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.
You see those of us not involved have no right to tell others what to do in their situation. Godly Christians are suffering. They are challenged as to forgiveness, but forgiveness does not come from inside a natural person; it has to be from God as the Holy Spirit has control of us.
The expression, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church,” is very true and we look to God that Christians will be stronger and on fire for the Lord. May God bless Nigeria.
EIGHT POINTS FOR FORGIVENESS
We are going to look at some points of forgiveness, 8 of them, to see if we can find some encouragement here. There would be other points we could add but this will be enough for this message. May the Lord give us all an understanding of this important subject.
{{Exodus 34:6-7 . . . “The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in loving kindness and truth; who keeps loving kindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished . . .”}}(NASB)
Here we seem to have a problem. On one hand we have a loving, benevolent God who has love and mercy and kindness, but then we have a God who does not leave the guilty unpunished. No one escapes here. It is almost a contradiction in terms. However, the Lord knows the very thought and intents of the heart, and those who are genuine in repentance, and those who resist and curse God. God’s mercy will not force a false repentance. His loving kindness is known to those who surrender to Him.
[1]. FORGIVENESS IS ONE OF GOD’S PIVOTAL ACTS
If this was not the case the human race would face a continuing condemnation from a harsh, judgmental God without any hope of salvation. In fact, human existence would be in doubt. An absence of forgiveness would be incompatible with the key divine attributes of love and mercy, but in line with holiness and justice. The wonderful news for us is that all divine attributes are in balanced harmony. God’s character embraces all the aspects we would like such as love, mercy, light, compassion, kindness, truth; but also owns the things that oppose us – wrath, judgment, anger, banishment, eternal punishment. The harmony of God’s attributes is only possible through the Calvary work of Christ.
[2]. FORGIVENESS HANGS ON ONE OF GOD’S ATTRIBUTES
That attribute is mercy, flowing from a merciful God. Without that attribute there is no redemption, for mercy extends to forgiveness. One can love as much as one wants, even to the fullest capacity, but without mercy, the outflow to salvation would not be possible, to accept a sinner in his filthy state. Love is the underlying basis – mercy/compassion is the operative. It is not an easy matter to try to divide up the attributes of God, but the bible is very clear on the operation of each, and the Old Testament is most helpful in that regard.
[3]. FORGIVENESS IS ETERNAL
Commitment to God for salvation is a transaction that is eternal, anchored as it is, in Christ’s sacrifice, for that is its only plea. God’s forgiveness is no less powerful in its effect as is His redemption through the shed blood and the efficacy of that sacrifice. One hymn mentions “cleanse the reddest stains”. I think it can be said, “the greater the sin, the greater the mercy to meet that sin.” It is all underpinned on the eternal sacrifice of Jesus Christ. We are so blessed that God’s forgiveness does not come in instalments. In genuine conviction and repentance, mercy carries forgiveness into eternity.
[4]. FORGIVENESS IS ONGOING
A sinner forgiven, is a sinner received by God, and as long as sin is in the world, then forgiveness is ongoing. This cuts both ways, meeting the salvation of a repentant sinner initially, and the restoration of a repentant believer which he/she must do often. Forgiveness does not stop when we become Christians. The operation of forgiveness in the eternal ages will not be required for the very presence of sin is abolished, but the effects of that forgiveness through human history is ongoing throughout eternity.
There is an atrocious doctrine around from a large Christian section I won’t mention that says, when you are saved, God forgives all your sins to that point, but when you sin after that you need to repent all over again to get saved again. That is why at services those people have, there is always a stream of people coming out to be saved (again). That is horrible. That group of people do not believe in the eternal security of the believer. When God forgives my sin in salvation, ALL my sins are accounted for through the blood of the Lamb. There is a distinct difference between unconfessed sin, forgiveness and fellowship.
[5]. FORGIVENESS IS APPROPRIATED
This point is not the same as the end of the previous one. Have you ever wondered why some people keep asking the Lord into their lives to be saved, or why a believer keeps confessing a particular sin over and over, asking each time to be forgiven for that same thing? Is it that they just don’t feel forgiven or uncertain if God has heard them? Perhaps the whole issue is that the guilt of falling into sin has eaten away at us. There is only one Psalm 51. The whole matter rests on faith to appropriate what God has said. If I follow God’s way then I can claim (appropriate) the promise given by God. Believe what God has said.
{{1John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”}}
Forgiveness is a transaction in a believer’s life. Our part is to confess, and God’s is to forgive. God’s forgiveness stands on His very immutable character. Faith will appropriate that, and move on in the Christian life, not throw out constantly the guilty net to redraw the process over and over and over. Claim God’s promise of forgiveness and cleansing through faith, once you confess your failure and then move on. As it is sometimes said, “God says it. I believe it. That settles it.”
One problem some people have at this point is that they give their lives to the Lord in salvation, believing all their sins have been forgiven to that point, but sometimes have trouble when they sin after becoming a Christian. Some think they are lost again, that their sins have not been atoned for when that happens, after being saved. See Point 4 above. Sadly that false doctrine is taking hold outside the domain of these false teachers.
