“…if…”  (A Word from Luke 17)

 

The Word “if” is one (1) of the great Words of Scripture. If  is a great guardian of God’s Word and or Sound Doctrine.  See Colossians 1:23, John 8:31 as two (2) examples of the guardianship of  If.

In the Book of Luke chapter seventeen (17) and verse three (3) our Lord says, in respect to forgiveness, “Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.”  That is the Lord’s teaching on forgiveness. The economy of Words for such a hard subject is noteable. Many a preacher has said much less with many, many more words.

The act of forgiveness is a formal matter. One does not just forgive liberally or generously. To forgive a person for a trespass without the trespasser repenting, one would be condoning what the trespasser has done. What if the person doesn’t want your forgiveness, then what?

Here is one (1) more difference between those in Adam and those in Christ. Those in Adam or those of this world think the trespasser should be the one to go and “say sorry.”  However, the Master tells us that the offended party must go to the trespasser. Why is this?  It is because some can offend or trespass without knowing it. Therefore, the one (1) that has been trespassed upon must go to the offending party and settle things. If the person repents, forgiveness is in order…quick and fast. Forgiveness is not about feelings; forgiveness is a formal act. Forgiveness is a releasing of one (1) who has wronged another and is truly sorry and bothered by their actions.

How can one (1) never need to forgive?  By loving instead of making a list. “Love covers a multitude of sin.”  How can one (1) never need to forgive?  One (1) can be gracious and take no offense at anything, save a person speaking ill of Christ.

There is confusion, I think, between forgiveness and bitterness.  One (1) cannot legitimately forgive anyone who does not repent or ask for forgiveness. However, one (1) must not hold any bitterness against a person that has trespassed or offended one (1).

To settle this matter, Did God forgive you before or after you repented and believed? Therefore, if a Christ-ian “forgives” without the trespasser repenting, that Christ-ian is holier and far more merciful than God. If one (1) follows this “forgive everyone for everything”  one (1) is not far from universalism.

What about Christ saying, “Forgive them, they know not what they do.”   Christ was speaking specifically about the soldiers who were carrying out orders. As God looks upon the heart, Christ may have seen a godly sorrow in the soldiers. Also, He could have meant forgive them for the Crucifixtion but not necessarily all their sins.  A rule of interpretation is go with what is clear and be careful with what is not expressley stated.

When Christ was reviled, Christ did not revile again. In other words, when Christ was reviled, He did not fight back. It is hard to offend a humble Christ-ian. Are you a humble Christ-ian?  Are you offended easily? To be offended easily is not Christ-like.

Godspeed.