Forgiveness, Repentance, Restitution, Reconciliation, Restoration, Punishment

Forgiveness Doesn't Mean Repentance, Restitution, Reconciliation, Restoration, nor the Absence of Punishment By Floyd Knight God Forgives and Metaphorically, but Not Actually, Forgets To forgive does not mean forgetting. When the Bible talks about God forgetting (not remembering) our sins, it is a metaphor. God cannot forget as "He is all-knowing." "God's forgetting our sins" is a metaphor that means that it is as if God forgets our sins. If God actually forgot our sins, then Jesus' death on the cross would not make sense. This would mean that only the sins up to the time of the cross and/or to the resurrection and ascension of Jesus into heaven are forgiven. Why? Forgetting is about the past; overlooking our sins, is about the present; and forgiving subsequent sins is about the future. God must remember Jesus' death and resurrection to remember that Jesus' death is not only for our past sins but for our future sins. Jesus' death and resurrection are a reminder to the universe of our sins and God's grace and mercy forever into eternity. |----------If God actually forgot our sins, then it would not make sense to refer to Jesus in Revelation as "the Lamb that was Slain." If God forgot our sins, then God does not need in the future to refer to Jesus as "the Lamb that was Slain" in the past to forgive our sins. There also would not be a need for Jesus to be our present and future mediator and High Priest in heaven interceding for us. Consequently, because we know God is omniscient, we know that God metaphorically forgets our sins; God does not actually forget them. To Be Forgiven or to Forgive Someone Doesn't Mean the Absence of Consequences or the Absence of Punishment |---------Receiving forgiveness doesn't negate consequences. God's forgiveness of our sins meant Jesus had to pay for our trespasses by his death on the cross. The ultimate and eternal effects or consequences of our sins were paid by Jesus' suffering and death, but there may still be temporal, immediate, and intermediate consequences for us to suffer. Take the story of David. He was forgiven by God (2 Samuel 12:13), but David was not protected from the consequences of his actions (2 Samuel 12:10-12, 14-23). David was forgiven (v. 13); nevertheless, God wanted him to experience the consequences of his sins (vs. 10-12, 14-23). The same could be said for Moses who did not get to enter the promised land despite being forgiven by God. Other examples include Abraham, Aaron, Jonah, and a dozen other Biblical characters. Forgiveness Doesn't Erase Making Amends or Restitution |----------Forgiveness also does not free a person from making amends either. Remember the story of Zacchaeus, who was forgiven. After he was forgiven, Zacchaeus said that if he had cheated anyone, he would pay them back four times following the OT atonement rules for making amends (Luke 19:1-8). Zacchaeus was echoing the same principle that David proclaimed in his sentencing of the rich man who stole the poor man's lamb in 2 Samuel 12:5 that Nathan told as a parable. Offering Forgiveness Doesn't Mean Forgetting |----------We are to forgive those who hurt us as an act of our will aided by Christ, but we may not (and may choose not) to forget. Absolute forgiveness and forgetfulness by us for others is a promise as is absolute holiness, sanctification, or sinlessness. For us now in the present moment, to "forgive" means that we leave the person and the person's trespasses against us at Christ's feet and into Christ's hands of judgment and mercy. This process is more like the process where an individual, city or municipality, or a state government hands over the prosecution of a criminal to the federal government. When we release all claims to prosecute the individuals. We write off any financial [or emotional] debt from the general ledger sheets as being sold to the Divine, third-party debt collection agency--God. We won't hold the person accountable anymore because we have turned that case, sin, or wound over to God for adjudication and action. |----------When we release such debts into God's hands, God becomes the sole prosecutor, the lone judge, the jury of one, and the sole administrator of justice. As you can see, this doesn't mean that the individual is now free of his or her crimes or free from any consequences. It just means that you are not the one to prosecute and convict and enact justice on the same, nor are you the one to enact vengeance. You are leaving that to God. Since you have transferred all rights to prosecuting, judging, and punishing the individual to God, you can honestly pray and say to them, "Go to or Go with God." You can honestly write their debt off in your heart if and only if you truly trust God and know God and God's character. Why? Because you know that God has assumed those debts and has the power to enact justice and to seek restitution. Offering Forgiveness to a Person Doesn't Mean Trusting that Person nor Reconciliation and Restoration of the Previous Relationship |----------Now that you have forgiven the person and released the person from his or her debt, you can treat that person as you would treat any other person with the same sin "credit score" or with the same "criminal record." You are free from any obligation to them and them to you. Their debt score is zero and their credit score is zero because you have forgiven them. You have received from the courts their bankruptcy discharge notice and have written off their debts on your ledger books. |----------Just remember that this discharge notice doesn't obligate you to have any further relationship with the person. Spiritually and emotionally, you have forgiven him or her. The relationship is now over. You treat them and your relationships as you do any other stranger who is a known or an unknown financial or relational risk. You don't ask strangers to guard your purse or your belongings any more than asking strangers to guard your emotional, relational, and social heart. It is up to the person-the stranger-to show whether he or she is safe emotionally, relationally, physically, socially, and financially. It is up to you to take the time to discern how the stranger acts and whether the stranger is trustworthy before you allow him or her to eventually become a trusted friend. A person's financial, emotional, and social credit score must be evident. We are commanded to judge the fruit of a person's character and not to throw pearls to swine, etc. (Mt 7:6; 15-27) (Of course not all friends, family members, and loved ones are trustworthy.) |----------If restoration is to happen (with the previously forgiven person--who has done wrong to you or who has hurt you and he or she wants to establish a new, whole and healthy relationship), they must follow the Biblical path of restoration by making amends like David and Zacchaeus spoke about. However, that is "a whole other" lesson and a whole 12 steps. Sincerely, Floyd knight Copyright (c) 2017 by Floyd Knight. All Rights Reserved.