Comprehending the Concept of Forgiveness Pt. 1
by Christopher Hendrix
One of the most misunderstood biblical concepts in our day is forgiveness. Like taking hold of water, people cup it with their hands only to see it slip out between their fingers. Some semblance of biblical forgiveness exists in their giving of it, but only to become muddled with a cultural doctrine on it. Forgiveness is more than just an idea or emotion. Turns out, how you define and act upon forgiveness will determine how you live your life.
In the continual fallout from Charlie Kirk’s assassination, the act of evil and how to handle it is now the question of debate. Those whose moral compass has not been demagnetized realize what took place was pure wickedness through and through. As a fellow Christian brother was shot for preaching and applying the Scriptures to life, how should we Christians react to this heinous act? I read a recent article where students were asked at the University where Charlie was shot at their view as to what should happen to the murderer? Some said to forgive as Jesus did. Others said give him the death penalty. Is it possible to forgive and still enforce the death penalty? Are we in sin if we withhold forgiveness? To answer these questions, I’ll take this week’s post and next week’s post to unpack the Christian response. Let’s start with getting our heads around biblical forgiveness.
The Foundation of Christ as Prophet, Priest, and King
The writer of Hebrews penned his letter to Christians, and some who thought they were Christians, and addressed the issue of forgiveness. In Hebrews 2:1–4, the writer counseled to pay attention and avoid drifting. What is the audience drifting away from? The true salvation they’ve been exposed to. Scholars believe these Jewish Christians began drifting back into Judaism and seeking salvation through the Law once again. They began to look back towards their culture and what was normal for them, rooting their salvation in the familiar. They began to seek forgiveness elsewhere. In doing this, they misunderstood what forgiveness is and what Christ did to bring it.
The response of the Hebrews in light of this issue comes in chapter 1. The word, therefore, in Hebrews 2:1 places chapter 1 as the foundation and line of thought to address the issue of neglecting salvation in chapter 2. What is the remedy for fixing the misunderstanding of forgiveness? Looking back to Christ. His Supremacy, Sovereignty, and Sonship correct the error in our thinking over forgiveness. All of chapter 1 is spent unpacking the nature and work of Christ. He is the Prophet, Priest, and King who is God Incarnate. His superiority is evidenced when compared to angels, even! The basis for paying attention to drifting away from a proper understanding of forgiveness is the person of Christ.
Forgive Other Believers
How does this apply to our current cultural debate? Christ’s role of Prophet, Priest, and King speaks directly to this topic. First, Christ calls His people to forgive one another. As the Prophet, Priest, and King, he spoke the Word to forgive, He shed His blood for the forgiveness of His people, and He rules His church with forgiveness. Colossians 3:13 says, “bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” From Christian to Christian, we are called to forgive one another as Christ has forgiven us. How has God forgiven us? By not holding this sin to our account anymore. Is. 43:25 says, I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins. True forgiveness involves not holding the sin against that person any longer. If you’re in a fight with someone and bring up a past issue that you’ve forgiven, you've just rescinded your forgiveness. God does not do that. Christians are called to forgive one another because Christ has forgiven us.
The Optional Forgiveness Towards Wicked Acts of Unbelievers
Second, if we are called to forgive one another as the Lord has forgiven us, what about unbelievers, such as the shooter of Charlie Kirk? The Bible is clear: God does not forgive those outside of His family. Christ’s role as Prophet calls the unbelievers to repent and submit to Him, but does not call for forgiveness until that point. Christ’s role as Priest did not shed His blood for their sins. Christ’s role as King rules over them and calls them to obedience, but their judgment for their disobedience is based on their unforgiven actions. All of those outside of the covenant do not have God’s love upon them. All those who have rejected Christ, unbelievers, are not forgiven by God. Quite the opposite, God hates them. Psalm 5:5, The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers. Psalm 11:5, The Lord tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence. Psalm 21:8, Your hand will find out all your enemies; your right hand will find out those who hate you. Psalm 34:21, Affliction will slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned. For the haters of the Old Testament out there, here are some New Testament passages that show this truth. Matthew 3:7, But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. Ephesians 2:3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. Revelation 2:6 Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. God doesn’t send sin to hell; He sends sinners to hell.
The Christian is not commanded to forgive unbelievers. Forgiveness towards them is optional. Christ chose not to forgive at specific points, such as many of the works of the religious leaders (Luke 11:42–52). At other times, He did, such as those who put Him up on the cross at the order of their superiors (Luke 23:34). We may withhold forgiveness until that person becomes a brother or sister in the Lord.
Guarding Against Sin
Finally, while we withhold forgiveness and continue to count that sin against the person, we are commanded to not hold bitterness or sin in anger. God can hate that person with purity, but our hate usually comes from a sinful position. This is why Jesus (as the Prophet) says to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (Matt. 5:44). You might ask, Isn’t forgiveness love? No! The Bible makes a distinction between these two concepts. 1 Cor. 13:4–7 gives a great definition of love. Forgiveness does not define love. Indeed, love can produce forgiveness, as is the case mentioned above with Christ, but it’s not a requirement to be loving. We can still love unbelievers but withhold forgiveness from them. As Priest, Christ showed His love by giving Himself for HIS people, not for every single person’s sin. As King, Christ defeats His enemies. He defeats them by crushing or converting them.
The act of not forgiving unbelievers and their wickedness does not excuse us from sinning in anger, though. We are not called to seek vengeance through our own means. We are called to see justice occur through the means God has arranged (more on this next week). We are not called to assassinate the assassin. We certainly are not called to harass and condemn those around him and related to him. We can point out mistakes and see warnings in the relationships around him. Still, they are not responsible for the crime committed. So, as Christians, we forgive one another always; we can opt to withhold forgiveness from unbelievers who commit wicked acts, but we must do this while not falling to sin ourselves and becoming bitter.