Is forgiveness possible?
80303
If you knew he was cheating before you got married, more than likely he's cheated or is wanting to cheat since you've been married. This was not a secret that was kept from you and you knew what you were getting into before you got married. Do this, ask yourself these questions: Have you found any evidence that shows he has cheated or is wanting to cheat? Have you confronted him about it and have you shared your feelings with him about this? Is this relationship with this person really that important to you? If any of the above answers give you that "sick to your stomach / queezee" feeling, then you might want to reconsider your marriage with this person. You shouldn't have to have these bad feelings everyday,especially if this person is supose to be your best friend and soulmate. If you are ok with it and can work things out and be happy,then YES, forgive and forget. Everyone should get a second chance.Good luck and take care.
624116
max,\n\nYou forgive other people for your freedom. At first, the best you can do may be to just say that you forgive the person. Keep working at forgiving until you are free. If the person who wronged you asks for forgiveness then forgive them. That is of benefit for both of you.\n\nYou could have lost someone on 9/11 and then decide to forgive the perpetrators. If they had lived, they would have faced trial and been executed. Your forgiveness didn’t remove their guilt, it just sets you free. Your forgiveness doesn’t excuse their sin, it just allows you to live without the burden of carrying around that mess in your soul.\n\nGod has forgiven Christians from a debt so large that they could never pay it, but if we don’t forgive those who sin against us, then He will not forgive us.\n\nYou don’t say what your background is, but since you asked your question in “Religion & Spirituality” it should be OK to quote Jesus on the subject. Here is what Jesus said to Peter:\n\nThen Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" \n\nJesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.   \n\nTherefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents (millions of dollars) was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. \n\nThe servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. \n\nBut when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii (a few dollars.) He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded. \n\nHis fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' \n\nBut he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. \n\nThen the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. \n\nThis is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."  Matthew 18:21-35\n\nJesus wasn’t saying that God would throw you into a physical prison to be tortured, but you make your own prison by judging another person and finding them guilty. God is the only righteous judge, and He said vengeance belongs to Him, and we are to avoid judging anyone.\n\nIt doesn’t come easy, but forgiveness is required obedience to God. That doesn’t let the person off the hook; it lets you off the hook.\n\nGod bless.
242307
Maybe it is not a question of forgiveness, but a question of whether God has given up, and lets us all to our own faith.\n\nI otherword, he gave up when he saw the inperfection of his creation, and went away to do another creation somewhere else.\n\nIt therefore also stands to reason, that he could not be perfect, as he was able to create impefect beings like ourselves.
385502
yes it's possible but not right. the Bible says to love God more than anything else. that includes your spouse, your kids, family, friends, money, etc.
815343
I'll forgive you -- but the much bigger question is, will God forgive you???\n\n.
1063127
When you realize that all that has happened, is just about the only way it could work out, then you can accept the past, and begin to forgive, and forget. It sounds dogmatic, and implies predestination, but it's true. Go in peace...
220450
I don't think that there are any levels of forgiveness.  There is a difference between the kind of forgiveness God gives and human forgiveness.  God forgets all our sins once we ask for forgivness . . . most of us humans forgive, but don't forget (and I personally don't find that to be an awful thing all of the time . . . it saves us from letting others walk all over us).  I don't think that whether a person is a christian or not affects whether we should forgive them . . . the Lord's prayer says "forgive us our tresspasses (sins,debts) as we forgive those who tresspass against us".  An important thing about this is that God forgives us WHEN we forgive others . . . this was something I didn't really understand until a week or two ago, when I was at a retreat and was lead through a process of forgiving a number of people in my life that I had forgotten I was holding grudges against.  It's interesting that this individual in England has recognized their inability to forgive and has decided not to teach any longer.  That is a good example for the rest of us.
866485
How can you, or any of us, receive forgiveness? A key is that Jehovah God is inclined to forgive. That is characteristic of his personality. (Exodus 34:6, 7; Psalm 86:5) Understandably, God expects us to turn to him in prayer and ask his pardon, ask that he forgive us. (2 Chronicles 6:21; Psalm 103:3, 10, 14) And he has arranged a legal basis for extending such forgiveness Jesus’ ransom sacrifice.\n\nWhen we sin, we too may carry the crushing burden of a painful conscience as a result. This feeling of remorse is normal, even healthy. It can move us to take positive steps to correct our mistakes. Some Christians, though, have become overwhelmed by guilt. Their self-condemning heart might insist that God will not fully forgive them, no matter how repentant they are. “It is a terrible feeling when you think that Jehovah may not love you anymore,” \n\nBut that is not at all how Jehovah views matters! His Word assures us that when we manifest genuine heartfelt repentance, Jehovah is willing, yes ready, to forgive. \n\nWhy Is Jehovah “Ready to Forgive”?\n\nWhy is Jehovah disposed to show mercy?  The verse answers: “For he himself well knows the formation of us, remembering that we are dust.” (Psalm 103:12-14) Yes, Jehovah does not forget that we are creatures of dust, having frailties, or weaknesses, as a result of imperfection. The expression that he knows “the formation of us” reminds us that the Bible likens Jehovah to a potter and us to the vessels he forms. (Jeremiah 18:2-6) A potter handles his clay vessels firmly yet delicately, ever mindful of their nature. So, too, Jehovah, the Great Potter, tempers his dealings with us according to the frailty of our sinful nature.\n\nGod has a required way for seeking and receiving his forgiveness. A person must acknowledge his sin, recognize that it is an offense against God, confess it unqualifiedly, have a deep heartfelt sorrow for the wrong done, and have a determination to turn from such a course or practice.  He must do what he can to right the wrong or damage done.  Then he must pray to God, asking for forgiveness on the basis of Christ’s ransom sacrifice.
