I count three 'ifs' in the verses below. Ponder them prayerfully, observe them and thereby be on track with Christ's program for FORGIVENESS. God's Holy Word is the final Word of authority on any subject and keeps us from an all too prevalent and promoted 'easy-forgiveness,' so very popular in our day. But this easy, trendy 'flip-off' of wrong-doing is really presumptuous of grace and fails to deal righteously with a wrong at hand. It counters a true understanding of what is being forgiven; sin is marginalized.
Here are the verses to carefully note. Jesus said:
"Be on your guard! IF your brother sins, rebuke him; and IF he repents, forgive him. And IF he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ forgive him” (Luke 17:3,4).
From these words of Jesus, we can rightly conclude at least these three things:
1. Upon careful consideration, IF my brother is indeed sinning or has sinned, I am to REBUKE him in accordance with Jesus' outline for doing so in Matthew 18. This passage reads: “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed." A few verses later this portion of Scripture includes the familiar "where two or three are gathered together" phrase. We commonly use this in a prayer context but it really follows the Savior's admonition about confronting sin. When trying to straighten out matters of sin, with a witness attending, Jesus wants us to know He is present also and can work wonders in hearts in order to bring about resolution. He is present in a special manner because He really wants a wholesome fellowship between His people. The promise that Jesus will be present helps subdue any fears to "go" as Jesus commands (not merely suggests).
2. IF my brother REPENTS I am to forgive. Jesus says, "and if he repents..." But, there must be repentance preceding any forgiveness. Sin is not to be glossed over or easily dismissed with an "I'm sorry." Repentance has to do with a radical change of mind. The sinning person must think differently about the wrong allegedly committed. He must dismiss his rationalizing excuses for his sin and accept Jesus' truthful evaluation thereof. He is to think about his sin even as God thinks about it. God hates it! Do I? If the confronter ascertains holy compliance he is bound to forgive. This process glorifies God, rightly deals with a sin for which Jesus was nailed to the cross and at the same time sensitizes the sinner and those cognizant of the sin against continuance therein. Alexander Pope is the one who said, "To err is human, to forgive divine." But Christian forgiveness is more than mere pardon or accepting a hastily uttered (or muttered) "I'm sorry." True confession rather operates on the ground of satisfying justice. It's 'righting' one's life with God as well as with any who have been offended. Oswald Chambers remarked, "It is shallow nonsense to say God forgives us because He is love. The only ground upon which God can forgive us is the cross." And a believer must forgive on the same basis.
3. Forgiveness may need to be REPEATED often. Jesus instructs, "And IF he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.” This points up just how ingrained sin is in this vile world, including all human hearts and even the hearts of born-again believers. We are indeed sinners saved by grace. And even with all the bestowals of grace, we nevertheless are sinners still. Luther said, "I more fear what is within me than what comes from without." And so even with genuine repentance a believer may well repeat his or her sin. When such occurs, in love I must be willing to repeat and repeat the forgiveness process set forth by our Lord Himself.
The above pertains to an often time-consuming horizontal (person with person) aspect of dealing with sin. This may well take much time, prayer and patience. The matter of offending sin is not settled privately and quietly merely in the heart of the one offended. There is to be a personal encounter between the one offended and the offender. But it will be a most thrilling moment when two brothers in Christ stand face to face in a kind of reconciliation that pleases God, honors the death of Christ for sin on His cross, and peacefully clears the consciences of two estranged believers in Christ.
In the meantime a vertical or Godward forgiveness is to be employed at once when a sin is committed. This is the kind of "on the spot" forgiveness employed by Jesus agonizing on His cross. He said, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." And so, while I am working on the horizontal (human to human) aspect of forgiveness, I look up to God remembering how Christ forgave His enemies and remember also what He wrought for them on His cross. All sin was judged there. And since the concept of 'releasement' is inherent in Divinely ordered forgiveness, I must in communion with God immediately forgive that person in this sense: I know God has already dealt with this sin and I now must turn over or release to God the sin and sinner at hand. I will not plot or plan revenge of any kind and I do this knowing full well that God, through Jesus, has already dealt with it and now in 'real time' will initiate a process of His own whereby the sinning one will be brought to terms with the error of his ways. God will handle it! Therefore, since He always keeps His Word and will do so, I at once forgive (in this vertical sense) knowing any justice or correction needed will be accomplished by the Lord in His way and time. So, I forgive by turning (releasing) an offending brother over to God for His wise and holy dealings, but must now proceed horizontally, right here on planet earth, to seek a face to face resolution of the issue at hand and what can be a righteous renewal of a happy and holy relationship with my brother.
"You know, Mitch, whenever the wife and I get into an argument , she gets historical." "You mean hysterical, Mel, don't you?" "No, I mean historical - she remembers everything I ever did wrong and the exact date and time that it happened."
In dealing with interpersonal offences God surely wants us to keep short accounts. This can happen when we follow His directions, both in the vertical and horizontal senses.
Dick Christen
