Ac 4:12); through Him is the redemption (Ro 3:24); God set Him forth to be a propitiation (Ro 3:25); through Him "we have now received the reconciliation" (Ro 5:11); "God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself" (2Co 5:19); "Him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf" (2Co 5:21); and "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us" (Ga 3:13). Such citations might be greatly multiplied. That which was so perfectly accomplished by the offering of Christ was in an analogous though imperfect way accomplished by the sacrifices required by the Law. It had "a shadow of the good things to come" (Heb 10:1).

The unvarying effect of sin is to produce an estrangement between the injurer and the wronged. The nature of God is such and the relationship between Him and man is of such a character that sin brings about an alienation between them. It is this presupposition of an estrangement between them which renders the atonement necessary before forgiveness can be extended to man. This estrangement must be removed, and the alienation be transformed into a reconciliation. In what then does the alienation consist?

The sin of man produces a changed attitude toward each other on the part of both God and man. God holds no personal pique against man because of his sin. Yet God's holy righteousness is such that He cannot be indifferent to sin. His wrath must rest upon the disobedient (John 3:36; Rom 1:18). It is not merely impersonal. It is not enough to say He hates the sin. Man's unrighteousness has not merely alienated him from God, but God also from him. The word "enemies" (echthroi) of Ro 5:10 is passive, and means the object of God's enmity. It was because of this fact that God set forth Christ to be a propitiation to show His righteousness because of the passing over of sins done aforetime (Rom 3:25; Rom 3:26).

The effect of sin upon man was to estrange him from God, to lead him farther and farther away from his Maker. Each successive sin produced a greater barrier between the two. Now the atonement was designed to remove the cause of this estrangement and restore the former relationship between God and man.

This too, it has been observed, is the purpose of forgiveness, so that the atonement finds its completion in forgiveness. It should be noted that the reconciliation originates with God and not with man (Rom 3:25; 2Cor 5:19). God woos man before the latter seeks God. The effect of the atonement on man is to reconcile him, attract him, to God. It shows him God's love for man, and the forgiveness, in that it removes sin completely, takes away the estranging factor between them and so wins man back to God. "We love, because he first loved us." At the same time the atonement is such a complete expression of both the love and the righteousness of God that, while on the one hand it exhibits his yearning for man, on the other it shows that He is not tolerant toward sin. In the atonement of Christ, therefore, is the meeting-place and the reconcilement of God's holy horror of sin and the free bestowal of forgiveness upon penitent believers.

William Charles Morro

SIN, n. (Edited for length)

1. The voluntary departure of a moral agent from a known rule of rectitude or duty, prescribed by God; any voluntary transgression of the divine law, or violation of a divine command; a wicked act; iniquity. … Sin comprehends not action only, but neglect of known duty, all evil thoughts purposes, words and desires, whatever is contrary to God's commands or law. 1 John 3. Mat 15. James 4. … Actual sin, above defined, is the act of a moral agent in violating a known rule of duty. Original sin, as generally understood, is native depravity of heart to the divine will, that corruption of nature of deterioration of the moral character of man, which is supposed to be the effect of Adam's apostasy… This native depravity or alienation of affections from God and his law, is supposed to be what the apostle calls the carnal mind or mindedness, which is enmity against God, and is therefore denominated sin or sinfulness…

SIN, v.i.

1. To depart voluntarily from the path of duty prescribed by God to man; to violate the divine law in any particular… All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Rom 3. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned. Psa 51.

ISBE (edited for length)

1. Sin as Disobedience:

A fairly exact definition of sin based on Biblical data would be that sin is the transgression of the law of God (1 Joh 3:4). Ordinarily, sin is defined simply as "the transgression of the law," but the idea of God is so completely the essential conception of the entire Biblical revelation that we can best define sin as disobedience to the law of God. …

2. Affects the Inner Life:

Hence, we find throughout the Scriptures a growing emphasis on the idea of the sinful act as not only a fact in itself, but also as a revelation of an evil disposition on the part of him who commits the act (Ge 6:5).

3. Involves All Men:

Then also there is the further idea that deeds which so profoundly affect the inner life of an individual in some way have an effect in transmitting evil tendencies to the descendants of a sinful individual (Ps 51:5; Ps 51:6; Eph 2:3).

