To Forgive or Not to Forgive? That is the Question? Without Faith, It is Impossible to Forgive "Increase Our Faith"
Are we required to fortive those who are unrepentant
Notes: Forgiveness is not easy. It’s hard. It’s really hard. Especially when the sin is so grievous or the person is a repeat offender. It’s hard because we are sinful. We are self-righteous, we are easily offended. We want Justice not Mercy. At least when it comes to others. Forgiveness is an area that seems to have a lot of Christians confused, even troubled. The reason being is that most, if not all of us have to deal with a loved one, a close friend, a family member, a criminal, etc. regarding this very issue. How do we forgive someone who has greatly sinned against us? How do we forgive someone who continually sins against us? How do we forgive someone who refuses to repent and acknowledge their sin? How do we forgive a deceased loved one, or enemy that never had the opportunity to repent? Or flat our refused to repent. What about unbelievers? Can I forgive the person who murdered a loved one if that person never repented? Can I forgive my persecutors for their sins against me? (If someone sins against a Christian. They are sinning against God. Can I forgive someone for their sin against me if they are not a believer? If so, will God ever punish them for that sin if they don’t become belie
Like the prayer in Matthew, the Lord’s Prayer in Luke makes a connection between the forgiveness we receive and the forgiveness we offer: “Forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us” (Luke 11:4; cf. Matt. 6:12). The connection almost seems to be a condition, but it is really presented as an assertion: as the children of God, we forgive people who owe us something because of their sin.
This petition plainly acknowledges the sinfulness of sin—not just our own sin, but also the sins of others. When people do us wrong, they put themselves in our debt. The same is true of our own sin against God: it deserves to be punished. We owe God the penalty for our rebellion, which is eternal death. But God has mercy for sinners. He is willing to cancel our debt if only we will come to him in faith and repentance. One of the strongest proofs that we have received such forgiveness from our Father is our own commitment to forgiving others, no matter what they have done. It is simply a fact: the children of God forgive their debtors. By forgiving our debtors, therefore, we show our family resemblance to our Father in heaven.
Who is your debtor? What person has done you wrong? If we refuse to forgive, our hearts must not be right with God. The forgiven forgive, and thus our refusal to forgive shows that we do not understand the grace of God. Anyone who is sincere in praying the Lord’s Prayer must be willing to offer forgiveness to others. This does not mean that God’s forgiveness is based on our forgiveness. As Leon Morris has explained, the Lord’s Prayer “does not make a human action, the forgiveness of others, the ground of forgiveness. The New Testament is clear that forgiveness springs from the grace of God and not from any human merit. Rather the thought moves from the lesser to the greater: since even sinful men like us forgive, we can confidently approach a merciful God.”
We confess our sins because we keep on sinning, but it would be better if we did not sin at all. Therefore the Lord’s Prayer ends with the prayer that God would “lead us not into temptation” (Luke 11:4). This petition does not imply that God is ever the one who tempts us. The Bible warns us never to say that God is tempting us, “for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one” (James 1:13). Whenever we are tempted, therefore, it is by the wicked allure of our own sinful desire. But God is able to protect us in the time of temptation, and even to keep us away from a particular temptation entirely, which is what we are asking when we pray the Lord’s Prayer.
Frankly, sometimes we enjoy being tempted—almost as much as we enjoy giving in. One advertisement for Jaguar automobiles preyed upon this weakness in our fallen nature. After listing the traditional “Seven Deadly Sins” of lust, greed, pride, sloth, envy, wrath, and gluttony, the brochure read, “Prepare to shift effortlessly from temptation to exhilaration. The all-new XJ8L—where will it lead you? Can you resist?” When it comes to our temptations, all too often the answer is “No, I feel powerless to resist.” Therefore, we need to pray this last petition every day.
