“For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Matthew 6:14-15. This is a hard saying of our Lord, many people have misunderstood this verse of Scripture, and I must admit for years I had a hard time with this teaching because it seemed that God’s forgiveness was conditional, as if to add works to grace. I’ve looked over many different commentaries on this subject but have never really been satisfied. When we read the New Testament we must be very careful not to take things that Jesus said out of context. While we can all agree that the entire Bible was written for our complete edification, not every verse of Scriptures speaks directly to us, as pertaining to our time, and our relationship to Christ. Until Christ had died on the Cross the ransom for our sins had not yet been paid, and those who were living at that time prior to Christ’s death were still living under the Law, for grace had not yet come into play. Do I think that we ought to forgive others? Absolutely, I would call into question an individual’s salvation if they did not have forgiveness in their heart. Not because I believe Salvation is contingent on any act but because forgiveness is an attribute of having been Born Again. “All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name." Acts 10:43
Posted on: Thu, 29 Aug 2013 07:51:23 +0000