DM,
I love this site, and I wholeheartedly agree with the articles and posts. If you haven’t already, would you consider doing a post on Jesus’ words on the cross? “Father, forgive them…they know not what they do”. None of us is fully aware of the devastation our sins have caused, in the physical and spiritual world. Yet we are fully forgiven by the blood of Christ…and our repentance to Him. Is God asking us to forgive only when we are shown the fruits of real repentance? Or should we release them and forgive regardless, knowing that trust, reconciliation, and fellowship are NOT forgiveness and not required in all cases. While I agree w you, I am concerned about only forgiving the repentant.
-Colleen
“If another believer sins, rebuke that person; then if there is repentance, forgive.”
-Luke 17:3b, NLT
33 When they came to the place that is known as The Skull, the guards crucified Jesus, nailing him on the center cross between the two criminals. 34 While they were nailing Jesus to the cross, he prayed over and over, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing.”
-Luke 33-34a, TPT (emphasis in original)
Dear Colleen,
I want to begin by quoting the two important texts your question touches upon so that we are all starting from the same place. Footnotes on the verse about Jesus speaking from the Cross tell us that it is not necessarily found in all of the early Greek manuscripts.
This fact of absence ought to give us some pause before making a major decision over what God wants us to do regarding forgiveness. A similar note is not found regarding the teaching Jesus gives us in Luke 17:3.
Now, let’s consider the context of Jesus’ words in Luke 23.
Because the Jews were under the rule of the Romans, they lost the ability to unilaterally apply the death penalty. This is why Jesus had to go before Pilate.
The verse is in the context of Gentiles–i.e. Roman soldiers–executing Jesus. This is why I chose to quote from The Passion Translation (TPT) as it makes this context clearer.
I know many of us have been taught Jesus is pleading for God to forgive everyone in Luke 23:34. However, I really think the context is Jesus is pleading for God to forgive the Roman soldiers who were truly ignorant of their role in killing the Son of God.
When I think of people wronging me, I find it easier to “forgive” or ask God to forgive those who were really in the dark about their role in the matter. In particular, I find it easy to forgive or extend mercy to those who were clearly used by my ex while she withheld the knowledge of her infidelity from them.
Now, let’s dig into your questions:
None of us is fully aware of the devastation our sins have caused, in the physical and spiritual world. Yet we are fully forgiven by the blood of Christ…and our repentance to Him. Is God asking us to forgive only when we are shown the fruits of real repentance?
I would say the full knowledge threshold of accountability is too high. While I agree we have limited knowledge of the impact of our sins, that does not seem to let us off the hook as far as answering for them before Jesus according to the Bible (see 2 Corinthians 5:10).
As to your second point about God’s forgiveness of us, I agree that we benefit from God’s generous forgiveness. In fact, I believe the whole world is forgiven in that sense (see John 3:16). However, the whole world is NOT “saved” as forgiveness requires receiving in an act of repentance (see Acts 2:37-38).
So, even God’s forgiveness of us requires a response of repentance in order for us to be truly forgiven.
Plus, this order of rebuke, repentance, and then forgiveness is the order Jesus explicitly proscribes for his followers in Luke 17:3.
Next, you write:
Or should we release them and forgive regardless, knowing that trust, reconciliation, and fellowship are NOT forgiveness and not required in all cases. While I agree w you, I am concerned about only forgiving the repentant.
I do not see this as a strict either/or.
In the sense that the world world is forgiven, we forgive those who have not repented of their sins to us. We release them to God for Him to decide whether or not they will receive mercy or rather cold justice over what they did in the body.
Apostle Paul models this sort of “forgiveness” in 2 Timothy 4:14 (NKJV):
Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works.
Sometimes releasing our rightful claim for revenge on the perpetrator is as far as we can go on the path marked “Forgiveness.” We are acting in faith when we do this.
We are saying,
“God, you are good, wise, and just. You see everything. Today, I give you this person and all the wrongs they committed against me knowing you will handle the situation according to your good character. I sever any ties of anger or bitterness towards them by giving this burden over to you, Lord. Amen.”
I think a prayer like this is in order when the cheater or other wrongdoer has not repented. We do not need to stay connected to them any longer. Instead, it is best to cut ties and hand them over to God.
Hope that helps!
-DM
