THE PRINCIPLE OF: CONDITIONAL GRACE AND MERCY THROUGH FORGIVENESS OF OTHERS
BY DAVID WM JOHNSON
The Holy Bible states unequivocally that "Jesus Christ is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world." 1 John 2:2. That "the wages of sin is death." Romans 6:23a.
It goes on to demonstrate that there is nothing that any of us can do to EARN our way to heaven, such as "being good enough" or "doing acts of grace or participating somehow in religious doings" and as such somehow EARN God’s blessing or favor. "Not by works or righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he hath saved us…" Titus 3:5a. "For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God, NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2:8-9
Instead it says very clearly, "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man would one die: yet peradventure for a good man, one would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement." Romans 5:6-11 *[I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ liveth within in, and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20]
These "exceeding great and precious promises" are the foundational tenets by which one can come to Jesus Christ and receive him as Lord and Saviour and it is clear that there is a "future tense" to this salvation in these verses. Thus one must "continue in the faith…and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel…" Colossians 1:23
Yet as is so often the case, how easily it is for us to not "wait upon the Lord" and be "taught of him" and get the "full and complete truth". It has been said "the race does not belong to those the begin well, but to those that end well." It is in that thought that this lesson comes to you to have you ponder and consider the "whole counsel of God" Acts 20:27.
Here are some questions for us to consider first to find the answers in Scripture.
- If Jesus died for all my sins, why do I have to confess them once I am saved?
- If "God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven me" how can there be any consequences for my unconfessed sins?
- In that same thought, how can I receive "judgment without mercy" if I do not forgive "any man"?
- Is it possible for God to place all the sin debt back upon the backslider who hates his brother and will not repent and forgive him as his Lord commanded him?
Now those are very important questions, and their answers are most important since if one’s sins are not dealt with in God’s prescribed way, then they are not dealt with effectively at all, leaving one under the judgment of God and the affliction of the tormentors, until all is paid.
Let’s look at the Scripture. Note that each of these passages were not preached to unbelievers, but to believers. There is truth for the believer here!
Matthew 5:7 is "Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy." Further, Matthew 6:14-15 "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." Mark 11:25-26 says "And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses."
Then let’s read Matthew 18:21-35 which says in verses 32-35 regarding the wicked servant who had been forgiven his debt by the compassion of his Lord, it says he was "loosed" and "forgave him the debt" in verse 27.
Now we know that the servant went out to a fellow servant and "took him by the throat and said pay me what thou owest." Verse 28 The fellow servant "fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all." The wicked servant (what a name for a person once forgiven by God, see 1 Corinthians 5:13) "would not" (meaning he would not listen and would not have compassion nor reason or come to some agreement). "But went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt."
Now the fellowservants were "very sorry and came and told unto their lord all that was done." Verse 31b.
Here is the conclusion of the matter. "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 [reasonable question based upon the fact that we have be commanded to "love our neighbors as ourselves"] 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 [The Lord who had "loose" and "forgave him the debt"].
"SO LIKEWISE SHALL MY HEAVENLY Father DO also unto you, IF ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses." Matthew 18:35
It is in this story we see the "But God commendeth his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners [debtors to God for failing to hit his mark of righteousness] Christ died for us". It is important to see that the forgiveness by the Lord, toward his servant was NOT IRREVOCABLE. God is at liberty to take away forgiveness just like he can give it because of his "higher principle" of mercy. James 2:13b says "For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment." He also says in Jonah 2:8 "They that observe lying vanities, forsake their own mercy." This too goes along with the truth about different kind of wisdoms.
James 3:13-18 says regarding forgiveness and making peace and showing mercy: "Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you: let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual and devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace."
So you can clearly see that it is sin and wrong and foolish and devilish not to forgive a repentant one.
If it is important to the repentant one to come and ask forgiveness. By this they get "free" in their heart and gain a clear conscience. If this is so, how much more then is it necessary for us as the children of God to "walk in the light" by repenting of our sin, confessing it and as we commit sin. By this then we by faith and obedience to God’s commands receive the cleansing power of the blood, so that the blood of Jesus can be applied and used to wash away our guilty conscience.
