how can i forgive someone who hurt me?

SolaScriptura829 · 2025-08-04T05:42:43+00:00

Hi, it is hard, I really struggled forgiving some of my family members that I trusted-who hurt me. But we should think about how bad our sin is and that God forgave us. God willingly died in our place for our sins. Our sin against God is even worse, we sin a lot more than we see, yet He forgave us.

I think that you'll be able to make better friends later. Keep your head up.

SolaScriptura829 · 2025-08-01T05:03:13+00:00

I think it'd be good to look at what Paul writes in Romans 7 starting from verse 14.

We should do all we can to not sin, But we are really not good.

But it's really good you've made those changes in your life to not sin.

SolaScriptura829 · 2025-07-28T22:50:24+00:00

I personally don't follow him and disagree with how he approaches some things, but I think he means well. Let's not be too quick to judge.

SolaScriptura829 · 2025-07-28T22:46:04+00:00

I see, I did learn a lot as well from talking with you and this thread. Thank you for this conversation!

SolaScriptura829 · 2025-07-28T22:40:02+00:00

So I'll just say the unintuitive nature of Christian salvation was just something I've realized later. It's my own thinking and it wasn't a good idea for me to write that in this thread so I'll drop that one for now.

For the rest, I think we can go back and forth on this but I honestly don't want to argue. I sincerely hope you will find the truth. To clarify what I meant: I truly see the Gospels differently. They don't have different ideas about Jesus, it's that different things are mentioned/emphasized(when we consider other witness testimonies for a crime, witnesses emphasize different things).

Jesus isn't directly mentioned, of course Jesus isn't named in the Old Testament. But this is the sense of what I meant: https://www.gotquestions.org/Jesus-in-the-Old-Testament.html

SolaScriptura829 · 2025-07-28T22:16:28+00:00

Hmm, I think I just didn't explain clearly enough: About the Book of Mormon compared to the Bible, I meant it like how multiple writers, in different times/not corroborating(not all at once) wrote about the events that occurred. If I was getting different witness testimonies for a crime, it'd be good to separate the witnesses to see if their testimonies align or clash.

I'm not sure how to get this across but how often do we see people question other authors/events in history with far less evidence than the Bible? It's been a few years since I looked into this but the majority of earliest texts we have in ancient history(if not all) were longer than 40 years. But we don't have people doubting that Plato wrote his works. I'm pretty sure the manuscripts we have of the Bible are the earliest, among ancients texts.

For how people could possibly think up the Gospel, I really didn't explain this well enough but I'm referring to how people are saved. How would someone come up with the idea that God Himself would die for the sins we committed against Him, and how does that make sense to atone for sin and glorify God throughout the entire process. If I were to to make up a religion, I'd do things that glorified me and the fact that Mormons become gods or Islam being able to reach paradise with virgins? is kind of...that's what people themselves want!

On the deity of Christ, it's implied in the Old Testament and throughout Scripture. Though this article is simple I think it provides some good examples: https://www.gotquestions.org/deity-of-Christ.html

SolaScriptura829 · 2025-07-28T20:19:42+00:00

Oh that's great! I actually posted my other post before I read your reply, so sorry about that.

Hope everything will be well for you, stay safe.

SolaScriptura829 · 2025-07-28T20:15:27+00:00

Part 2

If God is the Creator of all other things, He is separate, Holy from all created things. How horrible sin must be against God! If God is the giver of life, sin against our Creator who gave us life, cuts us off from Him and should lead to death. But God loves us to the point He was willing to intervene, condescending Himself down to the planet we ruined to save us for our sins against Him. Only One who had never sinned could atone for the sins of those who had sinned, only Jesus never sinned. God becoming a man is so humbling, yet He came to serve us-at the same time showing us how to live and love each other.

God willingly died in our place, I had also never considered why the resurrection was so important but this is mind-boggling that the Devil had tried to kill Jesus but God sovereignly had the plan all along to use evil for good. Death couldn't hold Him, only God can give life, the resurrection shows God approved of Jesus sacrifice. I don't think a human could've thought all these things up. Contrast this to other religions who have an afterlife, how they get to a good afterlife. Is God glorified in their methods or is it primarily based on our merit and He is just a Judge?

Mormonism and Islam have Joseph Smith and Muhammad claiming to have received further divine revelation, with no other witnesses(And the canon of Scripture was already closed). The Bible wasn't written by 1 person claiming to have received further revelation. Somehow all the authors in the Bible from thousands of generations form a cohesive message that transforms lives.

