Should We Forgive the Unrepentant?

This is a touchy issue on the best of days, but it is even tougher in light of what Charlie Kirk’s wife said at her husband's funeral. Erika spoke of the mission that Charlie had to reach the youth that were confused and misguided. Then she uttered the heart wrenching words, “I forgive him!” Who? She forgave the gunman that assassinated her husband because she knew he was exactly the type of person that Charlie was trying to rescue. It is hard to imagine that depth of faith and love. But how can she forgive if there is no repentance or recognition of his sin? I think the technical and theological answer is that there cannot be forgiveness of sins without repentance. We read in Luke 17, “So watch yourselves. "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him." Clearly repentance is part of God’s design. Then again, we have Jesus on the cross and Stephen when he is being stoned saying, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing.” Notice he doesn’t say, “I forgive you”. He is asking the Father not to hold this against his executioners. So, was Erika Kirk wrong for forgiving the man? We have to understand that her forgiveness is different than God’s forgiveness. Her forgiveness does not absolve him from the consequence of his sin... murdering Charlie Kirk. What she is saying is that she chooses not to hold her anger, bitterness, and pain against him. She will not carry it with her as she moves on in ministry. Since the shooter has not repented, if he did shoot Charlie, he still stands guilty before the law of the land and before God. In light of this, not only do we rejoice in the example set by Erika Kirk, to not stand in judgement over the shooter, but we must pray for his soul, that he might come to faith in Jesus and have the hope of eternity that Charlie longed for them to have and that God has made available to all people by His death on the cross. He is still subject to the laws of this land. Our forgiveness is not standing in judgement over him. The laws forgiveness is freedom from consequences. God’s forgiveness, after true repentance is total spiritual freedom. Father, may we have a forgiving heart that releases our right to judge and fill our heart with love. Holy Spirit convict and restore them. Amen