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Fortunately, for all of us, God is a forgiving God.
"If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared."Psalm 130:4
"Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits--who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases."Psalm 103:2-3
The human race has caused God great personal pain, and yet He continues to forgive. The most patient person who ever lived would have stopped forgiving people thousands of years ago. Forgiveness is certainly Divine. Only God has the Love and Grace to deal with sin. We must look to Him to help us forgive others.
That raises the question of how does God expect us to forgive? The Hebrew language used several words that translate into the English "forgive." Primary ones are nasa, salah . They mean "to cover, to pardon, to bear, to make an atonement, to take away guilt, to forgive."
The first time forgiveness is mentioned by name is Genesis 50:17. The brothers of Joseph were afraid he would pay them back for all the wrongs they had done to him. They sent a message to Joseph saying that Jacob, their father, wanted Joseph to forgive his brothers "the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly." Joseph wept when he received the message. Here's how he responded to his brothers.
"'Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.' And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them."Genesis 50:19-21
We learn something very important from the first usage of the word "forgive" in the Bible. God knows best. He takes bad things and turns them into good things. Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery: a bad thing. God used Joseph's slavery as a way to save Israel from starvation years later: a good thing.
The next usage of the word "forgive" is in Exodus 10:17. We see another important lesson about forgiveness.
"Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron and said, 'I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you. Now forgive my sin once more and pray to the Lord your God to take this deadly plague away from me."Exodus 10:16-17
Did Pharaoh really want forgiveness from God and Moses? No. He wanted God to remove the plague. Pharaoh continued to hate Israel and keep the people in slavery.
After the plague of darkness, Pharaoh said he was willing to let Israel leave Egypt as long as they left their flocks and herds behind. Look at how Moses responded.
"You must allow us to have sacrifices and burnt offerings to present to the Lord our God. Our livestock too must go with us; not a hoof is to be left behind. We have to use some of them in worshipping the Lord our God, and until we get there we will not know what we are to use to worship the Lord."Exodus 10:25-26
Animal sacrifices had long been a part of God's forgiveness of people. He started it immediately following Adam's sin against God.
"The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them."Genesis 3:21
Adam and Eve had two sons. They taught them how to worship God and make offerings to Him. God accepted the offering of animals from Abel but not the offering of fruit from Cain. Why?
"Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor."Genesis 4:2-5
Abel brought God the very best he had to offer: "Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock." Cain did not. "Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord." Cain did not offer God his best. Abel did. That's why God looked with favor on Abel's offering and not on Cain's.
We also learn that animal sacrifices were part of the human race's earliest worship of God. God killed every human being on earth except for Noah and his family. What's the first thing Noah did when he came off the ark with his family and the animals with him?
"Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart; 'Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done."Genesis 8:20-21
How did Noah have enough animals to sacrifice to God after the flood? God told Noah to take seven of every kind of clean animal and two of every kind of unclean animal on the ark. God provided the sacrifice for Noah and his family "before" He destroyed the world by water. God has always provided for people's spiritual needs.
Animal sacrifices continued for thousands of years, but eventually came to an end. Why? Because animal sacrifices cannot earn forgiveness for anyone. Then why did God use animal sacrifices? Why did he demand that people offer the blood and bodies of animals to Him as part of worship?
"The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming--not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: 'Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. Then I said, 'Here I am--it is written about me in the scroll--I have come to do your will, O God.' First he said, 'Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them' (although the law required them to be made). Then he said, 'Here I am, I have come to do your will.' He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all ... by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy ... And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin."Hebrews 10:1-10, 14, 18
Jesus Christ sacrificed His Body and Blood for the sins of the world! That's why God forgives. God forgave Adam and Eve because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. God forgave Noah and his family because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. God forgave the children of Israel because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. God forgave you and me because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
Jesus taught His disciples to pray: "Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." He also told them, "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." (Matthew 6:9-15) What would happen to a disciple who didn't forgive others and God didn't forgive his sins?
Peter asked Jesus how many times they should forgive a brother who had sinned against him. Peter wondered if seven times was enough. Jesus said he should forgive seven times seventy (490) times, which is another way of saying they should have no limit to their forgiveness. Jesus told his disciples how the Kingdom of Heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. The king forgave one of his servants who owed him a lot of money. However, that same servant had no mercy on a fellow servant who owed him a little money. The unmerciful servant choked him and threw him into prison until he could repay the debt. What did the king do when he heard about it?
"Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said. 'I cancelled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."Matthew 18:32-35
The rules of the Kingdom of Heaven are tough. A disciple who doesn't forgive his brother from his heart would be turned over for torture! That's the way it is under the Law. God demanded obedience and punished those who disobeyed Him.
