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By: Brian G. Chilton | August 13, 2019
The teachings of Jesus of Nazareth have always been challenging. Interestingly, his teachings are as challenging today as they were when he first uttered them. One of the more difficult of Jesus’s teachings is his message on forgiveness. In his famed Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches the crowd what it means to live a kingdom life. That is, he presents what the ideal life is like and how God’s children are expected to behave. Granted, the Sermon on the Mount presents ideals that no one could ever achieve outside of the Spirit of God. However, the child of God should strive to live according to the standards as much as it is possible.
While teaching on prayer, Jesus noted that a believer should pray, “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matt. 6:12, CSB). After concluding the model prayer, Jesus teaches, “For if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well. But if you don’t forgive others, your Father will not forgive your offenses” (Matt. 6:14–15, CSB). This brings up multiple questions that must be answered. Does one’s salvation depend on one’s ability to forgive? Well, yes and no.
Theologically, Jesus indicates that salvation comes from his atoning sacrifice on the cross. Jesus says in John’s Gospel, “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:14–15, CSB). Jesus even promises that no one can snatch a person from the Father’s hand (John 10:29). The only sin that is unpardonable is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (Matt. 12:22–32, Mark 3:22–30) which is a rejection of the Spirit’s work in Christ’s life unto death.
Despite Jesus’s teachings on salvation and security, he does emphasize the importance and the connection that occurs between one’s relationship with God and others, especially in regard to forgiveness. As it was previously noted, Jesus indicates that a person who does not forgive will not be forgiven by the Father. This teaching is emphasized in other areas. It is not a singular incident. In his Parable of the Unmerciful Servant in Matthew 18:23–25, Jesus tells the story of a servant who was forgiven by the king an amount that would be equated to over one billion dollars (Matt. 18:23–27). However, when the servant came across a debtor who owed him an amount comparable to $15,000, the servant threw the debtor in jail and demanded that his money be paid to him immediately. When the king heard about this, he had the servant arrested and thrown into prison. In the parable, Jesus notes that a person who has been forgiven by God must forgive others in the same manner. The Two Great Commandments (Matt. 22:36–40) which are to love God and to love others indicate that one’s relationship with God impacts one’s relationship with other individuals. In like manner, a person cannot have a right relationship with God while mistreated and abusing other people. The two do not mix. Orthodoxy (right belief) impacts orthopraxy (right living).
So, how do we work through the salvation given through Christ and our responsibility to him? Do we have an assurance of salvation? Is the lack of forgiveness an unpardonable sin? From a systematic approach to the concept of salvation and forgiveness, I think we find three important truths that must be considered.
Forgiveness is a command of Christ. Regardless of what you do with the theological connection between salvation and forgiveness, it must be noted that forgiveness is a command of Christ. Jesus notes that “If you love me … keep my commands” (John 14:15, CSB). Jesus also notes that one of his new commandments is to “Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34–35, CSB). As a side note, if the modern church were to be evaluated only by Jesus’s commandment of love, would we pass? Would be viewed as belonging to Christ?
Loving one another consists of forgiveness. Even if one were to offend multiple times and return with a true heart of repentance, the believer should forgive (Matt. 18:21–22). This does not indicate that a person becomes a doormat (Luke 17:1–2). But rather that a person maintains a loving and forgiving heart. If for no other reason, a Christian should maintain a forgiving nature because of one’s commitment to Christ.
Forgiveness is a mark of Christianity. Just as the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22–23)—love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—are markers that a person is right with God, so forgiveness is the same. Jesus explicitly states that good trees produce good fruit, and bad trees produce bad fruit (Matt. 7:17–18). Good trees are individuals who are right with God and their good fruit is those things which are produced by the Spirit of God abiding in their lives. Bad trees are those without Christ whose natural nature will produce evil actions. John adds in his First Epistle that “Everyone who has been born of God does not sin, because his seed remains in him; he is not able to sin, because he has been born of God. This is how God’s children and the devil’s children become obvious. Whoever does not do what is right is not of God, especially the one who does not love his brother or sister” (1 John 3:9–10, CSB). Obviously, John is not stating that the children of God do not literally ever commit sin while on earth. Rather, a life that is surrendered to God will not pursue sinful behaviors (Gal. 5:15–26). One will not pursue a lifestyle of sin, but rather seek to live a life of holiness to the Lord. Thereby, a genuine child of God will not reject forgiveness to one who has repented because, to quote Shakespeare, forgiveness is divine. This desire does not come from within, but rather from above.
Forgiveness is an act of confidence. Jesus warns those who bring offense and do not repent. In fact, Jesus says that the one who causes needless offenses to his children would be better to have a millstone tied around one’s neck than to face the day of judgment (Luke 17:1–2). The Christian walk is one of trust and confidence that God will work out all things. Paul denotes the Christian walk as one that consists of putting away offensive speech (Eph. 4:29), bitterness (Eph. 4:31), wrath (Eph. 4:31), anger (Eph. 4:31), slander (Eph. 4:31), and malice (Eph. 4:31). By keeping these attributes in one’s life, a person quenches, or grieves, the Holy Spirit of God (Eph. 4:30), thereby harming one’s walk with Christ. When a person forgives and turns an offending brother or sister over to God, then the person expresses their trust and confidence in God’s ability to rectify the wrong that was done. Believe me when I say that I have seen God take care of unrepentant offending individuals far better than anything I could have ever done.
So, to conclude, I would say that while salvation is not based on a person’s willingness to forgive, salvation does produce individuals who willingly forgive because of the work that God has performed in their lives. A person does not forgive to be saved. A person forgives because one has been saved. If we as modern Christians could learn how to forgive as God forgives us, I dare say that 95 percent of all church problems would be easily resolved. As we have been forgiven, so we must forgive.
Brian G. Chilton is the founder of BellatorChristi.com, the host of The Bellator Christi Podcast, and the author of the soon to be released book The Layman’s Manual on Christian Apologetics. He received his Master of Divinity in Theology from Liberty University (with high distinction); his Bachelor of Science in Religious Studies and Philosophy from Gardner-Webb University (with honors); and received certification in Christian Apologetics from Biola University. Brian is currently enrolled in the Ph.D. program in Theology and Apologetics at Liberty University and is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society and the Evangelical Philosophical Society. Brian has been in the ministry for nearly 20 years and serves as the Senior Pastor of Westfield Baptist Church in northwestern North Carolina.
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