THE LIMITS OF FORGIVENESS
Thursday, October 24, 2019
2Timothy [GW] 3:15-17 From infancy you [Timothy]
have known the Holy Scriptures. They have the power to give you wisdom so that
you can be saved through faith in Christ Jesus. Every Scripture passage is
inspired by God. All of them are useful for teaching, pointing out errors,
correcting people, and training them for a life that has God's approval. They
equip God's servants so that they are completely prepared to do good things.
Matthew [MKJV] 6:9-15 Therefore pray in this way: Our Father, who
is in Heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on
earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this
day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts as we also forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil. For Yours is the
kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. For if you forgive men
their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not
forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Matthew [KJV] 18:21-35 Then came Peter to him, and
said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till
seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee,
Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain
king, which would take account of his servants. And
when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten
thousand talents. But forasmuch as he had not to
pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all
that he had, and payment to be made. The servant
therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me,
and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that
servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.
But the same servant went out, and found one of his
fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and
took him by
the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. And
his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have
patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And
he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.
So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were
very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O
thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:
Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy
fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? And
his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all
that was due unto him. So likewise shall my
heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one
his brother their trespasses.
·
Only God is absolutely all-embracing love. (1Cor.13:4-8a;
1Jn.4:8)
·
Forgiveness not being separate from true love, God
is absolutely all-encompassing forgiveness.
1John 1:9; God is just; “just” meaning “equitable (in
character or act); by implication innocent, holy (absolutely or relatively): -
just, meet, right (-eous).” (Strong’s G1349) (1Jn.1:5 “…God is light, and in
him is no darkness at all.”)
·
God’s love/forgiveness is available but humanly
not always operative because of lack of
individual
or group reception. Hence lack of human individual and/or group commencement.
·
Commencement and continuance of godly
love/forgiveness is impossible without confession (agreeing with God about my
condition) and repentance. (1Jn.1:8-10)
·
Biblical godly repentance is not behavior
modification, it is John 3:10 Romans 12:2 changing mind to align with what God
says by and in His Word (Jn.1:1; 2Tim.3:16-17); thereby realizing change of
character that is obvious in word and deed.
·
God, being without need because He is light
without shading of darkness, does not benefit in manner of a human when He
forgives.
·
We, shaded in darkness, not “just” as is God,
are needy. When we forgive or are forgiven we benefit.
·
We are the primary beneficiary of forgiving
others. We are lightened and freed.
·
As with God, godly forgiveness on our part does
not necessarily mean the offender is free. This can be so even though God and
we pardon; for recipient may rejoice and take advantage in relief but be
unchanged in character; thereby walking unforgiven.
·
Forgiveness of others is unconditional
requirement in order to live in God’s forgiveness. To not forgive is to not be forgiven
by God. This *prerequisite is unequivocally stated in God’s Word. (Mt.6:9-15;
18:21-35; Mk.11:25-26; Lk.6:37; 1Jn.1:9-10)
Matthew 18:21 reports
Peter asking Jesus, "How many times should I forgive someone who does
something wrong to me? Is seven times enough?"
Adam Clarke, in
his Commentary on the Bible, explains “Till seven times? - Though seven was a
number of perfection among the Hebrews, and often meant much more than the
units in it imply, yet it is evident that Peter uses it here in its plain
literal sense, as our Lord’s words sufficiently testify. It was a maxim among
the Jews never to forgive more than thrice: Peter enlarges this charity more
than one half; and our Lord makes even his enlargement septuple, see Mat_18:22.
Revenge is natural to man, i.e. man is naturally a vindictive being, and, in
consequence, nothing is more difficult to him than forgiveness of injuries.”
Let us not carry
calculator and record book. Forgive without accounting. Leave the secretarial
labors to others; those that resentfully count; those that incorrectly count on
forgiveness. (Mt.18:22-35)
Albert Barnes Notes on the Bible: “Matthew
6:14-15. For if
ye forgive men their trespasses - If ye forgive others when they offend
or injure you.
Your heavenly Father
will also forgive you - This is constantly required in
and by the Word. See the notes at Mat_6:12.
Our Saviour says we should forgive even if the offence be committed seventy
times seven times, Mat_18:22. By this
is meant, that when a man asks forgiveness, we are cordially and forever to
pardon the offence; we are to declare our willingness to forgive him. If he
does not ask forgiveness, yet we are still to treat him kindly; not to harbor
malice, not to speak ill of him, to be ready to do him good, and be always
prepared to declare him forgiven when he asks it, and if we are not ready and
willing to forgive him; we are assured that God will not forgive us.”
EBB4
