Latest Posts
View the latest posts in an easy-to-read list format, with filtering options.
View the latest posts in an easy-to-read list format, with filtering options.
Multi-part posts on a particular topic, grouped together in "series" pages.
Look through our blog archive by year / month, or in a massive title list.
12/26/2024 - As aspiring overcomers, we say with the Apostle Paul in Philippians 3:12, 13, 12 Not that I have a... Read More
12/24/2024 - Here is the prayer of dedication that the living stones of the true Temple are to pray on the firs... Read More
12/23/2024 - On November 29, 2024 the word of the Lord surprised us by telling us that the overcomers were now... Read More
Read over 100 books written by Dr. Jones, available to read for free online. Several of the books have also been translated into different languages, and are also available to read for free. The only time you pay is when you purchase a physical version of a book.
View Full Book List
Read a variety of tracts that condense a topic into a short, single page format. These tracts can be read for free online, or physical copies can be purchased in bundles. If you are subscribed to the FFI Newsletter, you will receive new tracts when they are released.
View Full Tract ListYesterday’s weblog needs clarification in view of my statement that God does not forgive apart from the sinner asking for forgiveness (i.e., repenting). I should have clarified two points: (1) that God discerns the heart’s cry before the verbal petition for forgiveness; and (2) the distinction between forgiveness from the heart and the legal act of forgiveness.
Here is how I am changing the text in that section of the weblog….
Here is where our original question becomes most relevant: Shall we forgive someone who does not ask for forgiveness? Moreover, shall GOD forgive someone who does not ask for forgiveness?
The simple answer to this is: NO. Of course, we must keep in mind that God looks at the heart, not necessarily waiting for words. He forgave people before they asked verbally. In fact, it seems that He forgave before they even thought of it (Luke 5:20). Jesus discerned not only the problem but also the hearts of men, and He dealt with each problem accordingly.
We also see the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:20, whose father forgave him before he asked. The very fact that the Prodigal Son was returning home showed that he was humbled, broken, and knew of his need for forgiveness. The father recognized this, not by the words of his son, but by knowing his heart.
The father always forgave his son as a personal heart-attitude. But officially, he forgave when his son returned. So also it is with us. The heart of the Father is always full of forgiveness, but as a matter of law, it is not extended officially (that is, legally) until there is some change in the heart of the sinner.
So also is it with a father who disciplines out of a heart of love and forgiveness. The forgiveness is in his heart even while he disciplines, but in order to train his child, he must also hold him accountable at times for his sin. The judgment of the law makes the sinner experience the same level of victimization that he perpetrates upon others. If a parent does not discipline in this biblical manner, his son will not appreciate or even understand that there are consequences for every sin. He will tend to victimize people for the rest of his life without fully understanding the effects of his actions upon others.
Dr. Stephen Jones has been writing blog posts since 2005 on a variety of topics from Bible Studies to World News, and he has been writing books since 1992. Dr. Jones' most important writings came after God brought him back into the full-time ministry in 1991. It is here that all his earlier years of searching the Scriptures began to come into clear focus. He combines a knowledge of the Old and New Testaments with a personal revelation of God that began and developed during the "wilderness" period of his life, which he often refers to as God's True Bible College... Read More
We are only able to do what we do because of your support. If you feel led to support this ministry, we deeply appreciate it