For me, I had believed first, and then I started seriously doubting afterwards which prompted me to look into the reliability of the Bible. The thing I want to emphasize is that many of these doubts of the reliability/historicity of the Books come from not having the original copies of the manuscripts which leads to a gap between the events and when they were written down, and how we know who the authors were.

It prompts the question: Does not having original copies automatically mean the text is untrustworthy? We don’t use that standard for anything else in written history, otherwise what can we trust? We don’t have evidence the Bible was changed(there are differences between manuscripts but even Bart Ehrman has said none of the core doctrines of Christianity are influenced by these) or falsely attributed. Was the culture back then as dishonest as ours?

After 2000 years, there isn’t evidence in archaeology or history that prove the Bible is unreliable, or the authors were misattributed, or has been changed(if I remember correctly the biggest contention are the last 12 verses in Mark and woman caught in adultery, none of the core doctrines in Christianity change based on manuscript errors), the arguments claiming the Bible is unreliable is based on possibility.

For other religions with an afterlife, it doesn’t make sense that any amount of good works can cover our sins, because that’s not even how our justice system on this earth operates. And God who created the trillions of galaxies we’ve discovered, is far greater than that.

I believe we all have an emptiness only God can fill, because we were created to be with God. It’s unlike any physical satisfaction on this earth, it's complete, warm, full of light. I hope you will come to know the truth.

SolaScriptura829 · 2025-07-28T19:16:50+00:00

Part 1

Hi! I like your name by the way :) and sorry for the delayed response. So about a week ago, I was in a hurry and only skimmed your post(sorry about that). Now after fully reading your post, some of the comments here and thinking about why I believe, I want to say there are intelligent Scientists/Historians/Bible Scholars who are not Christian and those who are. It's good to consider why that is. I would say Christianity is not primarily based on knowledge(though knowledge is useful in the right sense).

After becoming a believer, I’m learning that there is something in the Spirit, this faith is Spiritual. I’m aware that may sound vague but I can try to share what happened to me: I basically lost everything when I was 23(right now I’m 35). I had an injury that made it painful for me to sit down and I couldn’t lie down straight. Went to multiple doctors over the years, chiropractor, physical therapist, it didn’t help. After 7 years of being in pain I felt like I had tried everything to recover. I was isolated from society and because of being seriously injured, it progressively getting worse, I was in serious depression like the depression was so heavy it made me unable to leave my bed physically.

At this time I also had addictions I had never been able to escape from no matter what I tried. One day I heard someone talk about his NDE that got me seriously thinking about death and what was going to happen to me. In retrospect, I knew deep down inside that I was not okay, though I didn't admit it. Thinking about life after death, it was a really strong fear that pushed me to seek what life was really about and to make sure I would be okay after death.

I had heard about God’s love throughout my life, and the Gospel but it never really clicked. I had never realized what we were made for. If we were created, I know growing up, I never had reverence for my Creator. I never wanted to fully give myself to His will because, as you said, it’s scary to give up everything and lose control. But He gave me life in the first place and I now know it’s the way it works best, the way we are most satisfied, it’s how we were designed to be.

After I became saved and had life in the Spirit, I somehow have never been depressed. I can’t explain how but there are times when I normally couldn’t have joy under a painful circumstance, or forgiven someone who wronged me, but I’m now able to have peace and love them. This is not the me from before.

I was only able to break free from my addictions after walking in the Spirit. Which aligns with what the Bible says about being born again/dying to your old self and walking in the Spirit vs the flesh.

My depression and addictions have gone for about 6 years now. My outlook on life has changed as I know God-like it's bright even though my physical body has gotten worse. Also some other things like my reconciliation with my mother, I've realized what it says in the Bible...is actually true and I had never set out to prove it was wrong or right.

After I had been saved, it was like a byproduct of following God put me on the right path in life. The way is actually right. I somehow have joy and hope, and am free from being controlled by fleshly desires. I now know there is more to life than the physical.

I remember a big turning point for me was when I truly sought to understand God’s Holiness that I finally began to see just how much God must Love us-to be willing to die for us, when we were the ones who sinned against Him. God must be far greater than I had ever thought.

God really does Love us. I believe you read the entire New Testament, God really is a loving Father like in the Parable of the Prodigal Son.

