Forgiveness (Part 2)

Passage: Ephesians 1:7

In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace 

Forgiveness in the New Testament Jesus is the perfect and final Sacrifice which is the only means or mechanism by which God’s forgiveness is actually mediated to every person who believes (Rom. 3:25; Heb. 10:11-12). The connection of Jesus with forgiveness is seen in His own self-understanding. According to the Old Testament, only God could forgive sins; yet Jesus declared that He could do so, and He did (Mark 2:1-12; John 8:2-11). He saw His own death as the fulfillment of the Old Testament sacrificial system. At the Last Supper He spoke of His death as “my blood of the New Testament [covenant]” (Mark 14:24). Jesus Himself is the unblemished Sacrifice (Isa. 53:3-7), offered once for all (Heb. 9:28) not by a human being, but by God Himself in Christ Jesus for the sins of mankind (Heb. 9:14; Rom. 3:25; Acts 13:38). Forgiveness through the sacrifice of Christ is available for everyone who truly repents (Luke 23:39-43; John 8:2-11). This is the message of the early church. The promised new age has arrived; old things have passed away (Acts 2:36-39; 3:13-19, 26; 5:31).  The sacrifice of Christ was that which the New Covenant spoke of and of which it promised Israel a part.

The Sin Which is Unforgivable It is true that Jesus spoke of an unforgivable sin (Matt. 12:22-32; Mark 3:22-30; Luke 12:10). It is not a question of God’s ability or desire to forgive, but rather a matter of human willingness to meet the conditions for forgiveness. The background of the saying was the controversy between Jesus and the religious leaders of His time. The Pharisees refused to see the merciful hand of God in the work of Jesus, and rather attributed His miracles to the power of Satan. For such who deliberately closed their minds to the work and invitation of God in Christ to draw near, repent, and receive forgiveness, there is no hope. But the fault lies with them, rather than with God.

Human Forgiveness in the New Testament As a part of His teaching about human need for forgiveness and the means of receiving it, Jesus spoke of the human dimension of forgiveness. A firm condition for the receiving of God’s forgiveness is the willingness to forgive others. In the Lord’s Prayer (Matt. 6:12; Luke 11:4) and the parable of the Unforgiving Servant (Matt. 18:12-35) Jesus clearly indicated such is the case: “But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matt. 6:15). The forgiven life is the forgiving life.

Human forgiveness reflects our experience and understanding of divine forgiveness. Love, not wooden rules, governs forgiveness (Matt. 18:21-22). Jesus powerfully demonstrated this teaching on the cross, as He asked for forgiveness for His executioners (Luke 23:34). Paul reminded the church at Ephesus of both the grounds of their forgiveness and the basis on which they must forgive one another (Eph. 4:32).  The one who has been forgiven will forgive others also.  What is in view here is another of the many evidences of Christ’s presence in a life, and not the cause of it.  Forgiveness of others doesn’t bring forgiveness, but rather, it demonstrates that we are already a part of the forgiven family of God and thus, are His children and are forgiven ourselves.  We need to be careful to understand this aspect of forgiveness in terms of what the rest of the Bible says about how a man becomes forgiven, rather than using it to redefine a works oriented salvation scheme.  Some try and do this with verses like this and end up in grievous error and making terrible mistakes that can lead many astray.  Forgiveness is rooted in the finished work of Jesus Christ, and that work alone!  We must be careful to see that it remains so!