[6]. CHRISTIAN FORGIVENESS IS DEMANDED
{{Ephesians 4:32 “And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”}} {{Colossians 3:13 “bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.”}} One is here reminded of the parable of The Unforgiving Servant who got what he deserved. We need to be in awe of the great forgiveness granted to us by God, and be ready to exercise that same godly quality towards fellow believers. Not to do so, is to devalue the measure of God’s forgiveness of us, and carried logically, to devalue Christ’s own sacrifice. Forgiving one another is really not an option. It is an essential part of the Christian faith.
[7]. FORGIVENESS IS ROTATIONAL
It is like a revolving wheel with two semicircles. One is “God’s Forgiveness Of Me”; the other is “My Forgiveness Of Others”. We need to understand these in perspective and be ever conscious of the Lord’s sacrifice laying the basis of human forgiveness, and at the same time, the sensitive need we must exercise in forgiving others. To have these balanced in our lives is to appreciate the biblical teaching on forgiveness. Resentment is a real cancer in society, and exercised to the fullest extent by unbelievers, but it is a sin that must not be cultivated in any believer’s life. Resentment leads to a hardness of heart and that shuts an iron gate to forgiveness.
There is a small verse in 1John, which is this – {{1John 4:19 “We love, because He first loved us.”}} There is a principle here. This is a rotational verse. We love fellow believers because He (God/Jesus Christ) loved us first. Likewise we could substitute “forgive” here – “We forgive, because He first forgave us.”
[8]. FORGIVENESS IS EDIFYING
Grudges are stony, calloused areas that mortify life and witness. Forgiveness denied, is the root of bitterness that grows a restless, embittered and unproductive person. It is the canker that eats away all the peace and joy. Confession followed by forgiveness and the act whereby we forgive others, is a sweet calm to the soul. It is peace from guilt; gratitude with contrition; and tenderness with understanding. It is not easy, and dare I say so, sometimes it takes time as God works with us to bring an awareness of fault to us, and bring us to the position where we see our need to forgive.
God’s forgiveness swept your soul
And made you His own child.
Gone, the records sin had filed;
Forgiveness made you whole.
Christlike now must be your aim,
Your brother to forgive.
Like your Saviour, you must live,
Forgiving in His Name.
(A part from one of my poems)
FORGIVENESS IS NOT:-
(A). TEMPORARY. It can’t be granted on probation. If the person who offended you or did you harm seems to be better or has improved, then you can forgive him. Did God use that with us? No way. It does not work that way. On the cross Jesus looked out on the soldiers and said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing.” I don’t think in that short prayer He meant Herod and Pilate, etc, because God was not going to forgive them unless they repented. We don’t withdraw forgiveness if the other party is as hard as ever, or just as hateful or hurtful.
(B). EARNED. Party A has done wrong and destroyed trust against Party B. Party A keeps going out of his way to make it right and atone for what was done to party B. In the end because of the persistence, Party B forgives Party A to keep the peace or to remove the irritant. I am not sure if this is “earned forgiveness” and “atoned forgiveness,” but it is not proper forgiveness. God works neither way with us. We can not earn forgiveness because we are undone and helpless sinners. We can not atone for wrongs done to claim forgiveness. “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” In our lowest basement He rescued us. There was no trying to improve ourselves first before He eventually saved us. That is so wrong.
(C). ADVERTISED. As in this type of statement - “I have forgiven Betty Jones because she has been going around saying things about me and telling people I have done this and done that . . and saying this and that about me. I hope she appreciates that I was gracious to forgive her.” That makes me think of the Pharisee in the temple who stood thanking God he was not a sinner like other people. He saw no need of personal forgiveness.
FORGIVENESS IS:-
(A). CONTRACTED WILLINGLY. Forgiveness with reluctance or regret, probably even doubt, can not be effective. It can only happen with a full mind and heart unison. Half-hearted forgiveness is not God’s forgiveness. God won’t accept us if we do that.
(B). HEALING. Unforgiveness leads to bitterness, and a recall with hate and vengeance, and causes physical and psychological problems as it gnaws into your soul. There is a healing of the soul, and mental state, and SPIRITUAL state with forgiveness. I think some of the embittered Christians around have a forgiveness problem. {{Ephesians 4:31 “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.”}}
(C). CONDITIONAL. Some may be not sure of this one. {{Ephesians 4:32 “And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, JUST AS God in Christ also has forgiven you.”}} This is both REASON and CONDITION. The reason is that the Christian is in the forgiven state with God. The condition is that God has led by example; the condition we forgive fellow Christians is that God has forgiven us.
(D). GRACIOUS AND MERCIFUL. This was the premise God based His own forgiveness on as we saw in the opening part of this message. We must exercise those same qualities in forgiveness. Grace is unmerited favour and God showed that to us. Those who sin against us need to receive the same from us. We don’t wait for them to improve or their attitude to change. It probably won’t, but that is not the basis for exercising forgiveness.
CONCLUSION
We all battle the problem with sin. Sin is not just the committing of wrong deeds and thoughts. It can be the reluctance to do what is right. We commit sin and ask God to forgive us. We must do right and be aware of a correct walk with our fellow believers.
ronaldf@aapt.net.au