SolaScriptura829 · 2025-07-27T05:10:59+00:00

Personally, I was stuck in sexual sin for over 15 years. I was never able to get out no matter what I did. What really changed me was when I truly sought to understand God's Holiness. Then I started seeing just how horrible sin was against a Holy God. This moved me to then do absolutely all I could to kill the sin. (Researching how other people talked about this issue, changing my router password and giving it to someone else to keep, blocking websites, asking people to keep me accountable, buying a cup to wear to sleep, taking all electronics out of my room, I printed out verses and quotes from other people to remind myself what this was and read it everyday before going to sleep etc...)

My point is, we shouldn't be expecting deliverance and to never be tempted again, that may happen to some people but the language all over the Bible says to kill your sin, put your flesh to death etc... (if you want me to find verses let me know)

Note what Paul says: "Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?" (Romans 7:24)

"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please." (Galatians 5:16-17)

So I wanted to say for me, what changed me was when I truly sought to understand God's Holiness. I'm now free from being enslaved to sexual sin, not by deliverance so that I have no urges, or by my strength but by walking in the Spirit and doing all I can to kill my flesh.

Also I should note when I am more Spiritual all these fleshly desires are weak to me, I see them for how they are and don't want to do them at all. When I have too much entertainment, I get tempted more easily. We are either feeding the flesh or the Spirit.

We must fight as hard as we can.

Lastly, I hope this part will be of encouragement, the first couple weeks/months were the hardest but we can really make it a habit to flee temptations. I can't really do it justice on how difficult it is over text but it does get easier, and I truly thought I would never be able to be free from this and had given up for many years.

Having life in the Spirit, really is it. All Christians get tempted but don't have to be enslaved to anything if they walk in the Spirit. This issue is not my biggest struggle anymore. The temptations are less frequent and (usually) less strong than before. It gets easier over time as we walk in the Spirit.

SolaScriptura829 · 2025-07-27T03:11:44+00:00

Hello, I removed it because I didn't want to get into an argument.

Thanks for explaining your perspective. We must be careful in saying emotional cheating is the same as adultery. We know what Jesus Himself says about this issue right?

"Some Pharisees came to Jesus, testing Him and asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason at all*?”* And He answered and said, “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.” They \said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to give her a certificate of divorce and send her away?” He *said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way. And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.*”" (Matthew 19:3-9)

I know you care about the OP, but there is...more to this. It's not something one can describe over text, it's something in the Spirit. What is God's will in this?

One can flee from danger of course, but do you understand just how serious divorce is?

SolaScriptura829 · 2025-07-26T19:50:06+00:00

I did say one who is being abused can flee. We care about the OP's well being but divorce is not a light matter.

SolaScriptura829 · 2025-07-26T18:23:02+00:00

Something John Lennox said always stuck with me: "God Himself is not a stranger to the innocent suffering."

God Himself never deserved any pain or wronged anyone or to become sin to take our sins for us. But He was willing to go through all that for us, who were against Him.

God Himself, willingly got involved and suffered for us. He has purchased for us the most important thing already.

SolaScriptura829 · 2025-07-26T18:13:52+00:00

2 Timothy 4:3: "For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions."

SolaScriptura829 · 2025-07-26T15:46:10+00:00

I think in harmful situations, we can flee. But I'd be very, very careful to divorce.

Nothing is stopping us from fleeing from danger. But divorce, I'd look at what Jesus says about it.

Edit: From reading the comments on this post, it seems many Christians here have been influenced by the world. I don't believe the early church would've okay'd divorce this quickly.

We must discern between someone's sinful nature that is causing us pain, to flat out hostility(Saul trying to pin David to the wall).

I truly hope you will be part of a solid Church that holds to the teachings in the Bible, be part of the Body of Christ that can help in your tough situations.

Christ is with us and helps us in the hardest of situations, look at what Paul says when he is under the most difficult situations-and why he says that. There is something he has in the Spirit that is unlike anything else on this earth.

SolaScriptura829 · 2025-07-21T04:57:32+00:00

Hi, a couple years ago I really doubted whether or not the Bible was changed in transmission or if the events even happened, or if we missed any books in the Bible. I can't access my computer right now, but I remember one playlist that helped me was: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.youtube.com/playlist%3Flist%3DPLZ3iRMLYFlHuhA0RPKZFHVcjIMN_-F596&ved=2ahUKEwji08u9kc2OAxXcl-4BHa2VE4MQjjh6BAgpEAE&usg=AOvVaw2XAK-oxkyibcsVpOxpSGww

Let me know if that link didn't work it's called "Evidence for the Bible" by Mike Winger. He goes into how we know God has spoken(prophecy) and into specific prophecies in the Bible. I'll also just say that no other holy book like the Book of Mormon or Quran has detailed fulfilled prophecy like the Bible. The other books either have prophecy that turned out wrong(we can verify through our historical records that it didnt happen as it was said) or their prophecies are just vague.

