Forgiveness Part 3

The Most Popular Verse in the Bible.

For as long as we can remember, the Bible’s most popular verse has been John 3:16, but lately another has come to the top of the list; quoted most often by unbelievers. I guess that’s an improvement because in the past the unbelievers’ most popular verse wasn’t even in the Bible. It was “the Lord helps those who help themselves.”

Today’s most often quoted verse is Luke 6:37 “Do not judge and you will not be judged. Do not condemn and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven.” Even though it’s used primarily by unbelievers, and in a way that’s judgmental toward believers (making its use self-contradictory) it’s a good one to use in concluding our series on forgiveness.

Union and Fellowship

Remember that there are 2 levels of forgiveness; one that is not behavior driven and one that is. The first is the forgiveness that the Lord purchased with His life. You received it simply by believing that He died for you. At that moment you were forgiven once and for all, and your salvation was assured. You were also given irrevocable union with the Father (Ephe 1:13) and became as righteous as He is (2Cor 5:21). This union is forever and carries eternal blessings for every believer. So why did John in his letter to believers counsel us to confess and be restored every time we sin (1 John 1:9)? It’s because of the other level, fellowship. Fellowship is temporal, carries earthly benefits, and is subject to interruption. Our Lord can’t relate to us while our hearts are full of the destructive human emotions that often imprison us, because these emotions are sins that have to be confessed and forgiven before He can restore the relationship.

In Luke 6:37 the clear implication is that judging or condemning another’s behavior constitutes sin, as does the failure to forgive. The parable of the unmerciful servant in Matt 18:23-35 showed that what comes around goes around (see ). Luke 6:37 concurs, with positive admonitions. To escape judgment and condemnation avoid judging and condemning. To receive the forgiveness that preserves fellowship, extend it.

Who’s Punishing Whom?

Complicated by human standards, it’s exquisitely simple by God’s. When wronged by a brother, you suffer. By staying angry and refusing to forgive, you wrong your brother and suffer again. When you forgive him he is convicted and he suffers. In Rom 12:17-21, Paul says it’s like heaping burning coals on his head. Meanwhile, the Lord takes the anger from your heart, restores you to fellowship with Him, and gives you peace. When you punish someone by failing to forgive, do you realize you’re the one who suffers most?

Expel the Immoral Brother

Much is made of admonitions in the Bible to avoid believers who are sexually immoral, or who regularly eat or drink to excess, practice idolatry or greed, are swindlers, foul mouthed, gossipers, or verbally abusive (1 Cor 5:11, Ephe 4:29). In this way we help them see that such behavior is sin. But once they admit it (repent) we are to forgive them, even if it happens 7 times in the same day. We are to forgive them as much as 70 X 7 times. Why, because we all do these things too, and if we expect forgiveness we are to forgive.

In 1 Cor 5:1-5 Paul takes the Corinthians to task for permitting an unnatural relationship between a man in the fellowship and his father’s wife. “Hand this man over to Satan,” Paul said, “so the sin nature can be destroyed and the spirit saved.” Apparently neither the man nor the congregation saw his behavior as sin. Both needed to repent (reconsider their opinion) so Paul required them to expel the man. In this way both the congregation and the man could recognize their sin, confess and be forgiven.

In 2 Cor.2:5-11 Paul spoke of the incident again. The plan had worked. The congregation was obedient and the man humbled. “Now forgive him and comfort him so he won’t be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. Reaffirm your love for him so that Satan doesn’t outwit us again.” The congregation’s first sin was in not seeing the sin, but the failure to forgive was also a sin, and could allow Satan to win after all.

Who Loves You?

There’s also the issue of love. It’s best explained in a parable from Luke 7:41. Two men owed money to a certain money lender. One owed 2 years pay and the other owed 2 months. Neither could pay so the money lender cancelled both debts. Completing the story, the Lord asked, “which one will love the money lender most?” Simon the Pharisee answered, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt cancelled.” Good answer. He who has been forgiven much, loves much. Have we been forgiven much? “As I have loved you,” the Lord said, “You must love one another” (John 13:34, 15:12 and 9 other places).