4. The Story of the Fall:

Students of all schools are agreed that we have in the Old Testament story of the fall of Adam an eternally true account of the way sin comes into the world (Ge 3:1-6). The question is not so much as to the literal historic matter-of-factness of the narrative, as to its essentially psychological truthfulness. The essential thought of the narrative is that both Adam and Eve disobeyed an express command of God. … There has been much progress in religious thinking concerning sin during the Christian ages, but the progress has not been away from this central conception of willful disobedience to the law of God.

6. A Transgression against Light:

The progress of the Biblical teaching concerning sin also would seem to imply that the transgression of the law must be a transgression committed against the light (Acts 17:30; 1Tim 1:13). To be sinful in any full sense of the word, a man must know that the course which he is adopting is an evil course. …

7. Inwardness of the Moral Law:

The Biblical narratives, too, show us the passage over from sin conceived of as the violation of external commands to sin conceived of as an unwillingness to keep the commandments in the depths of the inner life. The course of Biblical history is one long protest against conceiving of sin in an external fashion.

8. (3) Jesus.

In the teaching of Jesus the emphasis upon the inner spirit as the essential factor in the moral life came to its climax. Jesus honored the Law, but He pushed the keeping of the Law back from the mere performance of externals to the inner stirrings of motives. It is not merely the actual commission of adultery, for example, that is sin: it is the lustful desire which leads to the evil glance; it is not merely the actual killing of the man that is murder; it is the spirit of hatred which makes the thought of murder welcome (Matt 5:21; Matt 5:27).

9. Heredity:

… We hold fast to the idea of God as a God of justice and love. There is no way of reconciling these attributes with the condemnation of human souls before these souls have themselves transgressed. Of course much theological teaching moves on the assumption that the tendencies to evil are so great that the souls will necessarily transgress, but we must keep clearly in mind the difference between a tendency to evil and the actual commission of evil. …

10. Environment:

The positive force of sinful life also appears in the effect of sin upon the environment of men. It is not necessary for us to believe that all the physical universe was cursed by the Almighty because of man's sin, in order to hold that there is a curse upon the world because of the presence of sinful men. Men have sinfully despoiled the world for their own selfish purposes. They have wasted its resources. … "The whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain" waiting for the redemption at the hands of the sons of God (Ro 8:19-23).

11. Redemption:

In the thought of Jesus, righteousness is life. Jesus came that men might have life (Joh 10:10). It must follow therefore that in His thought sin is death, or rather it is the positive course of transgression which makes toward death (Joh 5:24). But man is to cease to do evil and to learn to do well. He is to face about and walk in a different direction; he is to be born from above (Joh 3:3), and surrender himself to the forces which beat upon him from above rather than to those which surge upon him from below (Ro 12:2). …

12. Life in Christ:

We are thus in a position to see something of the positiveness of the life that must be in Christ if He is to be a Savior from sin. That positiveness must be powerful enough to make men feel that in some real sense God Himself has come to their rescue (Ro 8:32-39). For the problem of salvation from sin is manifold. Sin long persisted in begets evil habits, and the habits must be broken. Sin lays the conscience under a load of distress, for which the only relief is a sense of forgiveness. Sin blights and paralyzes the faculties to such a degree that only the mightiest of tonic forces can bring back health and strength. The presence of evil in the world is so serious in the sight of a Holy God that He Himself, because of His very holiness, must be under stupendous obligation to aid us to the utmost for the redemption of men. …

13. Repentance:

It is with this seriousness of sin before us that we must think of forgiveness from sin. We can understand very readily that sin can be forgiven only on condition that men seek forgiveness in the name of the highest manifestation of holiness which they have known. For those who have heard the preaching of the cross and have seen something of the real meaning of that preaching, the way to forgiveness is in the name of the cross. In the name of a holiness which men would make their own, if they could; in the name of an ideal of holy love which men of themselves cannot reach, but which they forever strive after, they seek forgiveness. But the forgiveness is to be taken seriously. In both the Old Testament and New Testament repentance is not merely a changed attitude of mind. It is an attitude which shows its sincerity by willingness to do everything possible to undo the evil which the sinner has wrought (Lu 19:8). If there is any consequence of the sinner's own sin which the sinner can himself make right, the sinner must in himself genuinely repent and make that consequence right. …