591077
No. Not because of the act itself. There is no sin that cannot be forgiven, except the rejection of Christ as your Savior. While suicide is a terrible/tragic thing, it is not unforgivable.\n\nNote: I see that there are many responses that indicate a person would "automatically" go to hell for this sin. I disagree with that. We are not saved by our actions. We are saved by grace through faith. Is God's grace nullified when we sin? No. While repentance is very important, it is NOT a means of grace. We do not "earn" forgiveness via our repentance. I'm sure that many, many Christian will die with some sin they never had a chance to repent of...that does not nullify the grace of God. \n\nAll that being said, life is a gift from God! We should use the days that He has given us wisely.
617169
Forgiveness in its true sense is an awesome thing to practice. It not only shows character, but allow all offenses to be left and not control your life. The power to engage in forgiveness lies with Jesus. His example is one we should look at every time we are hurt or offended. He was beaten, crucified and left to die but still forgave those who did this to Him. How little it takes to forgive others who have wronged us, and how much reward there is for us when we do.
1053687
No, I think forgiveness is hard in any respect. However, the knowing that we empower forgiveness upon ourselves according to our forgiveness of others does encourage me to do so. Selfish. Perhaps.
202388
God can and will forgive you.  The only reference that I have found in the bible to an unforgivable sin is for Blasphemy of the Holy Ghost. And God could even forgive you for doing that if it was done in ignorance and not for malice. Pray, the bible says "All who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Good luck with your new faith, I will remember you in my prayers.
892121
The hurt and scars will always be there. Forgiveness is a cognitive choice to act differently than you feel. Over time this becomes easier to do. Look at the mennonites who had their children murdered...they forgave even though they were grieving and had deep emotions and hurt. They believe there is no other way to live. Jesus said "forgive them father for they know not what they do" Now this does not mean we put ourselves at risk for further harm...ie we don`t continue to live with a violent partner just because we forgave them...
933294
Do you mean that God forgives?  Yes.  He has forgiven me many times.
80299
Not all things come back to you.  Life is not a story book were all the villians are punished.  That said, what may happen is that your deed is remembered and another person will suffer for it, because they won't be trusted.\n\nYou wrote "there is no way I can apologize". You can apologize, but what you are afraid of is that there is no guarentee you will be forgiven.  That's a chance you ought to take, not only for your sake, but for the sake of the person you wronged.\n\nThe word "Forgiveness" comes from a Greek word which means "to let go".  To let go...of the past, the anger, and whatever else is involved.  Perhaps,....just perhaps...you will have a chance to experience what forgiveness means on a deeper level. \n\n Take the chance.  Apologize.
952729
You can forgive but you will never forget!  Trust me, I've tried.
604089
you mean accept Jesus Christ as their savior and TRULY repent from their perverted ways, yes?\n\nThen I WOULD forgive them.\nI'm not saying right away.. but I'll try as hard as I can to let go. \n\nJesus said, "If you cannot forgive people that have wronged you, then how you expect God to forgive your sin?"\n\nYou see, if we view everything from our own eyes, it is very hard to do the will of Christ.\nWe feel that we are better than the murderer or rapist.\nbut, the fact is we are not.\nSin is equal in the eye of God...\n\nWhen we lie, cheat, steal, commit an adultery, we are all accounted as sinner in front of God.\n\nIf you expect to be forgiven by God of ALL your sin, then you should be able to forgive those so called murderer and rapist.\n\nSaying that you won't forgive them is basically repeating the role of Pharisee in the bible.\n\nThe so called "holy" men refused to pardon a tax collector, a whore, and so on.\n\nDo you know God gave christ to us so that we can follow His ways? Do you realize that Christ forgave a criminal on the day of His death?\n\nIn human ways, I, too cannot forgive murderers and Rapists.\nBut, I have the Holy spirit in me that enable me to do so.\n\n\nPlease be warned though "Forgiveness" is thru grace (as we received forgiveness from the Lord thru His mercy).\n\n"Trust," however, is something that we need to earn.\nSo, after I forgive those, they need to earn my trust be4 I will allow them to be near me and my family.