re: A minor ripple from Erika’s act of forgiveness

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I don’t agree with that description of salvation. Repentance leads to salvation and while God takes the initiative in salvation, repentance of sin is always a characteristic of the person who is saved.

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We are not really talking about the transgressor. The ultimate forgiveness of him is in God’s hands, not ours.

What these posters are talking about is human forgiveness and its psychological effect on the forgiver. I think they are right, but we are all wired differently. I’ve never hated anyone. I’ve had anger plenty of times, which is very short term, but never hated someone say, a day later.

I guess if someone had done something really heinous to me, like killed one of my children, that could have sparked it, but no one ever has.

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Always good to remember when harboring even a righteous grudge.

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I struggle with and pray on my grudges.

Plenty of Holy Spirit inspired wisdom in this thread. This Forum is a good and comforting place. Though many might disagree.

Hatred and love cannot coexist, as one cancels out the other. And being that a person will see that life is very short once one approaches the end, if one is blessed to know love and the wonderful effect on life that it has, then one will all the more worship the seemingly contradictory truths which our Lord Jesus Christ brought to his people.

The Shooter owes a debt to Truth which cannot be forgiven and must be paid. It is bound and none can loose it. Seeing the error of his ways, and being affected by the healing power of love coming from those who he wronged, the offender may repent, but the debt remains in his heart for the duration of this mortal life. St. Paul spoke of “a thorn in his flesh “; even with repentance and great works in service towards love, the relative pain of the thorn only increases. That is the reason for death, and a new, more heavenly life.

There have been instances in my life wherein in the depths of personal delusion, unmet expectations, desperation, perceived hopelessness and hatred for the powers that I (wrongly) believed that led to my painful existence, that I came very close to actions which would have seriously marked my own life for the duration of this mortal life. “But by the grace of God there go I”. And to this day I struggle with family hurt and hate which challenges my own will to forgive and let it go.

There are other philosophical ideas that could be offered to this conversation that could both help promote love for some , or impede it in others. I’ve offered these many times, but the bottom line is that learning and embracing Truth is key to Salvation and Love. Learning can take a long time. And it is hard in that we learn at each other’s expense. Being ignorant and/or deceived by our human nature or malicious and Satanic powers that prey upon the ignorant or weak is the human condition and there are none “no not one” who are above being overcome. We are innately flawed and imperfect. For this reason I always bear witness and very respectfully encourage my beloved and friends to seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance and protection, as Jesus cannot interfere or override Satan in the current ‘Free Will’/Good vs Evil battle WITHOUT our permission and invitation. Miracles and ‘interventions’ are not for unbelievers, but for those of Faith. If we ask in our weakness, the ball is in Jesus’s court to deliver according to His promise. Patience nws.

The day will come when it all makes perfect sense. What will matter in that day is who we are, in relation to Love. Pray for that day and buckle up as the “fiery trial that shall try (think refine) your faith” approaches. It is very hard, as it should be, toward greater glory.

Lord have mercy on them who love.

If I were her parents I could learn to forgive about the time I could forget, but the Lord knows that could only start with the eye for an eye. Then people could choose to forgive me or not