First, forgiveness. It is not the Christian’s obligation to forgive your every sin. Forgiveness is first between you and God, not between you and me. Whether I forgive you is irrelevant. Take it up with God.
I probably do forgive. It doesn’t mean I put up with your BS. Forgiveness means you get to start over. So holding over my head, “She said she was sorry, Man,” doesn’t make me feel guilty, and it doesn’t make me listen.
Now, if you want to use forgiveness as a weapon against me, point out that the individual in question seems to be on a new path, and maybe we could give her the benefit of doubt. That will soften me. Remember, benefit of doubt, new path. Got it?
Next, God commands us to love. It is a great rule, no? Wowzers. I mean, what’s more powerful than love? Yet there’s something distinctly weird about using a command to love as a weapon. How do you taunt someone that if they were a real Christian, they would be more loving? I mean, taunting and loving don’t seem to fit in the same sentence. Besides, Christians are commanded to love God with all their heart and their neighbor as themselves. If you love God with all your heart, there’s no room for anger.
But I’ve looked all around it, and I can’t find where we’re to walk in a sewer to prove how loving we are. Loving God isn’t about appearing loving. It’s about being love. Hmm. Let’s try this a different way. I mean, you want to use this against me, so you can win arguments, right? Try this. If my heart is filled with God’s love, there’s no room for coldness, because the true opposite of love isn’t anger. The true opposite is uncaring. Remember, uncaring towards others will separate me from God? Okay?
Trust is the ultimate reflection of faith. So, you want to say I have to trust you. Yet, trust in God is such a completely different level than any human trust that it’s not even the same thing. The moment you use trust as a weapon, you prove you don’t get that, just in case there was any doubt. If you want to use trust in God as a weapon against a Christian (me, for example), point out that if the Christian is trusting God and walking with God in every step, then God put you next to me. He might have wanted me to hear you out, possibly. Or he might have wanted me to stare blankly while you rant, wondering why you’re so anti-Christian.
Are you anti-Christian, or are you afraid of God? Remember this. Forgiveness is for everyone, and it’s between you and God, not you and me. Love can fill your whole heart, so much that there’s no room for anger. Trusting God means, “Show me the next step, God.” It doesn’t mean gaining approval of other Christians. It means you and me, God. That’s all.
Hope you found this helpful. It should make arguments more interesting.
I've read this over a couple of times, and as a Christian, I feel I must challenge some of your statements to the 'anti-Christians,' my friend.
ReplyDeleteFor instance, you stated that the "Whether or not I forgive you is irrelevant." That seems in contradiction to Christ's directions to us to 'forgive those...' I believe, perhaps, that you are meaning that we are not the ones to seek absolution for your 'sin' in a general sense, rather than sins committed against us directly.
I understand (I believe) where this article has its origin. It appears to refer to a non-Christian who insists that you should forgive them for their wrong behavior and demonstrate your forgiveness by placing your trust in them.
The error is connecting forgiveness with trust. Forgiving someone simply means that you will not seek retribution for the harm they've done; it doesn't mean that you trust them not to repeat the behavior.
Just as God's forgiveness was available to us prior to our repentance, not in response to our repentance. We simply receive the benefit, afterwards. "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." So, our forgiveness of others is not conditioned upon their repentance, but our trust, certainly is.
Oh, my! Forgive my comment that is almost as long as the post. (But don't trust me to make a shorter one next time.) ;-)
Yes, you're right on all counts. I was ranting. I was listening to an XM radio station where the host attacked Christians over Jane Fonda still being called Hanoi Jane by some people. My first thought was, "What? Why are you blaming Christians?" My second thought was, "If you're going to use Christianity as a weapon, at least understand it." But you are right on all counts. Thank you.
Delete