As Leon Morris has explained, the Lord’s Prayer “does not make a human action, the forgiveness of others, the ground of forgiveness. The New Testament is clear that forgiveness springs from the grace of God and not from any human merit. Rather the thought moves from the lesser to the greater: since even sinful men like us forgive, we can confidently approach a merciful God.”
Historians tell us that King Louis XII was cast into prison and kept in chains before eventually rising to the throne of France. The story is also told that upon his ascension to power, his close advisors urged him to seek deadly revenge by every means of violence. In response to their entreaties, Louis XII prepared a scroll listing the names of all the enemies who had committed crimes against his royal person. Opposite every name he inscribed a cross in red ink. Surely the men who committed these misdeeds would have to die!
Word of the king’s blood-red list soon reached his enemies, who assumed the crosses meant that they were dead men and fled for their lives. But then Louis XII clarified his true and surprising intention. He said, “The cross which I drew beside each name was not a sign of punishment but a pledge of forgiveness extended for the sake of the crucified Savior, who upon His cross forgave His enemies and prayed for them.”
The flight of the king’s enemies reminds us how unexpected it is to find forgiveness. When people are wronged, they do not want to offer forgiveness; they want to exact revenge. So it is always surprising when someone offers full and free forgiveness. When people do this, it is almost always because they themselves know what it means to be forgiven. What Louis XII offered his enemies was the same kind of grace that he himself had received from the crucified Christ. He had the faith to forgive.
SEVENFOLD FORGIVENESS
As important as it is not to give offense by causing other people to sin, it is also important not to take offense when other people sin against us. By the grace of God, when temptation happens there is an opportunity for repentance and reconciliation through the forgiveness of sins. Jesus said: “Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him” (Luke 17:3–4).
The sequence here is important. First comes the rebuke—specifically, the rebuke of a brother or sister in Christ. If a fellow believer has committed an offense, then we have a spiritual responsibility to show him his fault. Presumably the sin that Jesus mainly has in mind is the kind he was talking about in verses 1 and 2: a sin that leads other people astray. But the same principle applies to any scandalous sin: for the glory of God and for the real spiritual good of our spiritual brothers and sisters, Jesus commands us to rebuke unrighteousness in the family of God, especially if God has put us in a position of spiritual leadership.
There is a right way and a wrong way to confront sin. We need to go to one another courageously, not timidly, willing to say what needs to be said, no matter what the cost. We need to go to one another gently, not judgmentally, demonstrating the tender mercy of Christ (see Gal. 6:1). We need to go to one another humbly, not proudly, having already confessed our own great sin. We need to go to one another affectionately, not harshly, showing how much we love our brother or sister in Christ. We need to go to one another prayerfully, not impulsively, asking God to glorify himself through our ministry of reconciliation. But we do need to go to one another. A sin needs to be called a sin in a way that leads to repentance. Do we care enough to confront, and are we godly enough to do it with Christ-like compassion? It takes grace to do this, and to do it well.
The rebuke is only the first step. Next comes the repentance, or at least that is what we pray for. Jesus said, “if he repents.” Unfortunately, some have taken the word “if” here as an absolute qualification on our forgiveness. Thus they have understood Jesus to mean that we have the right to withhold forgiveness in our hearts until someone actually comes to us with satisfactory repentance. But this is contrary to the example of Jesus himself, who forgave his enemies even before they asked (Luke 23:34). It is also contrary to the whole direction of his teaching in this passage, where the emphasis falls on freely offered forgiveness.
Surely Jesus wants us to have a forgiving heart toward someone who has done us wrong, even before we have the opportunity to offer formal forgiveness. Surely he does not want us to hold on to a grudge, even when we have been greatly harmed. So why does he say “if”? J. C. Ryle answers by saying: “This expression is remarkable. It doubtless cannot mean that we are not to forgive men unless they do repent. At this rate there would be much bitterness constantly kept alive. But it does mean that when there is no repentance or regret for an injury done, there can be no renewal of cordial friendship, or complete reconciliation between man and man.”
