The Chronicles of the ‘Disciple’s Walk’ are
various exhortations. The goal is to encourage the believer in
the Lord Jesus to follow Him according to His Word and
ways rather than tradition or popular thinking.
“To err is human, to forgive, divine” goes the famous
saying. In Christian circles, forgiveness is looked at as an
expression of love, therefore exemplifying God. To forgive is
to disregard a wrong against you and in mercy “let it go”
rather than punish or hold it against the guilty.
What is the purpose of forgiveness? Forgiveness is the means
whereby a broken relationship is reconciled. If there is no desire
for relationship on either side of a dispute, then forgiveness
is futile. Consider God’s gospel. It is God’s desire
to forgive the sinner who was born with a broken relationship
with Him. The gospel is concerned about forgiveness of sins and
reconciliation to God. (Acts 5:31, 13:38, 2Cor. 5:18, Rom. 5:10).
To misunderstand forgiveness reflects poorly on the gospel.
The disciple of the Lord should understand what Godlike forgiveness
is. Some store up bitterness and rage which can help destroy
the guilty party as well as themselves. Others are ready to pronounce
their forgiveness a minute after the other person sins, regardless
of nonrepentance or restoration of the relationship. They believe
this is Christlike love and will win one rather than destroy
one. But “what saith the Scripture?”
Who is to seek forgiveness?
The subject of forgiveness takes for granted the understanding
that there is right and wrong according to God’s standard.
When one violates God’s standard it is called sin. Sin not
only separates God and man (Isa. 59:2) but also man from man.
When there is sin we have two specific parties in a relationship:
#1. the party who did the wrong - the offender
#2. the party sinned against - the offendee
The responsibility lies with the offender to ask for forgiveness,
for he committed the wrong. The first time the word “forgive”
is used in the Word of God is when Joseph’s brothers were
counseled by their father Jacob to say to Joseph, whom they had
wronged: “So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I
pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for
they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive
the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph
wept when they spake unto him” (Gen. 50:17). Notice the
same pattern elsewhere (Ex. 10:16,17, 1Samuel 15:24,25, Daniel
9:4-9,19).
If forgiveness is to reach its goal of a wrong being righted
and reconciliation then the responsibility of acknowledging the
wrong lies with the offender. The offendee in that case has no
wrong to acknowledge and so can’t. Forgiveness implies that
sin has been committed because after all it isn’t a “right”
that requires forgiveness.
What are the conditions
of forgiveness?
Some might answer that there are no conditions for forgiveness.
Isn’t love unconditional? Is love God’s only interest
or do justice and righteousness enter in?
Does the gospel teach that God gives His love at the expense
of His righteousness? (See Rom. 3:21-31).
The Old Testament God. To teach His ancient people, Israel, His character
and salvation, God communicated on what basis He would forgive
their sin against Him. God said concerning their sin that “it
shall be forgiven him” (Lev. 5;10). But there were conditions
that had to be met first for the guilty party to hear those words
on behalf of a merciful God. The guilty party (not God) had to:
1. confess his sin (Lev. 5:5)
2. bring a trespass offering to the Lord (Lev. 5:6)
3. have blood (from death) sprinkled (Lev. 5:8)
4. offer a second sacrifice (Lev. 5:10).
Because sin is horrible and destructive its penalty is nothing
less than death before God. Thus a death had to occur. Because
of the mercy of God, He would accept an acceptable substitute.
But the substitute could not bypass the justice of death.
Thus we see that
without confession – the wrong admitted – and sacrifice
– the wrong righted – God did not grant forgiveness.
The New Testament God. Did God change His character and principles
in the New Testament gospel? Christians are told to:
“Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving
one another, even as God
for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Eph. 4:32). “Forbearing
one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel
against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye”
(Col. 3:13).
If we are to forgive one another the same way God and Christ
forgave us then we need to ask, how did God forgive
us? Were there any conditions? Is everybody just automatically
forgiven in God’s gospel?
How did God forgive you? Was repentance necessary? Is confession
required? Did God require a death sacrifice to satisfy His justice
for the laws we break?
It is possible to love and not forgive. God so loves the world
but He does not forgive all the world. Why?
