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“And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Matthew 6:12

The nation and perhaps the world has been watching Charleston, SC this week.  A deranged and heart-dark young man murdered 9 worshipers in cold blood while they prayed together in a church building.  Perhaps this deluded racist hoped to spark more riots?  Cause even more bloodshed?  Wreak even more havoc in the aftermath?

Well, if he wanted these things, he picked the wrong venue.  He may well have gotten riots if he shot up a downtown nightclub or bar.  But he chose a Christian church.  A place where people learn Christ.

Those precious followers of Christ whose loved ones are being buried this week gathered in the courtroom recently to address the murderer.  One by one they announced love and forgiveness.  Not hate and bitterness.

While I do not want to disparage these brothers and sisters in Christ in any way, I do want to take the opportunity to remind the flock I pastor that despite best intentions, publicly announcing your forgiveness to an unrepentant person is not always the wisest or most biblical course of action.  Why?  How could forgiving someone be wrong?  I didn't say forgiving someone is wrong.  I said publicly announcing it may not be wise.  Let me explain.

I find the lack of understanding among Christians concerning forgiveness is wide-spread.  So, let me try and summarize the basics concerning biblical forgiveness, noting that I am indebted to my seminary counseling professor, Dr. Stuart Scott, for many of these insights:

• Forgiveness in the Bible, particularly in the New Testament, is viewed in two ways.  One, there is the heart attitude of forgiveness.  This type of forgiveness deals with our own hearts, and bids us release the offender to the sovereign hand of God.  This forgiveness says, “I will not hold this sin against you, nor will I allow your sin to make me bitter, or to make me harbor anger towards God or you.  I will guard my own heart before God and release you to Him.”  We can do this kind of forgiveness without ever telling the offender and without the offender ever repenting and asking for our forgiveness.  [Indeed it’s not really recommended to tell the person you’ve forgiven them in this sense if they’ve never repented, because it makes them think they’re now “off the hook” in the repentance department.]
• Followers of Christ are absolutely obligated and commanded to give this kind of forgiveness, whether or not the offender ever repents.  If we do not forgive from our hearts, releasing the person to God and refusing to allow bitterness to control us, then Jesus plainly states we are none of His (Matt 6:14-15).
• The second way forgiveness is presented in the NT is a pardoning transaction that reconciles the offended and the offender.  The first type of forgiveness deals with our own heart attitudes, but this type deals with an actual transaction whereby the two people or parties are brought together again on friendly terms.  This requires repentance on the part of the offender.  This is clearly the type of forgiveness Jesus had in mind in passages like Matthew 18:21-22 and Luke 17:1-4.  This is also the forgiveness God extends to us when we repent and turn to Jesus in faith (Mark 1:15).  O blessed reconciliation wrought for us by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross (Rom 5:6-11).  We were God’s enemies, but His grace has brought us near Him (Eph 2:11-22).  Praise God!  He forgives repentant sinners!
• So, forgiveness in the Bible is in two senses: one is vertical (between the offended and God), the other is horizontal (between the offended and the offender).  And both glorify God in Christ!

The crux of the matter is best captured in the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant (Matt 18:23-35).  Without belaboring the point, we may easily summarize the truth in this way: “The Forgiven Forgive!”  An unforgiving spirit (vertical) or an outright withholding of forgiveness in the face of obvious repentance (horizontal) are sure signs that genuine salvation in Christ has simply not taken root in your heart.

Just as we are called to love as Jesus loves, so too we are commanded to “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you” (Eph 4:32).  That’s a verse we recite many times a week in our house!

So, while the spirit of those saints in Charleston is commendable, they may have been a bit wiser to have simply told the criminal, "May God forgive you and have mercy on your soul."  This is a bit different and a more biblical approach than just saying, "I forgive you" when the person has shown zero remorse.

Jesus hung a cross and demonstrated both kinds of forgiveness.  Looking on His tormentors in pity, He prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."  Jesus did not look at them and say, "It's alright.  I forgive you."  But Jesus did forgive a repentant criminal hanging beside him!  He told that man, "Today you will be with Me in Paradise!"

We do well to look to the example of our sinless Savior in these matters.  Only then will we be able to "forgive one other, even as God in Christ has forgiven you."

And yes, we pray for a sweeping revival across this land of true, biblical forgiveness.  First from God to repentant sinners as He draws them to faith in Christ.  And second from persons to persons, starting within the church, and flowing out into the streets and farms of this nation.  Soli Deo Gloria!  

 

by Keith McWhorter