Religion and recovery

I just wanted to say thanks for posting. My answer led me to realize that I had never confessed rejecting God's help, that I had asked for. A long string of things yesterday led me to seeing this, and seeing ways I still need to turn toward Christ.

You posted this on a Tuesday. I always go to confession on Tuesday. God sent you to me to show me this. He sent me to you to say this: don't become me; tell her. In the name of Jesus Christ tell her.

 

@savedandhealing I understand you believe that you have been forgiven, however, you are not truly forgiven until the person you have sinned against forgives you. Forgiveness is not something that a higher power, belief system etc. Can give when you've hurt another person. That can only be done by the person being hurt. It is my opinion that you are using "having to reflect with God and pray through it" as an excuse to prolong the lie. I advise you to think about this with yourself and only yourself. No conversing with God, or anyone else besides your wife.

 

The end conclusion here (tell her) is right, but the path you took to get there is full of theological errors. Forgiveness isn't a state of being. Forgiveness is an act of will be a rational being. God's
forgiveness is not dependent on his wife's forgiveness, nor does it constitute an act of forgiving by anyone other than God. He is not forgiven by his wife, but from that it does not follow that he is not forgiven. Forgiveness is also not a sum total that requires pieces from everyone wronged, either. God's forgiveness is no more complete when his wife's forgiveness is extant, and no less complete if her forgiveness is not extant.

A Christian must seek forgiveness from those he has wronged, but the only thing dependent on obtaining one person's forgiveness is whether or not that person's forgiveness is obtained. The act or non act of another does not affect the state of one's own soul.

 

That "Sea of forgetfulness"...it's not in the Bible. The closest thing I found was Micah 7:19 "You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities ["sins" in other translations] into the depths of the sea." God doesn't forget what we've done - our actions still matter - rather, when we are judged it is Jesus who intercedes on our behalf (see Rev 20:11-15).

Jesus never promised doing the right thing would be easy. He said, "Pick up your cross - the thing they're going to murder you with - and follow." And he also promised, "surely I am with you to the very end of the age."

Posting your story shows great courage, and I really appreciate you posting it. That's what this community is here for.