However, we are not under Law. We are under Grace. (Romans 6:14) God will not torture us if we don't obey Him. We are forgiven for everything we have done and will do. "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9) Forgiving others is a work. We are not saved by works.
Grace teaches us what we "ought" to do, but also shows us what we don't "have" to do. We don't have to forgive others to receive God's forgiveness. We already have it. Paul wrote that in Christ "we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding." (Ephesians 1:7-8) We are a redeemed people. We do not have to revisit the altar of Grace daily or weekly to receive forgiveness of sins. We are a forgiven people! Paul wrote that "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." (Galatians 5:1) The slavery Paul wrote about was a returning to the Law for one's forgiveness and position with God. Christ did not die the cruelest of bloody deaths so we would return to the Law and works to gain forgiveness. Christ died to set us free from the Law. Paul wrote the Galatians: "You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace." (Galatians 5:4) Paul told the Galatians that righteousness would come through faith, not works. He said, "The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love."
I want to make sure my answer to your question is clear. We live in a Dispensation different from the one Peter, James and John lived. They were part of the Kingdom Dispensation. They obeyed Christ by obeying the Law. Paul and everyone who followed him lived and lives in the Grace Dispensation. They obey Christ by obeying the teachings of Paul. We obey Christ by obeying the teachings of Paul. Kingdom disciples had to forgive others or would lose their own forgiveness from God. We do not and cannot lose the forgiveness God has given us.
Is it then important for Christians to forgive others? Does Paul have anything to say about Grace Believers forgiving others? He certainly does.
"Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."Colossians 3:13-14
"Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."Ephesians 4:31-32
Notice that Paul uses God's forgiveness of us as the prime example of how and why we should forgive those who have wronged us.
My friend, if Christ is your Savior you are forgiven. You do not have to worry about losing your salvation or relationship with God because you are struggling to forgive someone for what they've done to you. God wants you to be happy and successful. That's difficult if you are harboring bitterness, rage and anger in your heart. God wants you to "get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger" because He knows it will free your heart and mind to truly worship and enjoy Him. Forgiving others is one of the greatest examples of the reality of God's Life in us. Forgiving others also frees us to know the fulness of God's Love and Grace; to experience all that God has for us in this life.
Father, I pray you will help my brother deal with the many raw emotions filling his mind and heart today. He is hurt. He is angry. He and his family have been wronged. You know all about that. Our sin hurt you. It angered you. It wronged you. God you have demonstrated your great Love toward us in that you forgave us even while we were sinning against you. Give us Your Heart for others. Help us see past their sin and into their need. Heal our emotions and show us how to Love others for Christ's sake. Amen.
Jesus said these words to Peter immediately after Peter declared that Jesus was "the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus then prophesied about Peter's involvement in the establishment of the Kingdom of Heaven. Peter was one of the Twelve Apostles Christ would use to establish His Earthly Kingdom. The Apostles would represent the twelve tribes of Israel in the new Kingdom.
God handed the Keys of the Kingdom to Peter. He and the other Apostles would have tremendous power and authority. They would rule Israel and the world with Christ from Jerusalem. God would honor the decisions they made on earth by making it His decision in Heaven. Peter and the other Apostles used the power of "binding" and "loosing" after the Holy Spirit filled them for God's service. Peter spoke with great authority and power. He declared the Word of God on the Day of Pentecost and thousands were added to the Kingdom. Peter called Ananias and Sapphira on their sin of lying to God and both dropped dead at Peter's feet. Peter told a cripple to walk and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and walked. Peter used the healing as an opportunity to preach repentance to Israel so that Christ would return from Heaven to earth to set up His Messianic Kingdom.
Peter was a small but important part of the establishment of the Messianic Kingdom. Jesus said, "you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church." The word "Peter" is Petros . It means "a stone." It was something small enough for a person to pick up and throw. The word "rock" is petra . It means "a massive rock, a cliff." It was too large to move. Christ is the Rock, the petra , of the Kingdom. Peter is a "stone" in God's plan. He will hold the keys to the Kingdom. He will have great power and authority.
The "church", ekklesian , was the "called out assembly" Christ would build. Jesus said that even the "gates of Hades" would not overcome it. That's true. Satan will never overcome the Kingdom Christ establishes in the future. Instead, Christ and His Kingdom will overcome Satan and Hades.
Christ spoke to Peter about a time yet to come. Peter and the other Kingdom Apostles will one day return to earth from Heaven to rule with Christ from His Kingly Throne in Jerusalem. Everything Peter and the Apostles bind on earth will be bound in Heaven. Everything that Peter and the Apostles loose on earth will be loosed in Heaven. The Apostles will be Princes and Rulers with Christ.
