If almost anyone were counseling a person, and that person told you that someone hurt them and they were having a hard time forgiving them, what would your counsel be? Would it not be for the person to unconditionally forgive them? Whether they asked for it or not. Or even acknowledged that they had hurt you or even done anything wrong? The burden of forgiving is on the one who was offended, not on the perceived offender. You would tell them that harboring unforgiveness is like a cancer slowly eating away at them, right?
So why then do many of those same people then teach that God demands that we ask Him for forgiveness before he will extend such grace to us? Does God hold us to a higher standard than He holds Himself? Why do we teach that God demands that we repent in tears, accounting for all of our “sins”, before He will forgive us? And if we sin again after that we need to keep begging Him for forgiveness.
We need to really look at what we teach. For many that hold to a more traditional evangelical view, there are so many inconsistencies and hold in what we teach versus how we live.
When I read the scriptures, I read that the Lamb was slain BEFORE the foundation of the world. That Jesus fully dealt with the sin issue on the cross, and that ALL are forgiven, whether they ask or not. (Now not all see the kingdom, but that is another issue.)
You are forgiven. You are welcome into His presence. He loves you. There is nothing to fear. Bless you all!
Tributaries 