What Jesus has in view is a situation in which everything has gone the way we hope and now it is up to us to complete the process of reconciliation. Although a sin has been committed, a rebuke has been rightly given and graciously received. True repentance has been offered. Now it is time to forgive and forgive again. How many times do we have to forgive someone? Every day, if necessary—even seven times a day, the number of perfection. The point is that we never reach the point where we can say we will no longer forgive. Jesus puts this in the imperative: “you must forgive him” (Luke 17:4). There is no limit to the forgiveness a believer in Christ is obligated to offer a penitent sinner.
Cyril of Alexandria compared forgiveness to the work of a medical doctor. We should “imitate those whose business it is to heal our bodily diseases,” Cyril said, “and who do not care for a sick person once only or twice, but just as often as he happens to become ill.” When a patient has some sort of illness, the doctor will provide the necessary cure. If the patient later suffers a relapse, or comes down with another disease, the doctor will not claim that he has treated the patient already, but will prescribe another cure. So it is with the soul-healing work of forgiveness: however many times someone comes to tell us they are sorry, we are to say, “I forgive you.”
MORE FAITH!
MORE FAITH!
At this point the disciples simply had to interrupt. What Jesus was telling them to do went so far beyond their capabilities that they needed to ask for help. We can understand how they felt because none of these things is easy for us to do either. It is hard to set a good example for people, not leading them astray. It is hard to rebuke a brother’s sin in a way that leads to real repentance. It is hard to forgive people who have done us some kind of wrong. But forgiving someone seven times a day? Impossible! How could anyone do that?!? With customary hyperbole, Jesus is telling us to take forgiveness to the ultimate extreme. He is telling us to forgive the unforgivable.
But what if we had to offer such forgiveness repeatedly? How could we even do it? The Croatian theologian Miroslav Volf wrestled with this question after giving a public lecture on Christian forgiveness. As soon as the lecture ended, the German theologian Jürgen Moltmann stood up and asked, “But can you embrace a cetnik?” Here is how Volf explains what Moltmann was really asking, and the answer he gave:
It was the winter of 1993. For months now the notorious Serbian fighters called “cetnik” had been sowing desolation in my native country, herding people into concentration camps, raping women, burning down churches, and destroying cities. I had just argued that we ought to embrace our enemies as God has embraced us in Christ. Can I embrace a cetnik—the ultimate other, so to speak, the evil other? What would justify the embrace? Where would I draw the strength for it?
Sooner or later this is a question we all have to face: Can I embrace the cetnik in my life—the person who has done me the most harm? Can I forgive the abuser and the betrayer? Miroslav Volf waited a long time before giving his answer. But finally, he said, “No, I cannot—but as a follower of Christ I think I should be able to.”
This is what the disciples thought, too. They did not know how they could possibly forgive anyone seven times in a single day, even though they knew that this is what the grace of God demanded. So they asked Jesus for help: “The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith!’ ” (Luke 17:5).
This may be one of the smartest things the disciples ever did. They did not ask for more obedience to live the way Jesus wanted them to live. They did not ask for more courage and compassion to confront people’s sin. They did not ask for more patience with people it was hard for them to love. All of those things were needed, of course, but what the disciples demanded was more faith, especially the faith to forgive. This is what we need any time Jesus tells us to do something that seems impossible: more faith. We need more faith in the promises of God the Father, more faith in the grace of God the Son, and more faith in the power of God the Holy Spirit. Since we cannot increase this faith by our own strength, we must ask God for it.
Whenever we put our faith in God, we are trusting him to do something for us that we cannot do for ourselves. Radical forgiveness is a perfect example. We will not find the strength to forgive somewhere in our own good will. We need a supernatural work of divine grace. Only God can give us a forgiving heart, and since forgiveness is a gift, we can receive it only by faith.
The “rebuke” is in context not a self-righteous condemnation but rather a realistic pointing out of the offense with a view to reconciliation. Once the rebuke has been effective in producing repentance, forgiveness is not an option but a duty.
