{"id":52906,"date":"2022-09-01T10:24:19","date_gmt":"2022-09-01T15:24:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/?p=52906"},"modified":"2022-09-01T10:24:19","modified_gmt":"2022-09-01T15:24:19","slug":"turning-forgiveness-around","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/turning-forgiveness-around\/","title":{"rendered":"Turning Forgiveness Around"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t<p>by Greg Gwin<\/p>\n<p>We hear it frequently in the news these days.\u00a0 It has been a common defense in some high-profile criminal cases.\u00a0 The basic argument is that people can be excused for committing even hideous crimes if they can demonstrate that something awful happened in their past.\u00a0 Unfortunately, this approach has proven successful in our perverted justice system.\u00a0 Murders, kidnappers, and sexual offenders of every sort have been set free or have had their sentences reduced.\u00a0 As a result, we are seeing more and more criminals rush to assume &#8220;victim&#8221; status.<\/p>\n<p>It is happening in the church, too.\u00a0 It is not uncommon for sinful brethren to attempt to &#8220;turn the tables&#8221; on those who are trying to restore them.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>&#8220;You didn&#8217;t show the proper love toward me;&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;You were unkind and didn&#8217;t help me enough when I needed you;&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;You were too harsh in the way you rebuked me;&#8221;\u00a0 etc., etc., etc.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You see, they have learned how to become the &#8220;victims.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>We agree that brethren can sometimes approach situations in the wrong way.\u00a0 All of us need to show love, forbearance, patience, and kindness.\u00a0 Sometimes we fail in these things. \u00a0Everyone can do better.<\/p>\n<p>But, we are weary of sinners turning the whole matter of forgiveness around.\u00a0 If they have their way, the faithful ones are forced to beg them for forgiveness, while their own sins are ignored. \u00a0This simply will not work!<\/p>\n<p>Observe the case of Peter rebuking Simon the Sorcerer (Acts 8:18-24).\u00a0 Simon was told that &#8220;wickedness&#8221; and a bad heart had left him in the &#8220;<em>gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity<\/em>.&#8221;\u00a0 Surely he could have complained about Peter&#8217;s harsh words or unloving manner.\u00a0 Undoubtedly he could have countered with accusations about how he had been mistreated by others.\u00a0 Instead, he humbly accepted the rebuke and requested prayer.<\/p>\n<p>Sinners in the church today need to learn a lesson from him.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>by Greg Gwin We hear it frequently in the news these days.\u00a0 It has been a common defense in some high-profile criminal cases.\u00a0 The basic argument is that people can be excused for committing even hideous crimes if they can demonstrate that something awful happened in their past.\u00a0 Unfortunately, this approach has proven successful in&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27],"tags":[1571,354],"class_list":["post-52906","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-forgiveness","tag-responsibility"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":16000,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-didnt-the-elders-rebuke-a-preacher-for-teaching-that-forgiveness-is-unconditional\/","url_meta":{"origin":52906,"position":0},"title":"Why didn&#8217;t the elders rebuke a preacher for teaching that forgiveness is unconditional?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 5, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Recently, I heard of a preacher preaching a sermon\u00a0partly on \u201cforgiveness.\u201d\u00a0 He used the account of Jesus on the cross to show that Jesus unconditionally forgave the multitude.\u00a0\u00a0The question that I\u00a0have is, if that is so, then why did the Holy Spirit through Peter call them \"murderers\" and\u00a0said that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Answer&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":91294,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-necessity-of-public-confession\/","url_meta":{"origin":52906,"position":1},"title":"The Necessity of Public Confession","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 16, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Floyd Chappalear \"Question Concerning Forgiveness,\"\u00a0Sentry Magazine, Vol. 18 No. 1, 31 March 1992 Question: Will you please write something in Sentry regarding forgiveness? When is it scriptural for one to go before a congregation and ask for forgiveness, or let them know one has repented? This is not something\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Article&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":62822,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/can-i-be-redeemed-after-my-sin\/","url_meta":{"origin":52906,"position":2},"title":"Can I be redeemed after my sin?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 19, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hi, I'm not sure how to greet you. I'm full of guilt and sadness. I came across this website when I was trying to find out if I could be redeemed. I had sex with my boyfriend. I always wanted to start only after marriage but this came so\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Answer&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":46523,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/was-forgiveness-required-prior-to-healing\/","url_meta":{"origin":52906,"position":3},"title":"Was forgiveness required prior to healing?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 17, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: A question was raised in a Bible study this past Sunday with various opinions. Reading articles on your website leads me to believe you may be able to provide some additional insight, with Scriptures, into our discussion next Sunday. Studying Mark 2 Jesus forgives the paralytic and then heals\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Answer&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":23588,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-didnt-you-say-that-the-girl-who-was-living-with-her-boyfriend-could-be-forgiven-of-her-sins\/","url_meta":{"origin":52906,"position":4},"title":"Why didn&#8217;t you say that the girl who was living with her boyfriend could be forgiven of her sins?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 24, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I just read over\u00a0your response to a girl who lives with her boyfriend and she asked why you called it a sin. You gave her reasons, but then you listed reasons for her to consider. The second heading was \"It Can Keep You Out of Heaven.\"\u00a0 If you are\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Answer&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":8025,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/if-one-person-was-forgiven-of-adultery-and-his-spouse-later-commits-adultery-doesnt-it-mean-neither-can-remarry\/","url_meta":{"origin":52906,"position":5},"title":"If one person was forgiven of adultery and his spouse later commits adultery, doesn&#8217;t it mean neither can remarry?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 16, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I have been reading your scriptural interpretation on remarriage, and as a member of the church of Christ, I was surprised. You said that if both spouses had committed adultery, there was a possibility for remarriage. I was always under the understanding that if they both committed adultery, neither\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Answer&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52906","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52906"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52906\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52906"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52906"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52906"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}