So How Far Should Our Forgiveness Go?

[hobie]

We know Christs answer when asked, and even to even before giving gifts to God before the altar and reconcile with their brother, to say nothing of what He declared to Zacchaeus. So my question is, if someone is stealing from you or taking what rightly should be yours, lets say your brother takes over your elderly fathers accounts and drains them before he even dies, do we just forgive and let it go, as your parents fade away, no longer able to understand the injustice being done them? What should a Christian do to forgive and right such a wrong and how far should he go, just forgive and forget, or what?

 

[Gustave]

"Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us".

That being said it doesn't remove the penalty for the trespass. One can be forgiven and still have to pay the price for their sins. I'm certain God forgave Moses for what he did at the rock, but Moses still paid the price for what he did. If a family member stole money from their parents, yes, forgiveness is possible, but that forgiveness doesn't remove the penalty that needs to be paid in all cases. 

[hobie]

On 8/30/2026 at 1:03 PM, Gustave said:

"Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us".

That being said it doesn't remove the penalty for the trespass. One can be forgiven and still have to pay the price for their sins. I'm certain God forgave Moses for what he did at the rock, but Moses still paid the price for what he did. If a family member stole money from their parents, yes, forgiveness is possible, but that forgiveness doesn't remove the penalty that needs to be paid in all cases. 

So do you let them slip away with just forgiveness or do you raise alarm and them get to the place where they pay the price for what they did?

[Gustave]

There is no "slipping away" from stealing, which is what you described. Forgiving them is a totally separate issue from their paying back what they took. You have a responsibility to protect other people from thieves, people that you don't even know. 

[Gregory Matthews]

Forgiveness does not require that one escape the penally of their actions. But, sometimes it may require such. I will tell you such a true story in which I was involved. There will be parts of it that you do not understand and I am protecting the privacy of the involved people. But, the story remains true regardless of such.

A young, single woman, in the process of committing a crime became pregnant;. No, was was not a prostitute. If she had had an abortion, she likely would not have suffered any consequences. However, she gave birth to the child. The result caused her to be charged with the

consequent penalty of being fired from her position.

 

Her Supervisor was a devout Christian. She informed management that she would refuse to testify, and without her testimony the woman could not be convicted.. She simply said that she was willing to be fired herself. She did not believe in abortion and she was wiling to place her job on the line in order to protect a woman who had nor taken the easy way out which was an abortion.

 

A Federal hearing was held before r a Federal Attorney acting as a Judge and with a A Prosecutor. I defended the woman who had been charged. I argued that there was a total lack of evidence of the charged crime, and she cold not be convicted. The Judge agreed and ruled her Not Guilty.

Folioing that ruling I had a very specific talk with my client and her Supervisor in which I informed my client of t he debt she owed the woman who had placed her job on the line in standing up for my client.

 

I believe that the result of the trial was what God wanted.

 

[Gustave]

Definitely what God wanted.

[Gregory Matthews]

So,, now the question becmes:  What shouold a Christian ckongregation do when a single women in the congration g ives birth?  [Note:  In my professional experience, I have come to  believe that such often hapens due to "lDate Rape."]  

Recenty he senior pastor of the SDA lcongregation that I attend, brought two young, single women to the front. He introduced them as having recently given birth.  He called upon the  congreation to support them in theier decision to raise the children.

I fully agree  with his call for support without judgment.  

[Hanseng]

Times have changed. Years ago, a young woman gave birth out of wedlock. A group of people from  church visited her. They asked her to publicly confess to the congregation and apologize. She agreed, as long as other people who were having illicit affairs did the same. She gave some names. The "concerned" brethren and sisters packed it up and retreated.

Another case, different church, a young woman was having an affair. She went to the pastor in contrition. He required her to publicly apologize to the congregation, which she did. Sometime later, the same pastor was caught in an adulterous relationship. An apology couldn't save his job. Can't recall if she was pregnant or not. My recollection is that she was not.

[phkrause]

We've seen or even heard of some that have committee the crime of killing someone and the family forgive that person. But that person still needs to pay the penalty of his crime!! As far as forgetting, some might, but some wont or just forget as time passes bye! The forgiving is for all not just for the doer of the crime but for the one that the crime was committed against!!

[Gustave]

Everyone publicly confesses they have "greatly sinned" at my Church; this is the 1st thing that happens before proceeding on.