Repentence and Forgiveness
"Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him." (Luke 17:3-4)
Shalom Beautiful Daughters of Tzyon,
Let us continually give thanks and praises unto YAHWAH, The Creator of the heavens and the earth...He is the Hope and Strength of Ysrael!!!
Forgiveness is a serious thing, and you know, the sad thing about it is, is that most teaching on this topic is being taught wrong and a lot of harm is being done.
Question. Should we forgive anyone if they do not repent (turn away from that sin/Teshubah)?
We have been taught that we're to repeatedly forgive, even if there is no remorse, or repentence, on the offender's part. This is not what Yahoshua said. Usually when an offence is done to us we've been taught to forgive the person(s) without receiving the slightest indication of remorse on their part, this is encouragement for the perpetrator to continue in his/her wickedness.
Let's take another look at what The Messiah said:
"Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him." Sisters, there are 3 steps here that I see Yahoshua gives.
1) Rebuke (bring correction), 2) If he repents, 3) forgive him; If you have a relationship with someone and they have sinned against you, that relationship has had a wedge placed in it, repentance and forgiving the offender (true repentance is turning away from that sin, and not doing it again!!! 
), will help to remove the wedge and will bring the relationship back together. Question. "And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him." Do we know what Yahoshua is saying here? He's not saying to forgive that person seven times for the same sin, because if that person "repents", then that means he has turned from that particular sin and has not done it again. He's saying that if a person sins against you seven times (all of which are "7 different" sins committed against you in that day), and if they come to you and repent, then you are to forgive him for each of those sins committed. If someone sins against us Akhayote, forgiving without demanding repentence, is becoming an accomplice to the evil deed, how is the offender or perpetrator to learn of his/her erred ways if we continue to not bring it to them! Again, forgiveness without repentence encourages more evil!
What's the right way to do it you may ask? As YAHWAH is ready, and yes eager to forgive our sins, we should be ready and eager to forgive those who have sinned against us. We can no longer just forgive without holding the perpetrators accountable for what damage/hurt they have caused. We can no longer let them get away with sinning against us and not acknowledging said sin, and then asking for forgiveness. Once a person has done this, then as Yahoshua said, we are to forgive him/her. And the same is true if the shoe was on the other foot, if we were the perpetrator, we know that we have done wrong, we should not be allowed to be forgiven without first acknowledging the sin, and then repenting from it.
Yahoshua said not to forgive until the offender asks for forgiveness. The Scriptures do not teach that under all circumstances we must forgive; I am talking about outward forgiveness. Luke 17:3 tells us, "Take heed to yourselves: If your brother trespass against you, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him." There is no forgiveness from YAHWAH or man until the one who is wrong, repents. The Scripture said to rebuke him. If anybody does this, some people want to say, "He does not have love.Yahoshua said, "and if he repent, forgive him." There is too much confusion along this line. Some say, "Just forgive everyone." There cannot be forgiveness until a repentive attitude gets into the heart of the one who has done wrong. Verse 4, reads, "And if he trespass against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to you, saying, I repent; you shall forgive him."
Yahoshua set up an equation that tells us that we must be willing and ready to forgive those who have wronged us
when they repent. Too many lay under condemnation because they know that someone is wrong, and they want it straightened out so bad, that they run over and say, "I forgive you anyway." You will never get it straightened out that way. If you have a Messiah-like attitude, you forgive them in your heart. There will be no ill feeling or strife, and you will not want to get even. Those things are never in the heart of a True Believer, yet you cannot actually outwardly forgive them until they repent and ask your forgiveness. The Scripture said, "IF he repent." A condition -must be met by the offender before you can pronounce forgiveness upon him. The offender must judge themselves wrong and give evidence that he is sorry.
What if the offender never repents?
You can have forgiveness in your heart, but you cannot give it to him. I repeat, within your heart you are to forgive. If you are a True Believer, you will not harbor ill will, and malice will never be cherished in your heart: those things cannot dwell where a forgiving spirit swells; the Spirit of Messiah is a forgiving spirit. We are supposed to forgive, just like YAHWAH forgave us through Yahoshua The Messiah: YAH never forgives until someone repents. When do we forgive a person? Not when you feel it, or when you have it in your heart, or when you would like to give it. It will never do an ounce of good until an individual is made to see that they have done wrong, are sorry for it, and begs forgiveness; then you forgive them and it will heal. The Scriptures lets us know that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins.
How Should We Treat the Offender?
You must not treat the offender as if he has not done anything wrong. When you do that, you condone the offense and fail to uphold the requirements of righteousness. They must be rebuked(See Torah, Lev.19:17). More people would get straightened out and get Renewed if we would stop 'patting them on the back' after they have done wrong -- and rebuke them a little.