If your brother sins, rebuke him … forgive him … seven times (17:3–4). “Seven times” is not an exact number, but means “many times” a day, as in Psalm 119:164. The principle of rebuke and forgiveness appears in Leviticus 19:17–18 as well as in Jewish texts. Yet none emphasizes such unlimited forgiveness (cf. Matt. 18:21–22).
3 Thus says the LORD:
“For three transgressions of Damascus,
and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
because they have threshed Gilead
with threshing sledges of iron.
9 Thus says the LORD:
“For three transgressions of Tyre,
and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
because they delivered up a whole people to Edom,
and did not remember the covenant of brotherhood.
10 So I will send a fire upon the wall of Tyre,
and it shall devour her strongholds.”
6 Thus says the LORD:
“For three transgressions of Gaza,
and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
because they carried into exile a whole people
to deliver them up to Edom.
E. The keeping no record of wrongs continues on and on.
1. God gives us an eternal salvation (Hebrews 5:9).
(a) He doesn’t just forgive us once; he keeps on doing it.
(b) He doesn’t later change his mind and decide, after all, what we did was so bad it must be reported.
2. When we have totally forgiven others we will do it on and on and on (Matthew 18:21–22).
(a) It is not enough that we do it once. Or twice.
(b) The proof we haven’t totally forgiven is that we later give in and break all of the above principles. What if God did that?
B. To what extent are our sins forgiven?
1. Sins of the past (Romans 3:25; Hebrews 8:12).
(a) Sins committed before we were converted.
(b) All of them are washed away (Revelation 1:5).
2. Present sin (1 John 1:7–9).
(a) The blood continues to cleanse our sins; but on the condition:
(1) That we walk in the light.
(2) That we confess them.
(b) What is forfeited if we don’t walk in the light?
(1) Fellowship with the Father.
(2) Superstructure of gold, silver, precious stones (1 Corinthians 3:12–15).
3. Future sins (Romans 8:33–39).
(a) Because we are ‘in Christ’ by faith our position is as secure as his.
(1) He cannot lose his place in the Godhead.
(2) We cannot lose our place in him (John 10:28).
(b) God loves us as much as he loves Jesus (John 17:23).
Our forgiving of others will not procure forgiveness for ourselves, but our not forgiving of others proves that we ourselves are not forgiven.
8. Unlimited Forgiveness: The Parable of the Debtors (18:22–35)
22 Jesus replied, “I tell you not just seven times, but as many as seventy-seven times.
23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven can be compared to a human king3 who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves. 24 When he had begun to settle up, one slave was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 The man did not have the money to pay him, so his master ordered that he should be sold, together with his wife and children and all that he had, so that payment could be made. 26 So the slave fell down at his feet and said,5 ‘Be patient with me, and I will repay you everything.’ 27 But the heart of that slave’s master went out to him and he set him free and forgave him the loan. 28 But when that slave had gone out he found one of his fellow-slaves who owed him a hundred denarii, and grabbed him by the throat8 saying. ‘Pay me back what you owe me.’ 29 So his fellow-slave fell down and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will repay you.’ 30 But he refused and went off and threw him into prison until he should pay the debt. 31 His fellow-slaves saw what had happened and were horrified, and they went and reported to their master all that had happened. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt, since you begged me. 33 Wasn’t it your duty to show mercy on your fellow-slave, just as I for my part showed mercy on you?’ 34 And his master was furious and handed him over to be tortured until he should pay all that he owed.
35 “And my heavenly Father will treat you in the same way, unless every one of you forgives your brother or sister from your heart.”
22
THE GRACE OF TOTAL FORGIVENESS
INTRODUCTION
A. Christianity is unique in the religions of the world because of these three truths:
1. Its founder is alive and well.
(a) All other leaders are dead.
(b) Only Jesus Christ is still alive (Revelation 1:18).
