Think on These
Things
by Tom McLemore
Question: “Dear Sir, Should I forgive a person who has sinned
against me and yet won’t admit having done wrong or say ‘I’m sorry?’”
Answer: In the scriptures, repentance (coming to recognize
that an act was sinful) and confession (acknowledgment of sin to the one sinned
against) are conditions of forgiveness (See Matthew 18:15-18; Luke 17:1-4;
James 5:16). I am convinced that the
chief concern in this regard must be taking sin and the well-being of the
sinner seriously. If one simply
overlooks sin and encourages sinners to feel no need for repentance and confession, is the sinner not done a disservice? Mind you, one is never justified in
retaliation or revenge, and the one sinned against must overcome evil with good
(Romans 12:17-21). Yet, there must be a
clear distinction between granting forgiveness and overcoming evil
with good. The sinner should be
encouraged to repent and confess sin, and granting forgiveness apart from
repentance and acknowledgment of sin seems contrary to the sinner’s
well-being. The main thing is to be
ready and willing to forgive when these conditions are met.
Address questions to tommclemore@juno.com
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