There are three words that are translated from the Greek word love, and people get them all mixed up. They think that when people have done wrong, if you love them, you will treat them just as though they have never done anything wrong. But if you do that, they will 'die and open their eyes in the Lake of Fire,' while you 'pamper and pet them.'
Truth will "upset" your erroneous teachings on forgiveness, but it will stand. The reason some things are not working, is because they are not being done the way YAHWAH wants. It will work if done His way. These other 'doctrines on forgiveness', will not stand up to the Scriptural test. That is one reason we are not 'moving sinners' like we need to move them. Some say, "Oh, we are just going to love them in." Well, where is the rebuke?
When studying love, you will find that there is rebuke in love -- deep rebuke.(See Meeshlay/Proverbs.27:5, Open rebuke is better than secret love.)
The Adversary will 'work you to death' trying to get you to act in a way the Scriptures does not require. He will work you to death trying to get you to act in a way that YAHWAH even says not to act. Please do not let Satan take advantage of your tender heart.
You must treat the offender as though he has done wrong; yet you must have the attitude, "I love you, and I am willing to leave you in the hands of YAH, but you have done wrong" and leave it right there. I say again, if you do not do that, you condone the offense and fail to uphold the requirements of righteousness.
Does YAHWAH ever forgive where there is no repentance? There is not one place in Scripture where YAHWAH ever forgave without repentance. An example text is in Ephesians 4:32, and it lets us know that we are to forgive just like YAHWAH does.
YAHWAH would like to forgive the entire lost world, but not one of them can receive it until they repent. This is the Scriptural standard.
Yahoshua prayed, "Abba, forgive them; for they know not what they do." Did they receive forgiveness? No. When were they forgiven? On the day of the Feast of Weeks (Khag Ha Shabuot), Acts chapter 2, YAHWAH through Ruakh Ha Qadosh (His Set-Apart Spirit) had Kaypha/Peter put a rebuke on them. He rebuked them in the message openly when he said, "You with wicked hands, executed the Master and Messiah." They cried out, "Men and brethren, what must we do?" then Kaypha said: Repent for the forgiveness of your sins, then be immersed in the Name of Yahoshua Messiah, and you shall receive the gift of Ruakh Ha Qadosh.They repented and YAHWAH forgave them. Yahoshua prayed, "Father, forgive them," but they were never forgiven until they repented, and neither is anyone else.
We need to hear what YAHWAH has to say about forgiveness, not what flesh is saying about it.
YAHWAH will give us the ability to live the Scriptural standard, but if we try to reach beyond that and overdo it in our own strength, then we will just end up in confusion.
I say again, if anybody has wronged you, and if you have the Spirit of Messiah, there will be a forgiving spirit down in your heart. However, YAHWAH does not intend for you to treat the offender as though he has never done anything wrong.This is deception and the fear of man which brings a snare. The Scriptures says to rebuke him, Sometimes nothing but rebuke will bring repentance.
Away with the idea that love will take care of it all. There are times when the only way to show true love is by rebuking the one who is wrong. You are not showing love if you pat them on the back and try to make them feel they are all right.
Satan tries to take advantage of people when others have wronged them. People have been told to go and put their arms around them and say, "I forgive you whether you want to or not", and they received a repulsive response. Then satan twisted that on them and caused them to think, "Maybe I am not right." There is a 'Scriptural way' and a 'Scriptural time' to do it. If you have the Spirit of Messiah, there will be a rebuke in your heart against that wrong. This is the only way we can hold the standard.
Hear me now Body of Yahoshua, if we pamper wrong, we will have more wrongs than we can handle. We have to rebuke that which is wrong, and when they are touched and made sorry, then we forgive them. The lesson is this:
If one has injured me and has not repented, I cannot forgive him and treat him as though he has never done anything wrong. If I do, I am not being honest with his heart.
I am to do what Yahoshua said to do: pray for him. What do I pray? -- "Forgive them, Abba," Why do I pray for YAHWAH to forgive them? If they get into the place where YAHWAH will forgive them, they and I can get straightened out too. Anybody that YAHWAH forgives is not hard to handle. One of the signs that YAHWAH has forgiven an individual, is that he/she will start trying to get right with those they wronged, right away.
As we come to the end of this topic, below is an article to give us even more insight on Repentance and Forgiveness. Please read it and let us all begin to follow the formula!
Receive The Wisdom...
When [Yahoshua] preached the gospel, "The Kingdom of [YAHWAH] is at hand," he called for a response: "Repent, and believe in the gospel." What does "repent" mean?
The meaning of "repent" is found in [Yahoshua's] parable of the "prodigal son" (Luke 15:11-24) as follows:
"And he [Yahoshua] said, "There was a man who had two sons; and the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the property that falls to me (by inheritance).' And he (the father) divided his living between them.
"Not many days later, the younger son gathered all that he had and took his journey to a far country, and there he squandered his property in loose living. And when he had spent everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in want.