2. All good that takes place is initiated by God.
(a) The truth or falsehood in religion is, who initiates what you do.
(b) With Christianity alone God takes the initiative (John 6:44; James 1:18).
3. Total forgiveness is given to us by sheer grace (Ephesians 2:8–9).
(a) Other religions offer forgiveness—but on the basis of good works.
(b) Christianity alone offers forgiveness by the death of God’s Son (Romans 5:8–9).
B. This subject is to be understood in two ways: objectively and subjectively.
1. Objectively: our forgiveness in Christ.
(a) What are the benefits of Christ’s death, with particular reference to forgiveness of sins?
(b) To what extent are we forgiven of all our sins?
2. Subjectively: our forgiving others.
(a) What is the fruit of our being forgiven, with particular reference to forgiving others?
(b) To what extent must we forgive others?
C. Total forgiveness
1. The Lord has totally forgiven us of all our sins.
(a) Total forgiveness: as though we had never sinned.
(b) This forgiveness is given to us on the basis of Christ’s death on the cross.
2. We must forgive others of all they have done to us.
(a) Total forgiveness: as though they had done nothing wrong.
(b) Our forgiving others is on the basis of God’s goodness to us.
D. Why is this study important?
1. It reminds us of God’s goodness to us (Psalm 103:10–14).
2. It reminds us of what God has done through his Son.
3. It reminds us of the benefits of being justified by faith.
4. It reminds us of our responsibility to others in the light of God’s forgiveness.
5. The art of forgiving others can provide the greatest spiritual breakthrough you have ever known.
1. THE OBJECTIVE SIDE: GOD HAS TOTALLY FORGIVEN US IN CHRIST
A. The benefits of Christ’s death can be summed up like this:
1. Forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:14).
(a) This is the immediate consequence of justification by faith.
(1) Justification: being made righteous.
(2) It is ‘forensic’—legal—that is the way God sees us in Christ, not the way we may feel.
(b) This is ours by faith alone (not works) (Ephesians 2:8–9).
(1) It is available to all (Romans 3:22; 5:15).
(2) It is applied however by faith (Romans 3:26).
2. Imputed righteousness (Romans 4:3).
(a) Imputed: put to the credit of.
(b) All that Jesus was and did for us is transferred to us:
(1) His sinless life is put to our credit as though we were without sin (Romans 4:8).
(2) His blood assures us that the Father does not hold our sin against us but sees us ‘in Christ’ (Ephesians 1:7).
3. Eternal life (John 3:16).
(a) ‘Eternal life’ is used more than one way in the Bible.
(1) It is the very life of Jesus Christ himself (1 John 1:1).
(2) It is knowing the Father (John 17:3).
(3) It is endless duration in heaven (Mark 10:30).
(b) But the main way eternal life is understood in the present study is summed up: we will go to heaven, not hell, when we die.
B. To what extent are our sins forgiven?
1. Sins of the past (Romans 3:25; Hebrews 8:12).
(a) Sins committed before we were converted.
(b) All of them are washed away (Revelation 1:5).
2. Present sin (1 John 1:7–9).
(a) The blood continues to cleanse our sins; but on the condition:
(1) That we walk in the light.
(2) That we confess them.
(b) What is forfeited if we don’t walk in the light?
(1) Fellowship with the Father.
(2) Superstructure of gold, silver, precious stones (1 Corinthians 3:12–15).
3. Future sins (Romans 8:33–39).
(a) Because we are ‘in Christ’ by faith our position is as secure as his.
(1) He cannot lose his place in the Godhead.
(2) We cannot lose our place in him (John 10:28).
(b) God loves us as much as he loves Jesus (John 17:23).
C. What about chastening or being disciplined?
1. Chastening/disciplining: enforced learning.
(a) Internal chastening: the warning of the Holy Spirit.
(b) External chastening: when God steps in from without.
(c) Terminal chastening: when no further repentance is granted (Hebrews 6:4–6); it could mean a premature death (1 Corinthians 11:30).