14. Forgiveness:

There is nothing in the Scriptures which will warrant the idea that forgiveness is to be conceived of in such fashion as would teach that the consequences of sin can be easily and quickly eliminated. Change in the attitude of a sinner necessarily means change in the attitude of God. The sinner and God, however, are persons, and the Scriptures always speak of the problem of sin after a completely personal fashion. The changed attitude affects the personal standing of the sinner in the sight of God. But God is the person who creates and carries on a moral universe. In carrying on that universe He must keep moral considerations in their proper place as the constitutional principles of the universe. While the father welcomes back the prodigal to the restored personal relations with himself, he cannot, in the full sense, blot out the fact that the prodigal has been a prodigal. The personal forgiveness may be complete, but the elimination of the consequences of the evil life is possible only through the long lines of healing set at work. The man who has sinned against his body can find restoration from the consequences of the sin only in the forces which make for bodily healing. So also with the mind and will. The mind which has thought evil must be cured of its tendency to think evil. To be sure the curative processes may come almost instantly through the upheaval of a great experience, but on the other hand, the curative processes may have to work through long years. The will which has been given to sin may feel the stirrings of sin after the life of forgiveness has begun. … Forgiveness must not be interpreted in such terms as to make the transgression of the Law of God in any sense a light or trivial offense. … The word of the Master is that He "came that they may have life and may have it abundantly" (Joh 10:10). Sin is serious, because it thwarts life. Sin is given so large a place in the thought of the Biblical writers simply because it blocks the channel of that movement toward the fullest life which the Scriptures teach is the aim of God in placing men in the world. God is conceived of as the Father in Heaven. Sin has a deeply disturbing effect in restraining the relations between the Father and the sons and of preventing the proper development of the life of the sons.

Francis J. McConnell

1. Any thought, word, desire, action, or omission of action, contrary to the law of God, or defective when compared with it.

Rom 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned --

John 5:14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, "Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse may befall you."

John 8: 11 And she said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you; go your way. From now on sin no more."

Rom 6:13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.

John 8:34 Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.

1Cor 8:12 And thus, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.

Rom 14:23 … whatever is not from faith is sin.

1John 5:17 All unrighteousness is sin…

Jas 1:15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.

Jas 2:9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

Jas 4:17 Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do, and does not do it, to him it is sin.

1John 3:4 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.

Rom 3:20 … for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.

Rom 7:7 What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, "You shall not covet."

1John 3:8 the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

Rom 6:17 But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Rom 4:8 "Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account."

Rom 5:21 that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Rom 6:6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin;

Rom 6:11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey its lusts,

2Cor 5:21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Heb 12:1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.

1Pet 2:24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness…

 Thumbnail sketch of The Donald:

     *   Donald John Trump, was born June 14, 1946.

     *   He will be 70 years old on election day.

     *   From the Internet, he is 6'2" or 6'3' and weighs between 195 and 200 lbs.

     *   He has a full head of blond/brown hair (which is long and elaborately combed) and
  blue eyes.  The Internet tells us he wears a size 12 shoe.

  Donald Trump was born the fourth of five children who were born over eleven years.

     *   The oldest, Mary Ann, was born in 1937 and is currently a Federal Judge.

     *   His older brother, Fred Jr, died in early adulthood as a result of complications from alcoholism.

     *   He has another older sister, Elizabeth and a younger brother, Robert.

     *   Donald Trump has been married three times.

     *   Trump's first wife, Ivana, was an immigrant from Czechoslovakia and a divorcee who has been married 4 times in her life.  She is a lifelong avid skier and worked in design at the Trump Organization.

     *   Marla Maples, Trump's second wife is an actress and model.

     *   Trump's third wife, Melania is an immigrant from Slovenia (born in Yugoslavia) and has been a super model.

     *   Two of Trump's children, Donald Jr. and Ivanka, have gone to Penn. Son Eric, went to Georgetown.

     *   Donald Trump tells us that he is Presbyterian.

     *   Donald Trump does not appear to have had any interest in occults, mysticism or exotic mythologies.

     *   Donald Trump's oldest daughter, Ivanka, and her three children are Jewish.

     *   Trump's oldest daughter, Ivanka, is married to Jared Kushner who is, among other things, a newspaper publisher. The Kushner family is very successful in New York City area real estate.

     *   Donald's grandmother, mother, first wife, and third wife are all immigrants.

     *   Donald Trump was born and raised in Queens NY

     *   Though his family was very wealthy, Trump's boyhood home in the Jamaica Estates section of Queens was not a grand mansion.  The Trump home was a larger version of the homes Fred Trump built for his tenants.

     *   There are no indications that the Trump family lived among the wealthy elites on vacations or country clubs.

     *   Queens is the largest of New York's five boroughs and the most ethnically diverse.

     *   Trump attended a local private day school, the Kew Forrest School, in Queens until about 8th grade.

