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In todays post and podcast, I’m going press the biblical principle of forgiveness well passed the world’s pretend forgiveness which most people uphold. The Biblical principle ties forgiveness to love and this will completely wreck everything we think is true about forgiveness. Biblical or true forgiveness is not a platitude, it’s a full relinquishment of all wrongdoers from all wrong. This comparison will reveal how we don’t really know forgiveness.

Let’s begin by testing our ability to forgive by examining some current events:

1. Do you completely forgive your political opponents?
2. Do you completely forgive those who plunder tax resources through corruption?
3. Do you completely forgive those who commit crimes? Make war? Or do evil in any form?
4. Do you completely forgive those who mistreated you based on race, gender, religion, or some other trait?

Is it any surprise that the most contentious topics facing people today have at their epicenter a so-called justification for their continued outrage and offense. Unforgiveness is the foundation upon which every prejudice, bias, and sense of otherness exists.

Now, let’s compare it to the Biblical teaching.

²³ So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother (m&f: fellow person) has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. ²⁵ Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with them to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison.” (Matthew 5:23-25)

….settle things outside of institutional power, not by way of litigation.

³ Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, ⁴ and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.” (Luke 17:3-5)

…become self-aware, and continue forgiving…. Is this asking us to be a doormat? A victim?

¹⁴ “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, ¹⁵ but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:14-15)

…no ticky…no washy…Our disposition toward others is the contingency for God’s disposition towards us. By this measure, most people will not be forgiven by God.

³⁷ “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; ³⁸ give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” (Luke 8:36-38)

…again our disposition toward others determines God’s disposition toward us.

⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,… “ (Matthew 5:43-44)

…loving your enemies is how we eradicate them. Love is the cornerstone of the forgiveness principle.

²⁰ To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; (Romans 12:19)

…never act in accordance to unforgiveness. See others as oneself and act in love.

The principal of the “Unforgiving Servant” which is summarized at the end of the parable in these verses:

³² Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. ³³ And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ ³⁴ And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. ³⁵ So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.” (Matthew 18:32-35)

…how many so called Christians believe God has forgiven them, and then live in unforgiveness? God has a ‘prison’ for those who live this way. Note the order here…

Scripture ties the forgiveness of God in an unbreakable link to our forgiveness of others. So why do we allow qualifiers and contingencies when in comes to each of us forgiving one another? What resistance do you have to this? What scenarios are you trying to bring up which will excuse you from this requirement?

I’d like to first address something vital: the order of forgiveness. The Bible reveals that through the sacrifice of Christ Jesus, every possible sin that humanity has ever committed has already been forgiven, we start out forgiven. We don’t earn forgiveness in religion. We don’t ask for it. We receive it. We open to it.

¹³ And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, ¹⁴ by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.” (Colossians 2:13-14)

“For there is no distinction: ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:22-24)

Forgiveness from God is complete. It is total forgiveness. There is nothing that prevents us from entering Heaven and union with God. This is the gift of grace, given to all people. However, since virtually nobody, especially the religious, believes this, our forgiveness remains unopened. There is a qualitative difference between people who are opened to forgiveness and love, and those who prefer suppressing this truth. Every excuse for our unforgiving heart proves we reject God’s grace. Though we may want it for ourselves, we do not want it for our enemies.

“If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.” (1 John 4:20)

This unbreakable link, via the law of love, means that the degree to which we forgive others, is the degree to which we are forgiven. If we desire unqualified forgiveness from God, we must provide unqualified forgiveness to others. While the salvation of all humanity has been fully provided, most of humanity prefers unforgiveness to salvation, and rejects God by preserving enemies. This is the single greatest law in all of religion. Jesus upheld this single principle above everything else, insisting that if we understand, we get the whole thing (law and prophets) and if we reject this, we miss the whole thing.

³⁶ “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” ³⁷ And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. ³⁸ This is the great and first commandment. ³⁹ And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. ⁴⁰ On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22: 36-40)

Religion can’t help us. Love is the bar. An unloving platitude toward forgiveness is only pretending. It’s not “if-then”, it’s “since-then.” God has forgiven us, the question isn’t whether we will get forgiveness, but whether we will treasure it and live according to love by forgiving others.

I know some will push back and say: There are evil people out there. Yes, that’s true. Evil people are those who reject God’s benevolence. When we won’t forgive, we embrace evil too. Scripture says:

“But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. ⁴⁰ And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.⁴¹ And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.” (Matthew 5:39-41)

Biblical forgiveness is totally radical. It’s an absolute scandal.

I know forgiveness seems impossible…at first. However, we can love our political opponents. We can love every enemy. Our heart’s can be delivered from unforgiveness, prejudice, hatred, fear, power, and relinquishing all control. This seems disastrous because evil will win. I’m not suggesting we forsake standing up for the truth. Jesus spoke truth to power unapologetically. Yet he gave up His life to the power of religion and State which killed him. And while he was hanging on the cross, following abuse, and torture, Jesus said:

“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:24)

Love makes forgiveness possible. Instead of justifying our unforgiving heart, let’s try trusting (believing) that total, unconditional forgiveness towards others is possible, because we affirm that unconditional forgiveness has been first given to us. In what circumstance would it be better to refuse forgiveness toward another, and accept a life confined to a special prison, from which our unforgiving heart will never escape.