What do these verses have to do with Christians today? Nothing. We do not live in the age of the prophesied Kingdom. We live in a time of Mystery; a time of Grace; a time no one knew existed until God revealed it through Paul. (Ephesians 3:1-12) We live under different rules. We have a different purpose, different goals. We read about Peter, James and John with great joy and anticipation because the Kingdom is part of God's ultimate plan for earth, but we know it is not for us at this time.
That did not happen. The leaders of Israel refused the message and killed the messengers. Persecution followed and God raised up Paul to preach the Gospel of Grace to Gentiles and Jews. What did Peter, James and John do? They continued to preach to the Jews. Paul wrote: "As for those who seemed to be important--whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not judge by external appearance--those men added nothing to my message. On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, just as Peter had been to the Jews. For God, who was at work in the ministry of Peter as an apostles to the Jews, was also at work in my ministry as an apostle to the Gentiles. James, Peter and John, those reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the Jews." (Galatians 2:6-9)
The ministry of James, Peter and John to the Jews exclusively continued for years. James wrote his letter to "the twelve tribes scattered among the nations." Peter and John's audiences were not as clearly stated. Peter and Paul were close friends. Paul rebuked Peter when Peter changed his behavior toward the Gentile believers in Antioch when "certain men came from James." Peter wrote one letter to "God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia." That has the sound of a Jewish audience. His second letter deals with false teachers and the Day of the Lord. Peter approaches the Day of the Lord differently than Paul. Paul wrote the Gentile believers about a secret rapture that would take them into Christ's presence in the air in a split second. Peter wrote about the Day when God would destroy the heavens and the earth by fire. Peter's Day is along the lines of prophecies concerning the future of Israel. Peter wrote about how Paul's letters "contain some things that are hard to understand." Peter writes that Silas and Mark had helped him in his ministry. We don't know for sure, but it could be they were the same Silas and Mark who had also ministered with Paul. John probably wrote his letters after Paul, James and Peter were dead. He wrote them after Rome had destroyed Jerusalem. The Jews certainly had no immediate hope of God restoring the Messianic Kingdom. The Roman army leveled Jerusalem and its temple. Many Jews had believed in Paul's message of Grace and become part of the Body of Christ. Many more didn't. They continued to practice Judaism while waiting on God's promised Messiah. Most Jewish and Gentile believers would have loved John. He was the last living Apostle. He had walked and talked with Jesus. He wrote with great insight and authority. God allowed John to live long enough to give him the great Revelation that affects Jews and Gentiles. Revelation is primarily a revealing of truth for Israel's future, but Christians can also learn a great deal about the end of the world as we know it.
I don't know that Peter, James and John ever "switched over" to the Gospel of Grace. They agreed with Paul that they would minister to Jews and Paul would minister to Gentiles. Peter, James and John continued to hold forth the Kingdom Message, while Paul preached the Grace Message. I read all their letters and see a distinct difference in content, intent and tone. I think that's probably the best way to determine what each believed and practiced.
Does the society in which you live believe pants is sinful or wrong? If so, Christians should not do things that would harm the impact of the Gospel on the hearers (Romans 14). By society, I mean the people in your life. Every believer has a ministry to the people in their lives. That includes your immediate family, extended family, friends, neighbors, school mates, co-workers, etc. We are responsible to God to be responsible to them. Paul wrote that Christians are a free people. He also wrote that we should not use our freedom "to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love." (Galatians 5) Paul wrote that "the entire law is summed up in a single command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" How do we love our neighbor? One way is not to place a stumbling block in the way of another person receiving Christ as Savior or a brother or sister in Christ growing in their faith. Paul wrote, "Let us threfore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification." In the context of eating certain foods that some might thing wrong to eat, Paul wrote, "Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall." (Romans 14:20-21) If your wearing pants around a certain person or persons would get in the way of their receiving Christ or growing in Christ, strongly consider not wearing pants around them.
The next issue is what God thinks. Would God be opposed to a woman wearing pants? Paul directed women to "dress modestly, with decency and propriety." (1 Timothy 2:9). The pants question should include questions about modesty and decency. Look at your pants. Look at yourself in those pants. Look at other women who wear the same type of pants. Look at the way the world presents women wearing those pants. Do you see anything immodest or indecent about it? If you do, then consider what God inspired Paul to write Christian women about their clothing. God inspired words about a Christian lifestyle that would cover every decade and century. Times and styles have changed since Paul wrote those words to Timothy, but people and the issues of Christianity haven't changed. People are still in need of salvation. Christians are still in need of living holy and separated lives. The issue is modesty and decency. I believe God will guide you in your decision.
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"Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers."
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Last Updated: 12/20/1999