The Principle of: Conditional Grace And Mercy Through Forgiveness Of Others

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Category: Salvation

Published on Sunday, 05 April 2009 06:26

Written by David WM Johnson

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.

 

1. If Jesus died for all my sins, why do I have to confess them once I am saved?
2. If "God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven me" how can there be any consequences for my unconfessed sins?
3. In that same thought, how can I receive "judgment without mercy" if I do not forgive "any man"?
4. 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

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