"So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have fed on the pods that the swine ate; and no one gave him anything.
"But when he came to himself he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants.'
"And he arose and came to his father. But while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.
"And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his servants, 'Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry; for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' And they began to make merry."
The parable of the "prodigal son" illustrates the process and meaning of "repentance."
The process began when the young son recognized his wrong-doing against his father. The son had shown disrespect for his father by squandering the property that his father had given to him.
Next came the son's decision to turn away from his wrong-doing and confess his sin with an attitude of contrition (feeling sorry for what he had done). The son said to himself, "I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son."
Then came the son's actual change in direction in his life and his confession of wrong-doing ("And he arose and came to his father....and the son said to him, 'I have sinned....'").
The son's confession of sin was made to his father who had been hurt by his son's bad behavior, and the son was willing to make amends by working as a "hired servant."
Of course, the father's response was forgiveness and rejoicing ("for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found").
Dictionaries define "repent" as "to feel sorry for sin and seek forgiveness." But the parable of the prodigal son shows that repentance is more than this. The process of repentance includes:
1. The recognition of and acceptance of personal responsibility for sin.
2. A sincere feeling of remorse and sorrow for having sinned.
3. A conscious decision to stop the wrong-doing.
4. An actual "turning away from" the sin. This is a change of direction in
behavior.
5. A confession of sin and a humble request for forgiveness. The request for forgiveness is made to the one who has been hurt by the sin.
6. An offer to make amends for the hurt that was caused by the sin.
Repentance is not just an intellectual exercise of "feeling sorry" for sins. Repentance involves a "turning" or "reorientation" of one's life. The evidence of that change is seen in the "fruit," or how a person lives. John the Baptist told those who came to confess their sins that they must "bear fruit that befits (evidences) repentance" (Matthew 3:8).
The parable of the "prodigal son" also teaches us that we are sinning against [YAHWAH] "our Father" if we squander the life that we have received. [YAHWAH] expects us to invest ourselves to produce something good in the world.
[Yahoshua] said something else about repentance in the parable of the "unmerciful servant" (Matthew 18:23-35) as follows:
"Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the reckoning, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents (a large amount of money); and as he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment be made.
"So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, "Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.' And out of pity for him the lord of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.
But that same servant, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii (a small amount of money); and seizing him by the throat he said, 'Pay what you owe.' So his fellow servant fell down and besought him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you.' He refused (to have patience) and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt.
When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place.
Then The Master summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you besought me; and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?' And in his anger his lord delivered him to the jailers, till he should pay all his debt."
[Yahoshua] said, "So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart."
In this parable, when a servant failed to pay what he owed the king, the servant fell down on his knees and asked for the king's "patience." The king had mercy on the servant and forgave him of his large debt. But this same servant refused to show mercy and forgive a fellow servant who owed him a small debt. The king condemned the servant who refused to forgive his fellow servant.
[Yahoshua's] point is clear. If we repent of sins, [YAHWAH] will forgive us in the same way that we are willing to forgive those who sin against us. In the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples, [Yahoshua] makes this same point: "And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us" (Luke 11:4).
The parable of the "unmerciful servant" tells us that [YAHWAH] will forgive our sins (1) if we repent and ask [YAHWAH] to forgive us and (2) if we are willing to forgive others who sin against us.
[Yahoshua] said, "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him; and if he sins against you seven times in a day and turns to you seven times, and says, 'I repent,' you must forgive him (Luke 17:3-4).
Again, [Yahoshua] said, "If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" (Matthew 6:14-15).
The parables of the "prodigal son" and the "unmerciful servant" teach us something else about repentance and forgiveness. While we should ask [YAHWAH] to forgive us of our sins, we should also ask forgiveness from any person who has suffered because of our sin, if that person is available. Repentance and forgiveness are not limited to our relationship to [YAHWAH] but, in many instances, can and should take place in our relationships with other human beings.
[Yahoshua] said that we should "believe in the gospel" that the "Kingdom of YAHWAH" is at hand." The reign of [YAHWAH] is a reality here and now for those who commit themselves to love [YAHWAH] and to love their neighbor. How do we know if we are committed to [YAHWAH's] way of love? We know by our experience of "repentance" whenever we fail to love.
If we have chosen to follow [YAHWAH's] natural laws of love, we will experience remorse and sorrow whenever we fail to love. This should lead us to repent (turn away from) such unloving behavior and seek forgiveness. If a person is not committed to follow [YAHWAH's] natural laws, such a person will not feel remorse or sorrow over a failure to love.
Of course, no one is perfect. There will be times when we fail to live by love. But if we are trying to live by [YAH's] natural laws of love, we will always experience repentance whenever we fail to love. The ability to repent is a sign that we "believe in the gospel" (good news) of the Kingdom of YAHWAH.
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