Someone asked me to summarize my theology of forgiveness.
- We need to forgive people who are truly ignorant of their sins.
- If someone repents we are obligated to forgive them.
- Repentance includes sorrow, restoration, recompense.
- If someone does not repent, we are obliged to confront and rebuke them.
- If someone refuses to repent after confrontation, there is a process that needs to be followed through until the end.
- If someone does not repent at the end of the process, they are handed over to God. for vengeance, we are forbidden to take vengeance ourselves on the unrepentant.
- God stands with the victim, not the perpetrator of the offense.
- God’s goal is reconciliation of persons but this reconciliation can not happen without repentance.
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