I’ve had occasion to think about forgiveness lately.
Luke 17:3 reads as follows:
Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.
We are commanded to forgive an unlimited number of times (Matthew 18:22), but what how is forgiveness supposed to take place and what are the requirements on each party? My first question is whether forgiveness requires repentance.
Passages in Luke, Matthew, and James seem to indicate forgiveness is preceded by repentance. “… if he repent, forgive him.” and “if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.” and “Therefore, confess your sins to one another…” This makes sense because confession is part of how we are forgiven by God.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Confession requires clearly stating the sin, and repentance requires remorsefulness for the sin, promising to not do it again. We know sinners often repeat their sins (why else do we need to forgive a brother seventy times seven?), but those who are repentant will work mightily against sinning in the same manner.
Once transgressions have been confessed, repented, then forgiveness is required. Forgiveness is simply a promise not to wish ill or punishment on the transgressor (internal thoughts), and a promise to not bring it up to the person, keep a record, or talk about it with others (external actions). Does it mean the sin is forgotten? Perhaps smaller sins may be. Grave sins might be impossible to forget.
Can forgiveness be given even when the transgressor is unrepentant? I believe so. This is like a gift waiting waiting for the transgressor to open it. The person forgives, freeing him or herself from the bitterness, rage, and wrathfulness, plus the person doesn’t bring it up, keep a record, or talk about it with others. But without repentance, it’s not a fully closed transaction, and full restoration of the sinner to the wronged may not be possible.
Matthew 18 goes on to state, “But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.”
This verse indicates that there may be times when transgressors are hardened in their sin, and as a result, restoration of relationship is not possible.
Once someone is forgiven, is trust now required? As stated above, sins tend to be repeated. Proverbs 26:11 “As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.” Christ said (Luke 16:10), “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.” The person sinned against needs to determine if the sinner is truly repentant and now being faithful. For more grave sins, I would expect this includes proof that trust is warranged by way of independent verification, respecting boundaries, and ultimately requiring more care from the transgressor. But someone truly repentant should welcome the chance for future restoration, even if it is a long and hard road.
In short, my reading leads me to understand:
- Forgiveness is a promise to not bring up the transgression, nor talk about it with others, and it’s a promise to not wish ill or punishment on the transgressor.
- Forgiveness is a completed transaction when the transgressor has fully confessed his sin, and shown true repentance.
- Forgiveness can be offered as a gift that frees the person sinned against as well, but (as with our relationship with God), fellowship is not restored.
- Forgiveness does not require a renewed trust. In fact, scripture seems to indicate that safeguards may be appropriate to reduce the chance of further sin of the same sort.
What do you think? Is this a proper view of forgiveness as provided in the Bible?
