For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,
And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.-Psalm 86:5, NKJV
“God is ready to forgive.”
-Diane Langberg, Ph.D.
I was on an online event today where Dr. Diane Langberg spoke. She brought this point up about forgiveness as a point about God’s forgiveness.
The idea she expressed was about how not everyone is forgiven, and God requires more than words from the sinner for forgiveness. Some people never benefit of God’s forgiveness despite God being ready to forgive.Being ready to forgive is different than already being forgiven.
This is important for people who have been abused; and everyone whose been cheated on has been abused.
Forgiveness may never happen for a cheater, because the cheater never repents. Repentance is what unlocks forgiveness for the sinner biblically (see Luke 17:3-4). He or she wrongly thinks they are in the right or entitled to their sinful behaviors.
Not forgiving an unrepentant cheater is NOT unchristian.
Plenty of people never experience God’s forgiveness because they do not want it. God is ready to forgive them. But they refuse to open the gift by repentance and are unforgiven, sadly.
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*A version of this post ran previously.