Consider "If we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." (1 John 1:7) Also Hebrews, speaking on the powerful cleansing of the blood of Jesus in our conscience, says "For if the blood of bulls and goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works [no faith in religious or good deeds] to serve the living God?" (Hebrews 9:13-14)
If Jesus commanded us to love the brethren, as well as love thy neighbor as thyself, then how can we NOT SIN by resisting and not granting forgiveness to the repentant brother?
The bottom line is IF "we show mercy…he reciprocates mercy" but if we show judgment, hate and unforgiveness and no mercy, then the Lord is REQUIRED to show judgment without mercy. This is why love is the greatest. It is the heart of the gospel in every way. It alone demonstrates the perfection of a soul. Laying down one’s own rights, even unto death. Consider these Scriptures.
- For he shall have judgment with mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment. James 2:13
- And here by we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
- But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him…
- He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.
- But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes" 1 John 2:3-11
How can one be saved without grace? I do not believe we can. In Romans 5:10 "For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, [we received salvation, the earnest of the Spirit, cleansing and forgiveness of all sins UP TO THAT POINT!] much more, being reconciled we shall be saved by his life. HIS LIFE IS how we are to live now, which was "led by the Spirit" (Romans 8:14). We are to live to the well pleasing of the Father.
Romans 6:11 says "Reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." "…Yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God." Romans 6:13b
This issue of forgiveness then is seen as a prime issue of understanding the doctrine of "perseverance of the saints". If one is to receive grace from God he must "humble himself therefore under the mighty hand of God, casting all your cares upon him for he careth for you." Why, without humility there is no grace given. With no grace, then how can one be ultimately saved? The issue of forgiveness goes hand in hand with receiving grace. Without forgiveness there is no grace, without grace, there is no "moisture" to bring for the increase. "When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer." Psalm 32:3-4 Also some Christians "spring up" for God for a time and then begin to lack moisture and wither away, and bear no fruit and thus are "taken away". Consider Luke 8:6, 13, and John 15:2,6.
"The grace that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men teaching us that denying ungodliness [the unforgiving servant who had be "loosed" and "forgiven" was called "wicked" because his actions were ungodly] and worldly lusts we should live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world." Titus 2:11
If one is not obedient to this "grace that bringeth salvation" then how can one be saved in the end? The word end does not mean just the end of an age but also the end of one’s life. (See Matthew 10:22 and 24:4-14) The same grace that saves us and brings us salvation, teaches us. If we turn away and resist that grace that brought us salvation, "how then dwelleth the love of God in him"? How then are we saved? "If you love me, keep my commandments." (John 14:15)
In closing it is simple, if we want to maintain a relationship with the Lord and have our sins continue to stay forgiven, we must continue to obey his grace, which requires us to obey him to get more grace as well as forgive those who trespass against us. Consider in closing three great examples. Jesus said, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34) Stephen did so as well kneeling and praying "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge." Acts 7:60 And finally Paul also in 2 Timothy 4:16, which says "at my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge."
Just remember that God "is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9b and "as many as I love I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore and repent. Behold I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come into him, and sup with him and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne." Revelation 3:19-21 "And they overcame by the blood of the Lamb, [came to Calvary, repented of their sins, got saved and continued to walk in the light confessing their sins for continual cleansing] and by the word of their testimony [the life of Jesus was their life, his grace was their supply moment by moment to overcome and endure all tribulations and temptations] and they loved not their lives unto the death" [meaning they learned what true love is "to lay down our lives for the brethren"]. This is how Jesus also overcame, by keeping his Father’s commandments, living by his life and spirit (see John 6:57). Also having this mind in himself that he "made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and he became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name above every name…" (Phil 2:7-9) Doesn’t that sound like what God is calling us to do. Yes! In fact, Jesus is our example. 1 John 2:6 says "He that saith, he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked."
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