We teach little children to say sorry. We expect people who do wrong to say sorry, and mean it. Especially when they've caused grief, loss, sorrow, harm, and pain.
"If you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering" (Jesus, Matthew 5:23-24).
This shows that God is involved when you have wronged someone.
Reconciliation to God at his altar is not possible if you are unwilling to seek reconciliation with those you have wronged.
"Confess your sins to one another" (James 5:16). God requires that a wrong done be admitted to the victim of that wrong, and an apology made.
When wrongdoers say sorry, they enable reconciliation to begin and healing of the hearts of those who were wronged.
"Godly sorrow produces an unregretted repentance" (2Corinthians 7:10).
Repentance is a change of heart. Without that, saying sorry is meaningless.
John the Baptist said, "Bear fruit in keeping with repentance" (Matthew 3:8).
In other words, do something that proves you have changed your heart, and you really are sorry.
Zacchaeus was a good example of this (Luke 19:1-10).
There are three ways you can properly respond when a wrong is done to you...
You can hold it against the wrongdoer (3John 1:9-10), or hand it to God (Romans 12:19), or forgive it (Luke 23:34).
Which of these you do, depends very much upon the wrongdoer.
If you know the wrongdoer is aware of the wrong, and not sorry for it, you can respond in the first or second way.
If you don't think the wrongdoer is responsible for the wrong, or the wrondoer has come to you and said sorry, then you can respond in the third way.
Jesus Christ is the great example of forgiveness. However he does not forgive unconditionally.
If people won't say sorry to him and mend their ways, they are not reconciled to him and do not have his forgiveness (2Thessalonians 1:8-9).
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You've made God angry?
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