Forgiving those Who are Worthy of Forgiveness

Yes, that is what Jesus teaches. Many people have come to believe that forgiveness is like a blank check,

to be written out to any and all who have wronged us and other people. We imagine that this serves to

show how great God's mercy is, that it is unconditional and given out to all. But this really serves to

cheapen God's mercy, and to do what Jesus tells us not to do, to throw out the precious pearls of God's

mercy to swine. Yes, that is what Jesus calls people who are unworthy of his grace. These are people who

are told they are forgiven of a particular offense, but couldn't care less about the wrong they have

committed or the harm that they have caused. For them, forgiveness means nothing, because their sin

means nothing to them. They trample on grace like pigs trampling on rare and precious stones. They

laugh and mock and go on their destructive way.

This kind of cheap forgiveness does not honor God, nor truly love the person who loves to do harm to

others. Jesus is quite clear, we are to forgive those who are sorry for wrongs committed and want to do

things differently in with their lives. The Bible calls this “repentance”. This is what Jesus teaches in Luke

17:3,4, “Of your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven

times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him.”

This passage shows that we, as Christians, are called to do for others exactly what God has done for us

through Christ. God has forgiven the repentant. A Christian is a repentant person, a person who is sorry

for a way of life that is against God's design, and wants now to live for God's will. We are not forgiven by

God unless we repent and turn to his ways, then we are washed clean by Christ's blood and justified as a

son of God (Acts 2:38). God does not call us to do for others any more then what He has done for us. We

cannot be more righteous than God! As Jesus said, “It is enough for the servant to be like his master.” To

try to be better than God, is in reality, an act of pride that thinks we know a better way.

If God were to forgive a whole world that did not repent, then in reality He would not be loving the world

at all, He would be like an indulgent parent who passively watches his children follow self-destructive

ways. God withholds His forgiveness from a sinful world, until there is repentance. But he does not

withhold His love. It is true, forgiveness is an expression of love, but love transcends forgiveness. This

how the apostle Paul can write, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this; while we were still

sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). And how the apostle John can write, “For God so loved the

world, that he gave his one and only son...”(John 3:16). And how Jesus describes the Father as one who

loves his enemies (Matthew 5:43-48). Yes, God loves his enemies by continually showering on the world

his blessings of creation. We eat, we drink, we laugh and we love. He blesses from day to day, even those

who are indifferent to God and refuse to give Him the thanks and praise for our eating, drinking, laughing

and loving.

This is how God loves the world, but it it is not by forgiving them. Forgiveness is a special grace, given to

special people, who have come to realize that all their indifference to God is a great crime of ingratitude.

They have come to see that choosing their own way of living is wrong, and has caused harm to

themselves and others. These are people who, in biblical terms repent, and because they stand with God,

and against themselves, they become worthy of forgiveness. God blesses them by forgiving them their

ingratitude and self -willed ways. He washes them clean by the blood of His Son.

Those who sin against us and cause great harm, are not to be forgiven, but they are to be loved. When

they curse, we are to bless. In this way, the Spirit works for their good and ours. But our blessing is not to

be the special blessing of forgiveness. That can only be given when all our loving brings “the swine” to

the place of repentance, then they are no longer swine, worthy now of the precious grace of

forgiveness.