2. Question: if God totally forgives us why does he chasten us? Answer: because he loves us (Hebrews 12:6).
(a) Chastening is not God ‘getting even’ (Psalm 103:10).
(b) Chastening is God treating us as sons (Hebrews 12:7–8).
(1) A parent disciplines his child because he loves the child, not because he is holding a grudge.
(2) Disciplining is given to improve us (Hebrews 12:10–11).
3. Chastening is given to us not because we haven’t been forgiven but because we have been forgiven.
(a) It is the proof of forgiveness, the proof of sonship.
(b) Not to be chastened is an ominous sign that we haven’t been forgiven!
2. THE SUBJECTIVE SIDE: OUR FORGIVING OTHERS
A. There is yet another benefit that comes by Jesus’ death on the cross: we are given the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9).
1. The Holy Spirit is a person who, as it were, took the place of Jesus in the lives of the disciples (John 14:16).
2. The Holy Spirit is a person who is also very sensitive (Ephesians 4:30).
(a) He can be grieved, or quenched (1 Thessalonians 5:19).
(b) The result of grieving the Spirit is a diminishing of fellowship with God (1 John 1:7).
(1) The grieving of the Spirit does not forfeit eternal salvation.
(2) The grieving of the Spirit forfeits clear thinking, presence of mind.
3. The chief way we grieve the Holy Spirit is by bitterness and an unforgiving spirit (Ephesians 4:31–32).
(a) Bitterness always seems justified at the time we feel and show it.
(b) For this reason we seldom are conscious of grieving the Holy Spirit when we do it; we realise it later—to our regret.
B. What should flow mostly from our being forgiven of all our sins is gratitude (Romans 6:22).
1. Sanctification can be called ‘the doctrine of gratitude’.
(a) We live lives of holiness not in order to ensure a place in heaven; we’ve already got that by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8–9).
(b) We live holy lives out of gratitude: ‘Thank you, Lord, for saving my soul.’
2. One of the greatest proofs of gratitude is that we forgive others as we have been forgiven.
(a) When I know of how much God has forgiven me I can well afford to forgive you!
(b) But when I don’t forgive you I have shown my ingratitude to God for forgiving me.
(1) Not to forgive is a sign of self-righteousness.
(2) Not to forgive is to imply I am better than you; I would never do what you have done.
(c) And yet when I carefully examine what I have been forgiven of I will see that I have no right whatever to condemn another (Matthew 7:1–2).
3. God hates ingratitude (Romans 1:21).
(a) When we are conscious that all our sins are forgiven, we will be thankful.
(b) This forgiveness leaves us without excuse when we don’t forgive others.
C. Our forgiving others moreover is a command (Ephesians 4:32).
1. It is put in the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:12).
(a) When we pray it we claim to have forgiven others!
(b) Could it be that the Lord’s Prayer has made liars out of us?
2. It is put as a summary of the Lord’s Prayer, as if being the main reason the prayer itself was given: ‘For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins’ (Matthew 6:14–15).
3. Forgiving others is the central theme in the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant (Matthew 18:21–35).
4. It is possibly what lies behind praying in faith (Mark 11:24–25).
3. THE PROOF OF TOTAL FORGIVENESS: KEEPING NO RECORD OF WRONGS (1 CORINTHIANS 13:5).
A. Others are kept from the knowledge of our sins (Genesis 45:1).
1. When God forgives us we are assured that our sins will never be held against us (Hebrews 8:12).
(a) Nobody will ever know what it is we have been forgiven of.
(b) God washes our sins away so that at the Judgement Seat of Christ there is no record of our sins.
2. We are commanded to forgive others as God has forgiven us! (Ephesians 4:32).
(a) This means we will shield others from knowing what a person has done to us.
(1) We protect the identity of that person who has hurt us, just as Joseph kept all in Egypt from knowing what his brothers did to him.
