Are Christians Required To Forgive? - Charlie Garrett
Sept 12, 2021 1:22:02 GMT -5
Post by PrisonerOfHope on Sept 12, 2021 1:22:02 GMT -5
Are Christians Required To Forgive?
- Charlie Garrett
Forgiveness is never required unless asked for. There is no biblical example where forgiveness is required without repentance.
Every example given to the contrary by people is taken out of context. And context is always king.
1) Jesus on the cross said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:34. People will say, Jesus forgave them so you must too. First, Jesus didn't forgive them, He asked the Father to. Secondly, the sin was unintentional (they know not what they do). Third, after Jesus' ascension, Peter explained what occurred and said to these same people that they must repent or be destroyed and cut off - he even called them a “wicked generation.” Their destruction occurred 40 years later when Israel was destroyed and the Jews were dispersed, just as Jesus predicted.
2) But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew 6:15. This is taken entirely out of context as a stand-alone verse. The surrounding verses are about asking for forgiveness first. When we do, He does. And we are to do likewise when someone repents toward us.
3) Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32 Again, “just as in Christ God forgave you" is the key. We had to receive Christ and ask forgiveness first. Our forgiveness in Christ is potential only until we ask for it. It is only actual after that. Anything else is Universalism – a heresy.
4) “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.” Luke 17:3,4
In this verse, forgiveness clearly is based on repentance.
5) In a comparable passage in Matthew 18:35 people tend to only quote the forgiveness part – “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.” However, the entire parable is based on one getting on his knees and first asking forgiveness.
6) If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven. John 20:23
Pretty clear here. Jesus’ disciples could retain the sins of others and they are not forgiven.
7) We are not (clearly not!) forgiven by God until we turn to Him and accept Jesus as Lord. The forgiveness is unconditional and offered to all -
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32 /// and /// When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins Colossians 2:13.
However, this is not in effect without turning to God through Jesus Christ. To teach otherwise is universalism, which as I said above, is a heresy. In other words, the forgiveness of Jesus Christ is POTENTIAL to all, but ACTUAL only to those who accept it when He is confessed as Lord - O GOD, FORGIVE ME... A SINNER.
8) When we say the Lord's Prayer – “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us” we are acknowledging God as our forgiver and we are asking for that forgiveness. It therefore would logically be the same with those who “trespass against us.”
Does God hold us to a higher standard than He has set between us and Him? No.
- Charlie Garrett
Forgiveness is never required unless asked for. There is no biblical example where forgiveness is required without repentance.
Every example given to the contrary by people is taken out of context. And context is always king.
1) Jesus on the cross said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:34. People will say, Jesus forgave them so you must too. First, Jesus didn't forgive them, He asked the Father to. Secondly, the sin was unintentional (they know not what they do). Third, after Jesus' ascension, Peter explained what occurred and said to these same people that they must repent or be destroyed and cut off - he even called them a “wicked generation.” Their destruction occurred 40 years later when Israel was destroyed and the Jews were dispersed, just as Jesus predicted.
2) But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew 6:15. This is taken entirely out of context as a stand-alone verse. The surrounding verses are about asking for forgiveness first. When we do, He does. And we are to do likewise when someone repents toward us.
3) Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32 Again, “just as in Christ God forgave you" is the key. We had to receive Christ and ask forgiveness first. Our forgiveness in Christ is potential only until we ask for it. It is only actual after that. Anything else is Universalism – a heresy.
4) “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.” Luke 17:3,4
In this verse, forgiveness clearly is based on repentance.
5) In a comparable passage in Matthew 18:35 people tend to only quote the forgiveness part – “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.” However, the entire parable is based on one getting on his knees and first asking forgiveness.
6) If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven. John 20:23
Pretty clear here. Jesus’ disciples could retain the sins of others and they are not forgiven.
7) We are not (clearly not!) forgiven by God until we turn to Him and accept Jesus as Lord. The forgiveness is unconditional and offered to all -
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32 /// and /// When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins Colossians 2:13.
However, this is not in effect without turning to God through Jesus Christ. To teach otherwise is universalism, which as I said above, is a heresy. In other words, the forgiveness of Jesus Christ is POTENTIAL to all, but ACTUAL only to those who accept it when He is confessed as Lord - O GOD, FORGIVE ME... A SINNER.
8) When we say the Lord's Prayer – “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us” we are acknowledging God as our forgiver and we are asking for that forgiveness. It therefore would logically be the same with those who “trespass against us.”
Does God hold us to a higher standard than He has set between us and Him? No.