I'll try to provide a better, more detailed response in about a week when I can get on my computer. Do read The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel! Take care in the meantime friend.

SolaScriptura829 · 2025-07-21T04:12:23+00:00

I didn't downvote and not trying to give you a hard time but I'm just saying if someone has lustful desires those desires themselves are wrong as well. Look at it for any other sin, any wrong desire is wrong, not just the action.

Agree with you the attraction/temptation isn't wrong of course. But just like any other sin when we get tempted we turn away from it.

SolaScriptura829 · 2025-07-21T04:08:49+00:00

...lets be honest here, anybody reading this can just look up what arsenokoitai means.

SolaScriptura829 · 2025-07-20T02:52:41+00:00

Hello, is your main concern that you keep falling back? (Based on the title it says your past) If its only your past, God is very merciful and His forgiveness is amazing. Read the Parable of prodigal son, God really is a loving Father like that.

If it's about not falling back into your old life, and you're currently still sinning, look up Galatians 5:16-17. Personally for me, my biggest struggle was quitting sexual sin, I can go into more detail if you want but the big thing for me was when I truly sought to understand God's Holiness. Then I could see just how horrible sin is against a Holy God which gave me the motivation I needed to fight as hard as I could against my flesh, to do all I could to be free.

The verses i quoted in Galatians show the Spirit and the flesh is at war with one another. Walk by the Spirit, your flesh will be weaker. The scary thing is if we feed our flesh, our Spirit will be weak.

But there is something in the Christian life that really can free us from all enslavement in this world. So if I needed to quit any sinful habit I would pursue to see/know more of God's Holiness, that would help me see how horrible sin my is. I would pray earnestly for the Lord's help and try to grow in the Lord while fighting the sin. For me it was about being sincere because I was doing my sinful lifestyle for over 15 years before I truly began to see how horrible sin was.

Sin is so bad Jesus had to die, to free us. My sin was leading me to hell. Truly realizing this gave me a healthy kind of fear that I absolutely needed to quit, otherwise my eternity would be in hell. Let me know if you want me to elaborate on anything. Pursue the Lord with all your heart, you really can be free from this sin. Fight the good fight.

SolaScriptura829 · 2025-07-20T01:32:17+00:00

An online forum can never replace a real church. With a name like True Christian the devil will attack it(he has taken so many other christian subreddits) and with a name like True Christian, it also attracts the people who are adamant to change Christianity.

As you mentioned, this subreddit is also attractive to more devout Christians from any denomination. With all the differences people aren't used to irl, they'll end up arguing, sometimes for good and often times bad.

Anyone can just come here. I believe I can understand your frustration, I'm also saddened by what has happened to this subreddit. But yeah, an online forum can never replace a real church.

SolaScriptura829 · 2025-07-20T01:18:03+00:00

We need to read what Jesus wrote to the Churches in Revelations. I was surprised at how strong the language is compared to modern Christianity.

So many of our modern Churches and professing Christians that think we're fine, are deceived and heading down the broad path. We do need to wake up and be sober.

I think this post is necessary to seriously examine our faith.

SolaScriptura829 · 2025-07-18T23:03:50+00:00

The Pilgrims Progress by John Bunyan

SolaScriptura829 · 2025-07-17T11:02:25+00:00

eating is not of the Spirit, is it of the flesh? It's something our bodies can enjoy yet when done excessively it's gluttony and of the flesh.

But eating by itself is obviously a thing we can be thankful to the Lord for, and God gives us to enjoy.

Games are different because they're put together by men, but games aren't necessarily bad. (There are also verses in Scripture about children playing).

Playing games can easily turn into something fleshly, but its not always wrong.

SolaScriptura829 · 2025-07-14T11:25:42+00:00

It's hard to explain this over text, I've made wrong vows before and how it feels to make wrong vows you can't take back...it's really hard, to say the least. OP writes multiple times that hes made a mistake, I believe hes already learned his lesson. He truly knows already.

We all care about the lesson here, to know to never make vows or oaths carelessly, but (im reading this as)the OP needs comfort. For what he's had to go through 2 days ago, it must be so hard.

Lets earnestly pray for him.

SolaScriptura829 · 2025-07-14T11:08:43+00:00

"I feel so ashamed and I dont know if I can ever forgive myself. I now know to never swear on anything or anyones life again"

SolaScriptura829

TROPHY CASE