Should We Always Forgive? Eight Points Connected With Forgiveness For Our Assurance Series

SHOULD WE ALWAYS FORGIVE? EIGHT POINTS CONNECTED WITH FORGIVENESS FOR OUR ASSURANCE

INTRODUCTION TO FORGIVENESS

To begin, I am going to paste here a parable the Lord gave, all related to forgiveness. There are many deep, essential words that connect us with God, but one, if it did not exist, would make our whole existence utterly useless and terminal. That word is forgiveness.

Matthew 18:23-35 “For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared with a certain king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves, and when he had begun to settle them, there was brought to him one who owed him ten thousand talents, but since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. The slave therefore falling down, prostrated himself before him saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’ The lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt, but that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii and he seized him and began to choke him saying, ‘Pay back what you owe,’ so his fellow slave fell down and began to entreat him saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’ He was unwilling however, but went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed. When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. “Then summoning him, his lord said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you entreated me. Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, even as I had mercy on you?’ His lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him - so shall My heavenly Father also do to you if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”}}

We all know about the 70 times 7 in regard to forgiveness. Is forgiveness only applicable when asked for? In this parable the slave asked for forgiveness. What about the case when one continues to do you wrong and has no desire to ask for any forgiveness? Are you obligated to forgive? In other words, are there reservations in forgiveness or is it limitless every time?

Jesus was asked how many times we should forgive someone. Peter wanted to know if 7 times was enough. In fact Peter probably thought 7 was generous but the Lord gave an answer that probably shocked him. 70 times 7. Of course that was not a literal 490 times to forgive someone. 7 is the perfect number so what the Lord meant was a limitless number. He was inferring a perfect forgiveness.

FORGIVENESS IN NIGERIA

Armchair critics and know-alls are everywhere. It could be said very rightfully, “Unless you have been there, you should not comment.” Those not involved can not truly appreciate the situation. Nigeria has been through much suffering at the hands of satanic-inspired terrorists from Islam. News items reached Christians in the Western world of events there such as these:-

[[“In April 2014, Boko Haram gained the world’s attention when it abducted 276 girls from their school in the town of Chibok in Borno. Of the abducted girls, 178 belong to Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN), the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria. Founded by American missionaries in 1923, EYN has since become the largest Christian denomination in northeastern Nigeria.”

“As of June 2015, over 10,000 EYN members had been killed, and more than 170,000 members, including 2,092 pastors and evangelists, had been displaced within Nigeria or in neighbouring countries. Boko Haram had destroyed 278 church buildings and 1,674 preaching points. Of the denomination’s fifty church districts, only seven were functioning. In October 2014, militants even destroyed EYN’s national headquarters in Mubi, Adamawa, so the church set up temporary headquarters in the relative safety of Jos, where many displaced members had gathered.”]]

A long time ago my wife and I supported an Australian couple working in Jos, Nigeria, who were part of the Sudan Interior Mission. I had an interest in Nigeria. When fellow Christians suffer and are killed and abused, we feel pain for them, but if we are part of it, how would we react? There would be a very strong part of us I suppose that would not want to forgive. Some of the members of the EYN took up arms; many did not because generally they are pacifists, and it is not for me in any way whatsoever to tell these people what to do. It was so hard for those Christians there.