(2) We refuse to let anybody know who hurt us—or what it was they did.
(b) The proof we haven’t forgiven: we tell what we know about the person who hurt us.
B. Others are relieved of any fear due to their sins (Genesis 45:3–4).
1. When God forgives us he wants us to know his love not his wrath (Romans 5). He doesn’t want us to be afraid and so he puts us at ease (1 John 1:9).
2. When we totally forgive others we will not let them fear us.
(a) We will put them at ease.
(b) The proof we haven’t forgiven: we want them to worry over what they have done—and fear that we might expose them.
C. One is encouraged to forgive himself as opposed to being forever sorry for what he has done (Genesis 45:5).
1. When God forgives he forgets (Jeremiah 31:31–34).
(a) It doesn’t mean he doesn’t know our past—of course he knows.
(b) But it is forgotten in the sense of having been dealt with.
D. One is enabled to save face (Genesis 45:8).
1. When God forgives he gives us a future and says, ‘As for the past leave it to me’ (Romans 8:28).
(a) He causes the past, however bad, to work together for good.
(b) It can begin to seem as if that is the way it was supposed to be!
(1) Caution: that something works for good doesn’t mean it was right at the time.
(2) But God can make it seem that way—to let us save face!
2. When we have totally forgiven others we will let them save face.
(a) We will refuse to let them feel guilty: we will show we are no different from them, given the same circumstances.
(b) The proof we haven’t forgiven: we want the person who has hurt us to lose face. Something Christ never does.
E. The keeping no record of wrongs continues on and on.
1. God gives us an eternal salvation (Hebrews 5:9).
(a) He doesn’t just forgive us once; he keeps on doing it.
(b) He doesn’t later change his mind and decide, after all, what we did was so bad it must be reported.
2. When we have totally forgiven others we will do it on and on and on (Matthew 18:21–22).
(a) It is not enough that we do it once. Or twice.
(b) The proof we haven’t totally forgiven is that we later give in and break all of the above principles. What if God did that?
4. WHAT IF WE DON’T FORGIVE OTHERS?
A. What is not true is that we lose our salvation.
1. We are sealed to the Day of Redemption which will occur at the Second Coming (Ephesians 4:30).
2. To lose one’s salvation is not the meaning of Matthew 6:14–15 or Matthew 18:35.
B. What it does mean:
1. We lose fellowship with the Father.
(a) The reason for the Lord’s Prayer is precisely that we might enjoy fellowship with the Father.
(1) It is not a prayer for salvation; if it were there would be no need to repeat it.
(2) Why repeat it? For abiding fellowship with the Father.
(b) Once we violate the principle of total forgiveness God ceases to forgive us—for what we just did!
(1) It doesn’t mean he resurrects an old skeleton.
(2) It means that the very thing we just did, not forgiving—which is a sin—is standing between us and God.
2. God may turn on us and deal with us in a severe manner (Matthew 18:32–34).
(a) When you know you have been graciously forgiven and graciously dealt with—but refuse to be gracious to another, God may turn on you! (James 5:9).
(b) His disciplining can be most severe; it could be God will let you get caught for something he has protected!
3. God may discipline you, to teach you a lesson on self-righteousness and pointing the finger!
CONCLUSION
When we as believers totally forgive another believer the consequences are wonderful and indescribable. The Holy Spirit flows within us (Galatians 5:22–23) and makes us aware of his ongoing inner purifying of our hearts (1 Timothy 1:5). As this happens, we are becoming more like Jesus (Luke 23:34; 1 Peter 2:23).
However, if we don’t totally forgive one another we become spiritually impoverished, even if we feel good by ‘getting even’. In fact, we are only hurting ourselves when we don’t totally forgive. To those of us who do not forgive but harbour resentment and bitterness, God says, ‘Let me handle it’ (Romans 12:19).
Suffering for Righteousness’ Sake
8 Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 9 Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing
18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. 19 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.