1) God does not forgive your sin - it creates your personal pathway to hell.
2) God does not even forgive repented sin. Being sorry, broken, gutted, guilt-ridden and willing to change does not cut it either.
3) God does wholly forgive truly repented sin but only when cleansed by the blood shed at Calvary. He even forgets it.
4) God does not forgive your crimes - for these you are fully answerable to society's laws.
5) Obvious, I suppose, but society cannot forgive your sin and should not forgive your crimes. It is tasked with bringing the best of human justice to all situations using disposals based on the Lex talionis. The punishment should be in balance with the crime committed.
6) Where a misdeed is both a crime and a sin - it is only the sin element which God forgives. You are still accountable to society for the crime.
7) God will always deal with you based on justice and righteousness but if you desire God's mercy too, you must take on board point 3.
8) You can only forgive those who have sinned against you or yours. You cannot forgive sins outside your own personal sphere.
9) You catch someone burgling your house. Que faire? As a believer you must be prepared to forgive the sin but you must also report the crime as your social duty.
10) These are many of the thoughts which zipped through my head as a Christian JP over a decade.
The Scriptures are built on understanding the need to 'forgive others their sins that you yourself may be forgiven' but we must grasp the distinction between sin and crime.
