Heres more quotes from Rid of My Disgrace by Justin Holcomb:
Chapter 8: Anger
Because we are sinners, we frequently distort and confuse godly angry with our own desire for vengeance or control.Hated its characterized by a general and long standing negative evaluation of a person, while anger is usually felt against a specific offense.
God’s vengeance makes the spiral of vengeance grind to a halt because the assurance that God will punish sin allows believers to freely love.
Christianity its not about Karma; its about grace.
Jesus received God’s anger and punishment so those guilty of cosmic treason would be forgiven.
The Gospel forgives and changes anti people into loving and forgiving people who are characterized by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self control.
Crying out to God because of sins done to you will remind you that you are also guilty, but have received forgiveness.
So in the case of an unrepentant sinner unwilling to accept the blame in the first place, the blame and condemnation remains on that person. Forgiveness has been concretely given, but rejected. Because forgiveness has a necessary starting point, the condemnation of some evil, that condemnation remains upon the unrepentant sinner, even while the walks away having granted forgiveness.
If forgiveness is conditional on the perpetrator’s repentance, it once again places the victim’s under the control of their perpetrator, and books them Rio the destruction that bitterness and hatred bring.
Denying a victim the sense of freedom that only comes after biblical forgiveness has taken place perpetuates the suffering caused by the initial assault because it allows the poison of hatred to continue to fester.
Forgiveness is not a substitute for justice.
Forgiveness does not mean that you do not participate in activities that impose consequences of evil behavior such as calling the police, filling a report, church discipline, criminal proceedings, etc.
You can forgive your abuser without the expectation of pretending the assault never happened.
Forgiveness its a precursor to reconciliation.
“Overlooking harm in order to achieve a sentimental but nonsubstantive peace actually encourages sin.”-Dan B. Allender
God’s interest in the abuse of power its not mild. Nor its he resigned to injustice in a fallen world.
God’s wrath is a source of positive hope for the victim. You know God loves you and will destroy there evil that has harmed you. God is the refuge of his people and shows steadfast love by destroying those who “strike terror.”
Learned so much about forgiveness… I’m just so humbled and encouraged that God has a powerful answer foot injustice and abuse.
