So much of our lives and relationships depend on how accurately we understand forgiveness and trust—and how they relate to each other. Many people make the mistake of immediately trusting those they forgive, which often leads to a great deal of pain and confusion about forgiveness, love, and Christianity in general. Just because you forgive someone does not mean trust should be immediately restored. On the other hand, many people mistakenly refuse to forgive when they realize they cannot Continue Reading
False Accusations
False accusations are as old as sin itself. In fact, the devil—who is defined as the "false accuser” and “slanderer”—falsely accused God right before the original sin occurred (cp Gen 3:1ff). Nevertheless, this has not stopped humans from frequently imitating Satan in this well-practiced scheme of our evil enemy. Furthermore, not only do these harmful sins continue to happen, they seem to be on the rise. Yet, for our purposes here, we must understand that false allegations not only Continue Reading
Forgiveness And Trust
FORGIVENESS DOES NOT EQUAL TRUST | Forgiveness has nothing to do with what a person deserves. Which is what grace, mercy, and forgiveness are all about. None of us deserve these things. Trust, on the other hand, has a great deal to do with what a person deserves (e.g., “worthy” of trust). Perhaps that is why we have the word “trustworthy,” but there is no such word as “forgiveworthy.” --from Mark's new book on Forgiveness & Trust (coming soon!) Continue Reading
15 Fundamental Factors For Fulfilling Forgiveness
EXCERPT FROM MARK'S NEW BOOK ON FORGIVENESS | We all have been and will be sinned against and hurt by others. This, in turn, will damage our relationships. Therefore, being able to realize true, full forgiveness is one of the most important things in life, not to mention relationships. However, when it comes to forgiving one another, some people seem to succeed more, or struggle more, than others. Why is that? There are several pivotal elements which potentially hinder our forgiveness—or Continue Reading