There could be no forgiveness from
God unless there was an acceptable sacrifice.
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The very gospel of grace promises that “...through this
man [Jesus Christ] is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins”
(Acts 13:38). But though this forgiveness of sins is free of
charge (works) to us it was not free for Jesus because of God’s
justice. Because the wages of sin is death, God required an acceptable
blood sacrifice. Only His sinless Son was acceptable and so Christ
died for our sins on the cross.
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Forgiveness through the Lord Jesus
Christ would not be granted until there was a change of heart
(repentance) toward God and reliance (faith) placed in His Son. |
Now that the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus was finished and
He was risen from the dead, the gospel message was to go out
to all nations: “Testifying both to the Jews, and also to
the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord
Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21).
While forgiveness is not conditioned on the amount of law
one keeps or performs (Acts 13:39), it is conditioned on repentance,
faith and sacrifice – Christ’s sacrifice. The repentant
believer is promised: “In whom we have redemption through
his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches
of his grace” (Eph. 1:7).
The God of the New Testament doesn’t
forgive without confession –
based on sacrifice.
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A believer might sin after he is saved. He still needs forgiveness
to maintain close fellowship with God. He is told that because
of Christ’s blood, “If we confess our sins,
he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse
us from all unrighteousness” (1Jn. 1:7-9).
When does one forgive?
When does God forgive? God has made it clear when He will forgive.
As the risen Lord commissioned His disciples in Luke 24:47: “And
that repentance and remission of sins should be preached
in his name...” Repentance is the changing of one’s
mind, the rethinking of a wrong attitude – an acknowledgment
of sin.
As the crucified Savior hung on the cross He cried out, “Father
forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke. 23:34).
The Lord Jesus perceived their ignorance just like you might
perceive the ignorance of a one-year old who steps on your foot
and withhold your anger. The Savior did not say “I forgive
you.” Rather the Son requested the Father to forgive. But
when and to whom did the Father answer His Son’s desire?
It was when the Lord’s apostle, Peter, stood up on Pentecost
and announced to Israel that because of the resurrection of Jesus
by God, they could now know assuredly that they had crucified
their Lord Messiah. About 3000 Jews were convicted of their sin
and asked in humble contrition, “What shall we do?”
The God of mercy did not say, “No way, I’m finished
with you.” Nor did the God of righteousness say, “Nothing,
I just forgive you.” He said, “ Repent, and
be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for
the remission of sins...” (Acts 2:38).
About 3000 souls did change their minds and went home forgiven
of their great atrocity and in a new relationship with God as
His children. But thousands more were not forgiven. Why?
They would not repent.
For one to grant
the offender forgiveness without confession or repentance is
not compatible with the gospel we profess nor the righteous character
of God.
In Isaiah 2:9 a group of people would not repent of their
sin and humble themselves by bowing low before God. God pronounced,
“therefore forgive them not.”
King David found the forgiveness of God – but in this
order: “I acknowledged my sin unto thee, ... I said,
I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou
forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah” (Psa. 32:5).
God asked backsliding Israel to “Return again to me.”
He had a marriage relationship with her. Though she was playing
the spiritual whore, He desired the relationship restored–on
this condition: “Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou
hast transgressed” (Jer. 3:1,13).
King David greatly erred when he kissed unrepentant Absalom.
Absalom then usurped his throne.
When should the Christian forgive? Shouldn’t the disciple do it the way
His Lord does?
Example 1. The Lord Jesus instructed His disciples
when to forgive in Luke 17:3,4.
If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass
against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn
again to thee, saying, I repent;
thou shalt forgive him.
Consistent with the righteous character of the Father and
the gospel, Christ taught repentance first. The Lord did not
say to go to your brother and say “I forgive you” first,
but rather “rebuke him.” Maybe he sinned in ignorance.
Once you make him aware of it, he is no longer ignorant. Now
he must acknowledge the sin against you. It is not right to forgive
without repentance. That would only tolerate sin in the name
of grace.
Biblical grace
does not overlook sin but rather gives the ability to overcome
sin. (Rom. 6:1, Titus 2:11,12)
Example 2. The Lord Jesus also instructed His disciples
about disputes between individuals in Matt. 18.
Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and
tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he
shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother (Matt. 18:15).
Again, rather than pronouncing forgiveness, first you are
to confront him with his fault privately (in a meek attitude
Gal. 6:1). If your brother listens, then there is restoration.
A relationship has been righteously reconciled: the goal of forgiveness
– just like the gospel.
If he doesn’t hear or repent, rather than being forgiven,
the matter progresses through witnesses and eventually to the
church. If the trespasser doesn’t submit to the church (God’s
supreme court on earth for Christians, 1Cor. 6), rather than
embracing him in “forgiving love,” he is to be treated
by you as a heathen; an unsaved sinner – so says
the Word of God (Mt. 18:16-20).
Even in the parable of the famous prodigal son where the Father
showed great love and mercy to the wayward son, it occurred after
the son returned. The fatted calf was not roasted nor the party
begun until the longed-for words were heard, “I have sinned.”
The church at Corinth was told to excommunicate a sinning
person rather than offer forgiveness that the person’s flesh
would feel the pain and be destroyed. We harm individuals when
we offer forgiveness without repentance. We encourage their mind-set
that there are no consequences to their sinful choices. They
will be more likely to pursue their destructive ways and God’s
Name will be blasphemed in the world (1Cor. 5, Rom. 2:24). We
have also demonstrated a false gospel.
Yet after this sinning man in the Corinthian church demonstrated
repentance and punishment was carried out – the church
was then told, “Sufficient to such a man is this
punishment, which was inflicted of many. So that contrariwise
ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps
such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow”
(2Cor. 2: 6,7).
Caution! In not glancing over sin in the name of grace
we must not store up bitterness and rage when the person doesn’t
confess the wrong toward us. We should be like our Lord and be
ready to forgive. As Psalm 86:5 reveals: “For thou, Lord,
art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy
unto all them that call upon thee.” While we can’t
forgive until one “calls” (admits their wrong), we
should have an attitude that conveys a desire to forgive on the
right terms.
Many offences don’t fall into the area of a personal
trespass because no rights or persons were violated or damaged.
These things might be annoying and troublesome but we are told
in 1 Peter 4:8 that charity or love “shall cover the multitude
of sins.” For the sake of higher goals some things just
aren’t worth fighting over when justice hasn’t been
breached.
1Corinthians 6 says that while a defrauded believer cannot
take another believer to the unsaved courts for judgment, he
may take him to the church for judgment. It is better to “take
wrong,” (not forgive it) and just suffer the defrauding
rather than involve the unsaved.
In cases where we have been offended, we should ask ourselves
several questions: Does the person have knowledge of his wrong?
Did he do it ignorantly or with intent? Will righteousness suffer
if I ignore it? Will the testimony of our Lord be helped or hurt?
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Why does one forgive?
A Christian should forgive a repentant person for two
simple reasons.
One, God has provided a one-time blood sacrifice for sin in
the person of Christ Jesus the Lord. Thus, whether saved or unsaved,
there is a sacrifice available that God accepts and on which
He will forgive all sin against Him: this is the gospel
(Col. 2:11-13, 1John 1:7-9).
Two, because God has forgiven you when you trusted the Lord
Jesus Christ and ever since. It is true that some wrongs do terrible
damage and hurt. And sometimes the consequences of these wrongs
cannot be undone. Yet if the person repents and asks for forgiveness,
then it is Christ-like to do so and leave the results with Him.
Yes, there might be necessary consequences but there still can
be a letting go of anger.
The Lord also taught that to have experienced the forgiveness
of God and others and then show no pity and “from your hearts
forgive not every one his brother their trespasses”
merits judgment (Matt. 18:21-35). Remember Proverbs 16:12: “love
covereth all sins.”
It is as wrong
not to forgive a brother when he repents as it is to forgive
a person before he repents.
Conclusion. Forgiveness comes
down to timing. To forgive a person before he or she repents
of the wrong is to do something God doesn’t do. It’s
like the timing of giving a two-year old a loaded gun –
destructive and wrong. But to not forgive one when he or she
does repent is not to do something God does do. It’s like
the timing of withholding a gun from a soldier going into battle
– setting him up to be hurt. May we as faithful disciples
follow our Lord and glorify His wisdom.