     *   His secondary schooling was at New York Military Academy which is about 60 miles north of NYC in Cornwall-on-the-Hudson.  He was in class of 1964.

     *   Trump was never a "Preppie."

     *   Trump never embraced any aspect of the "Hippie" movement of the time.

     *   Trump was a very good high school athlete - football, soccer, and especially baseball.  He had potential to become a professional baseball player.

    *   Even in high school - Trump liked women and women liked him.

     *   Trump was generally popular in high school.

     *   Trump's boarding school room mate liked him.

     *   He attended Fordham University in NYC for two years and transferred to the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business.

     *   At that time, the Wharton School offered a rare program for Real Estate Business.

     *   Though he was of age, Donald Trump did not serve in Vietnam.

     *   He was not drafted due to bone spurs in his heels (4F) and student deferments.

     *   Ultimately, in the draft lottery, he drew a high number.

     *   By all we know, Donald Trump does not smoke, drink or use recreational drugs.

         He'll be the first President in more than 25 years who hasn't smoked weed.

     *   BTW:  Trump's children don't smoke or drink.

     *   Trump makes it well known that he enjoys sexual interaction with women.

     *   I am unaware that Donald Trump is a recreational gambler.

     *   His doctor publicly announced Donald to be in excellent health.

  I think that to really know Donald Trump, you must know his family background. The Trump family story is a very American story. Trump family history - concise version.

     *   Donald Trump's grandparents emigrated to the U.S. from Alsace (Kallstadt, Germany) which throughout history has been alternately French and German. The Trumps are German, originally speaking the same German dialect as the Amish of Lancaster County, PA.

     *   His maternal grandparents lived in Scotland.

     *   Freiderich (Drumph) Trump made a small but respectable fortune in the late 19th Century in the Mining boom towns of the American Northwest.

     *   He returned to Germany to marry his childhood neighbor, Elizabeth Christ.

     *   The newly married Trumps resettled in the Borough of Queens NY.

     *   Freidrich was establishing a Real Estate business in Queens when he died suddenly at age 49 (1918).

     *   In 1920, at the age of 15, Fred Trump (Freiderich's son and Donald's father), started a business partnership with his widowed mother called Elizabeth Trump & Son.

     *   This business was built upon the real estate holdings that his father, Frederich, had amassed (worth about $500,000.00 in today's dollars).  This is the original "seed money" of the current Trump Organization.

     *   Elizabeth & Fred remained close business partners her entire life (she died in 1966).

     *   In 1936 Fred Trump (age 31) married Mary Ann MacLeod (age 24) of Stoneaway Scotland.

     *   During the depression, Fred Trump built and successfully operated a supermarket (a new concept at the time) which was sold to King Kullen Co. which operates to this day.

     *   Fred Trump made a lot of money building housing for the military during WWII.

     *   Fred Trump was investigated by the Justice Department for making "excessive profits" from government contracts.

     *   All (or nearly all) of the building of Elizabeth Trump & Son's non-government building was residential property in Queens.

     *   Fred Trump died in 1999 (age 94) - beloved and worth between $250 million and
$300 million.  His wife died a year later.

 "The Donald's" career:  Donald Trump is the greatest career achiever of the "baby boomer" generation.

 Donald Trump has reached the zenith in his careers as book author, TV entertainer, sports entertainer, Real Estate developer, and currently as a politician.

     *   Donald Trump has authored more than 18 books.  At least one of them, The Art of the Deal was a top seller.

     *   Donald says that the Holy Bible is his favorite book.  The Art of the Deal is his 2nd favorite book.  And The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale is his third favorite book.

     *   He likes golf.  Donald Trump has developed more than 11 golf courses which bear his name.

     *   Donald Trump has twice been nominated for an Emmy Award

     *   Donald Trump has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

     *   Donald Trump has been inducted to the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame.

     *   Donald Trump has appeared in more than a dozen movies such as Home Alone 2, Zoolander, and Little Rascals.

     *   Donald Trump has been a guest actor in more than 6 TV shows such as Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Days of Our Lives, Sex and the City, and others.

     *   Trump has been the Executive Producer of 7 TV shows.

     *   Trump has been the guest host of 5 TV shows such as Extra, Larry King Live, and Saturday Night Live and more.

     *   Donald Trump has been co-producer of the longest running reality TV show.

     *   Donald Trump performed in several WWE wrestling shows.

     *   Donald performed in Wrestlemania 23 which set attendance records and revenue records up till that time.

     *   In his first candidacy for public office, Donald Trump received the most popular votes for the President of the United States out of a field of experienced and successful politicians.  And in most cases, he achieved this with less money than any of his opponents.

