absolutely true.
One should most certainly freely forgive the penitent. No matter how many time they TRY and fail. Yes, yes, that is the ideal.
But it’s quite another matter when someone has no real intent and then has the gall to tell you that you MUST forgive them! Yet in the same breath they say that they did nothing wrong that they need to repent of! And they will do it again if they can.
In short, they’re not repentant at all. This is all just a frantic ruse on their part meant to avoid the natural consequences of their actions.
Forgiveness is healing to the victim because it allows that victim to put down the burden of anger. And I totally agree; lust for revenge destroys anyone who harbors those feelings. YOU can’t handle vengeance, which is why God has said, “Vengeance is mine, and I will repay…” YOU cannot handle vengeance–leave that to God.
But what we are seeing now is not Leftists actually changing and apologizing. No, what we are seeing is a frantic scurry to avoid consequences. That is NOT repentance, there is no admission of guilt, and it is very obviously an utter travesty and avoidance for them to demand forgiveness from YOU.
Forgiveness is not a justification for bad actions. Few of us would not frankly forgive the penitent. But what we are seeing here is dishonest avoidance, not penitence at all! There IS no forgiveness without repentance. No, this “cheap grace” is merely an avoidance tool of the impenitent.
Oh, and I can forgive the burglar and yet still make sure to lock my door. AND serve in a jury!
Oster’s piece elicited well-deserved scorn from many on the right, including our own Joy Pullmann, who noted that a genuine amnesty “requires an admission of guilt and a commitment to repairing the wrongs done.” The absence of such an admission and commitment to change, says Pullmann, is “an indication that you’re going to do it again,” and makes it impossible to rebuild trust.
… In this context, arguing for forgiveness or amnesty is really just calling for a total lack of accountability for the people who did real lasting harm to the entire country. Just as amnesty requires admission of wrongdoing, so too does forgiveness require repentance. It also requires justice and accountability. But none of the very powerful people who made cruel and ruinous decisions during the pandemic have asked for forgiveness or even acknowledged their devastating failures. None of them have been held accountable. There has been no justice.
… There is zero reason to “forgive” those people, because they believe, to this day, that they were justified in their wrongdoing.
There IS no absolution of sin without heartfelt repentance.