SbaaH nnour [صباح النور] he who sounds the trumpet. God dag whistle-blower! Remember the persecuted Church. However painful your pain, don't let other people's sins drag you down to hell. Don't go to prison because someone has offended you or hurt yours. To forgive is neither to approve evil, nor to renounce the right and duty to protect. If you're in danger, get out. If someone is in danger, speak up. "A law can never compel a man to love me, but it is important that it forbid him to lynch me." (Martin Luther King Jr., 1929 -1968)
Part 1
The different words for forgiveness in the Bible
What forgiveness is
Part 2
Forgive with all your heart, 70 times 7
Why forgive
Why leave vengeance and retribution to GOD?
The consequences of not forgiving
Part 3
How to forgive: yourself and others
Be at peace with GOD
" JESUS said, FATHER, forgive them, for they know not what they do. And they divided his garments among them, casting lots." (Luke 23:34, LSG)
"Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, just as GOD forgave you in CHRIST. " (Ephesians 4:32, LSG)
"Bear with one another, and if any of you has cause for complaint against another, forgive one another. As CHRIST forgave you, forgive one another" Colossians 3:13 (Segond 21)
"Then Peter came to him and said, 'LORD, how often shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Will it be up to seven times? JESUS said to him: I do not say to you up to seven times, but up to 70 times 7 times." (Matthew 18: 21-22, Segond 21)
"Then the master sent for the servant and said to him: 'You wicked servant, I forgave you your debt in full because you begged me to do so. Shouldn't you also have had pity on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?' And his master, angry, handed him over to the executioners until he had paid everything he owed. This is how my heavenly Father will treat you, if each of you does not forgive his brother with all his heart." (Matthew 18:32-35, Segond 21)
It is as important to understand what forgiveness is, as it is to understand what it is not. We have seen what forgiveness is not. In particular:
Forgiveness is not denial
Forgiveness is not oblivion
Forgiveness does not cancel the judgment of GOD, the tribunal of CHRIST and the duty to repent.
Forgiveness does not condone evil, nor does it negate the right and duty to protect.
Forgiveness is neither healing nor restoration of the soul
Forgiveness is not reconciliation
Forgiveness is not a feeling
Forgiveness is not an obligation: it's a choice
Now it's time to understand what forgiveness is.
1. The different words for forgiveness in the Bible
In the New Testament, the Greek word translated as "forgive" is "aphiemi" (Strong's no. 863) meaning "to let go" or "to forgive a debt" or "to cancel a debt".
1. Les différents mots pour le pardon dans la Bible
In the Old Testament, three Hebrew words are translated as forgive or pardon: "Calach", "Celiychah", and "Nasa".
Calash (Strong's no. 5545, Hebrew), Examples: Exodus 34:9, 1 Kings 8:30, 2 Kings 5:18, 2 Kings 24:4, 2 Chronicles 6:25, Psalms 25:11, Isaiah 55:7, Jeremiah 5:7, Amos 7:2, Leviticus 4:20, Numbers 14:19, etc. The most common meaning of Calash is to remove guilt.
Celiychah (Strong's no. 5547, Hebrew), used exclusively in reference to GOD's forgiveness. The word appears only three times in the Bible (Nehemiah 9:17, Psalms 130:4, Daniel 9:9). Whenever this word appears in the Bible, it is in connection with mercy, patience and restoration.
Nasa (Strong's #5375, Hebrew), translated as grace, grant grace, endure, raise, lift (eyes or head), elevate, forgive, take, suffice, be burdened and count. Examples below.
Forgive in the sense of removing offense, guilt, iniquity or transgression. ⇒ Genesis 18:24, Genesis 18:26, Exodus 34:7; Numbers 14:18, Micah 7:18, Job 7:21.
Raise (lift the eyes or head) ⇒ Genesis 13:10, Genesis 18:2, Genesis 2:13, Genesis 24: 64
Grace, grant grace or find grace ⇒ Genesis 19:21, 1 Chronicles 21:16, Esther 2:17, etc.
Carry, bear, support, endure, transport ⇒ Genesis 4:16, Leviticus 20:20, Deuteronomy 1:9, Deuteronomy 5:11, Deuteronomy 17:10, Joshua 4:16, etc.
Raise ⇒ Esther 3:1, etc.
Raise ⇒ Proverbs 18:24, etc.
2. What forgiveness is
Forgiveness is a conscious and deliberate decision (without coercion) to abandon feelings of resentment or revenge towards a person, organization or group that has wronged you, regardless of whether they deserve your forgiveness, and regardless of whether they repent or not.
It's choosing, intentionally, to no longer be dominated, influenced or manipulated by negative feelings such as resentment, hatred, bitterness, resentment or pain. It's choosing to have, express and demonstrate CHRIST-like feelings, attitudes and behavior towards those who have wronged us. For example, respect, benevolence, compassion, generosity, patience, respect, honor, politeness, integrity and so on.
The French word pardon comes from the Latin word perdonare, meaning "to give completely, make grace or disregard a fault."
According to the Scriptures, to forgive is :
A grace received from GOD ⇒ Isaiah 43:25, Ephesians 1:7, Colossians 3: 12-15.
An act of love and gratitude to GOD ⇒ Colossians 3: 12-15, Ephesians 4:32, Matthew 19:27, 2 Peter 4: 8.
An act of obedience ⇒ Matthew 18:21-22, Matthew 18:32-35, Ephesians 4:32.
Do not harbor resentment ⇒ Matthew 18:35.
An act of compassion towards others ⇒ Matthew 19:25-34
Choose GOD's justice, renounce vengeance or leave vengeance to GOD ⇒ Romans 12:19, Deuteronomy 32:35, 2 Timothy 4:14, Jeremiah 30:16-17.
Freedom from the offender and guilt is a strategy for overcoming evil with good ⇒ Romans 12:21.
A strategy for sowing and reaping good, mercy or forgiveness ⇒ Galatians 6:7-9, James 2:12-13, 2 Corinthians 5:10, 1 John 1: 5-10, Mark 11: 25-26, Matthew 6: 12, Matthew 6: 14-15.
Forgiving a debt ⇒ Matthew 19:25-27.
To release an offense, not to hold a fault ⇒ Luke 23:34, Acts 7: 59-60.
A sign of soul healing (forgive with all your heart) ⇒ Luke 22:31-32.
A sign of maturity ⇒ Ecclesiastes 7:21-22, Hebrews 12:14-15.
It won't always be easy to forgive. But with the help of the HOLY SPIRIT, it will always be possible.
** SbaaH nnour [صباح النور] = Good morning (bright morning) in darija (Moroccan dialect Arabic)
** God dag = Good morning in Norwegian
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