 Keeping in mind that 90% of start-up businesses fail, Trump's record of enterprise is nothing short of amazing.  Donald Trump has enjoyed success in at least 11 very different enterprises: Professional football, Ice Skating rinks, Fragrance, Ice, Steaks, Wines, Model management, Airline, blenders, Men's wear, Bicycle races, world class beauty contests, and many others.  In some of these, such as model management, his firm has risen to the top of that industry.

     *   There are 31 buildings that bear his name.

     *   The largest private real estate development in New York is Trump Riverside.  Drive down the Henry Hudson Blvd. - you can't miss them.

     *   There are at least 12 Trump Towers

     *   There are at least 6 Trump Plazas.

     *   There are at least 11 Trump Golf Course developments

     *   And much, much, more in real estate.

     *   Trump Entertainment, casinos and resorts was recently sold to Carl Ichan.

     *   Donald Trump's personal managing of the Wollman Ice Skating Rink project in the early 1980's is the quintessential case study for MBA students in Wharton, Harvard, and other business schools. His performance there was phenomenal.

     *   Donald Trump's privately held businesses have employed more than 200,000 people.

     *   In the casino business in Atlantic City, Trump had to do business with known mobsters - and he stayed "clean" and alive.

     *   Aside from his personal investments, Donald Trump has never been a Wall Street "player".

 The  Political Trump:

 about  1967 - 1987 - Democrat (he was a supporter of Ronald  Reagan)

 1987 - 1999 - Republican

 1999 - 2001 - Reform Party (he supported Ross Perot)

 2001 - 2009 - Democrat

 2009 - 2011 - Republican

 2011 - 2012 - Independent

 2012 - Present - Republican

Donald Trump was openly supportive of Mitt Romney's candidacy.
Donald Trump does not seem to hold political party organizations in high regard.  For the most part, his political involvement has been for practical reasons.  Donald Trump does not appear to be held to political ideology.

 Some of the take always (from those who know him):

     *   Trump has an extraordinarily energetic central nervous system much like Teddy Roosevelt, but more targeted to industry and enterprise.

    *   Trump's presidency will be very energetic, transparent, and communicative.

    *   Trump will be a very hard-working President.

    *   His interaction with his older brother (who everybody loved) tells me that he thinks that everybody is like him - or wants to be - or should be.    
    *   His relationship with his older brother was a hard lesson in tolerance for him.

    *   Trump is the Babe Ruth of career achievements.

    *   He is dumb like a fox.  When you think he just said something stupid- he didn't. 
         It's just that you were not his target audience.

    *   Trump knows the people - the folk.

    *   His son, Donald Jr. is right.  Trump is a "Blue Collar Billionaire".

    *   More than anything, his TV show, The Apprentice, was his passion. He wants all Americans to have confidence (like he does) to venture.

     *   Donald Trump is attracted to and marries smart, high achieving women.

     *   The highest levels of a Trump Administration are certain to have many women - and they will be bright and assertive.

     *   Donald Trump's children are very important to him.  And it shows.

Not all items verified

Forgive Them...

For those who crucified Yeshua, He prayed, Father forgive them, for they know not what they do. They had no comprehension of the magnitude of what they did, and He realized this, and prayed on their behalf accordingly. We are not currently able to have such knowledge, but you can still follow Messiah’s example when confronted with the sins of others. In most cases the same principle applies. Even those who are intentionally mean to you do not comprehend the magnitude and consequences of their actions. Do you understand the consequences of everything you do, for better or for worse? You are never wrong to pray mercy and forgiveness for others and for yourself.

Forgive

You know that you are to forgive. Do you find it easy to do this with a perfunctory statement when asked and quick mental assent when you are not? Yet Yeshua wants you to forgive from the heart. Has He not also told you (us) to pray for our enemies and do good to those who despitefully use you. How fervent are those prayers? If you are righteous then you may consider those who harm you to be unrighteous. Do you believe in the effectiveness of Messiah’s redemptive work? Can you see it applied to them? If you forgive from your heart you will pray for His redemption in their lives that they would surpass you in grace and godliness and rejoice to see it happen. What is impossible for you is possible for Him.

(Adopted from a blog post by Dale Cresap)

Psalm 103:3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

Psalm 25:18 Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins.

Psalm 32:1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

Psalm 85:2 Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah.

Psalm 86:5 For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.

Blessed be YHVH (Genesis 14:20 And blessed be God Most High…)