Luke chapter seven records the story of Christ eating at the house of a Pharisee named Simon. A woman, who knew Jesus was visiting Simon, entered into the house with a box of ointment and a determination to outwardly shower the Lord with her love for Him. She anointed His feet and wiped them with the hairs of her head, all the while weeping. This event greatly troubled Simon because of the woman's unsavoury past. Christ knew Simon's inward thoughts questioning how the Lord could allow this sinner to make such a fuss over Him. Did He not know her sordid reputation? Christ used this opportunity to teach some important truths concerning forgiveness by putting Simon to a test. Christ questioned this Pharisee about who would love most: a person forgiven of little or one forgiven of much. The answer was obvious to Simon—a person forgiven of much possessed a natural capacity to love more than one who had been forgiven for less. In other words, those who have been forgiven the most by the Lord often display a greater, more fervent love toward the Lord than those who have been forgiven to a lesser degree.
The Lord is gracious and merciful and ready to forgive, but how ready to forgive should Christians be? Simon Peter pondered this question as He asked the Lord about it. The Bible records the Lord's response to Peter for all future generations to consider. Peter wanted specifics; what are to be the limitations of one's forgiveness? Like many of us, He wanted boundaries and limitations. He specifically wanted to know how many times he needed to forgive those who had wronged him. The Lord answered Peter's inquiry by saying that he shouldn’t just forgive seven times (the amount Peter asked about), but seventy times seven. Some of those reading the Lord's response have concluded incorrectly that the Lord was simply placing a much higher limitation upon one's willingness to forgive others. Yet, the Lord intended to convey something without limitation. Men ought to forgive those who have wronged them every time an offender comes in true repentance (meaning he is sorry for what he has done) (Luke 17:3-4).
The study of why men ought to forgive others may seem obvious, but it is actually quite complex without some thorough Bible study. On several occasions, the Lord told His disciples that they needed to forgive in order to be forgiven (Matthew 6:14-15; Matthew 18:34-35; Mark 11:25-26; Luke 6:37). As a result of these statements, many Christians live in fear that they will not receive God’s forgiveness unless and until they have forgiven all those who have wronged them. Two things need to be understood contextually: (1) these commandments from the Gospels were given prior to Christ's sacrificial death upon the cross and (2) He was speaking specifically to His Jewish people. Diligent Bible study always involves asking to whom God is speaking in any particular text. Epistles written specifically to and for the church following Christ's sacrifice reveal that those who are saved are already forgiven on the basis of Christ's payment on the cross. Today, men do not forgive to be forgiven; they should forgive others because they have already been forgiven (Colossians 3:13).
Everyone should and must learn how and when to forgive others. However, forgiveness has some inherent limitations. True forgiveness of sins comes only from Almighty God. People may and should forgive others for things in which they have been wronged, but only God has the capacity to forgive transgressions against Himself and His word. Once an individual has trusted Christ as Saviour, he has been forgiven of all trespasses and the shed blood of Christ serves as the sole basis for that forgiveness (Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14). Though it is important to seek forgiveness from others whom you may have wronged, everyone must still go directly to the Lord to seek the forgiveness for sins. The forgiveness offered by others cancels the conflict amongst and between them; however, the conflict caused by sin between God and man may still remain even after reconciliation has taken place between individuals.
The subject of forgiveness would fill volumes yet never exhaust the depths of its meaning. The study for the next two weeks will provide the reader with a deeper understanding and greater appreciation concerning the necessity for faith in the Christian life. We embark on this study by offering a basic meaning for the word forgiveness. Three scripture passages reveal the association of forgiveness to covering (Psalm 32:1; Psalm 85:2; Romans 4:7). The first passage further reveals that the covering of sin is directly connected to forgiving of transgression. The second two verses connect the covering of sin to the forgiving of iniquity. With these truths in mind, the act of forgiving someone involves the act of cancelling the penalty for wrongdoing. As the wrongdoing is forgiven, whether it be sin, transgression, or iniquity, the offense is covered as it is forgiven. This covering does not suggest placing a covering over the wrongdoing to hide it, but the act of taking care of its penalty.
The Devil loves to hinder the spiritual blessings that believers possess in Christ. His most effective means is by destroying the believer’s faith in God’s word and keeping the saint from laying up rewards in heaven. By destroying a believer’s courage, the Devil wins the battle. James 4:7-8 sketches a simple yet effective plan for victory in such times of attack. The believer must first submit to God and His word by submitting his will to the will of God. Next, the saint of God must resist the Devil. When the believer submits to God and resists the Devil, the Devil flees rather than sticking around to watch defeat. When the Devil returns later with renewed attempts to discourage, the believer need only repeat the same scriptural strategy.
As Moses recounted Israel’s time in the wilderness, he reminded God’s people of the reasons for their failure to enter into the land of promise. He rehearsed how it was the people who approached him requesting that spies first be sent into the land to explore it. If the people had trusted God, surveying the land would have been unnecessary. Yet, the people doubted God’s provisions so Moses sent in the spies. When they returned, they expressed stories of giants and walled cities that made the people fear to carry out God’s will. The spies’ report '"discouraged” (Deuteronomy 1:28) the hearts of the people. This loss of courage yielded an unbelief in the people (Deuteronomy 1:32), greatly displeasing the Lord (Hebrews 3:17-19).
Fear and discouragement are effective weapons in Satan’s arsenal which he uses to discourage the people of God from fulfilling the will of God for their lives. Fear is not all bad. The fear of God is good and holy, but the fear of the world withstands faith and brings the believer into bondage (Proverbs 29:25). Fear and faith are foes as are fear and courage. In 2 Timothy 1:6-8, the Bible points out that the Lord is not the instigator of fear in the life of the believer. In the place of fear, God gives men power, love, and a sound mind. God wants men to be courageous and full of faith. Yet, the fear of man exhibits a lack of courage. It frequently hinders believers from doing the Lord’s work and gives the impression that believers are ashamed of the Lord and His people.
In Deuteronomy, Moses rehearsed the events that led up to God’s denying him entry into the promised land though he was Israel’s leader at the time. The Lord instructed Moses, as he stood upon Mt. Pisgah, to encourage and strengthen Joshua. Moses could have offered numerous excuses for not wanting to encourage Joshua. Instead, Moses determined to obey God by strengthening and encouraging his successor. He knew that Joshua as Moses’ replacement was about to face some of the greatest trials of his life. There would be times of fear along with battles and obstacles, small and great. The Lord knew Joshua desperately needed courage to make it through these trials. He, therefore, enlisted Moses and instructed His children to encourage the new leader during this difficult transition (Deuteronomy 1:38).
God’s people have a solemn responsibility to encourage one another. Helping to build another’s godly courage remains one of the most effective ways to influence others. Unfortunately, far too many times, close acquaintances fail to encourage (and all too often discourage) one another. In these times, it is especially important that the individual learns to encourage himself in the Lord. In our passage, David returned to Ziklag only to find it burned with fire. The welfare of the women and children seemed hopeless as the Amalekites had taken them all captive. No doubt it was one of David’s most challenging times. David and his men were greatly distressed and in need of courage. Unfortunately, the men closest to David turned against him rather than supporting their leader during the most trying time. David’s only hope was to encourage “himself in the LORD his God.” Believers today need to follow David’s example. We cannot always depend upon others to receive courage, but we can always depend upon the Lord.
