IS FORGIVENESS UNCONDITIONAL? Video

~In Luke 23, Jesus demonstrates a forgiving Spirit when He asked God, The Father, to forgive the men who were crucifying Him. 

Luke 23 (KJV) ^"33And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him and the criminals one on the right hand and the other on the left. ³⁴Then Jesus said, "Father forgive them for they do not know what they do." And they divided His garments and cast lots. ³⁵And the people stood looking on. But even the rulers with them sneered, saying" He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God."

~Later on, in Acts 2, we read that the men had not been spontaneously forgiven of their sins just because Jesus loved them and wanted them to be saved. Nor were they spontaneously saved when or because Jesus came into the world, died and was resurrected so that they could be saved (John 3:10). IF that was the case, then, everyone would be saved and it wouldn't make any difference how a person lived, what the person believed, if they bothered to obey God or even if God had given the world His Word. Just as a parent expects obedience from his child, God also expects obedience from His children. Jesus wanted the men to be saved, but without repentance or without fully obeying the Gospel (Hearing The Word [Rom. 10:17; Matt. 28;19-20; John 6:44-45]; Believing The Word - Faith [John 8:24; Heb. 11:6]; Repenting of sins [Luke 13:3; Acts 17:30]; Confessing that Jesus is the Son of God [Rom. 10:10; Acts 8:36-37]; and Being Baptized [Acts 2:38; John 3:3,5; Mark 16:15-16]); they could not be saved. Those who love God obey Him, those who do not love Him, do not obey Him [John 14:23-24]. Notice that the men were not forgiven by saying 'Sinner's Prayer' which is not found in the Bible:

Acts 2 (KJV) ^"22Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know. ²³Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified and put to death; ²⁴whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death because it was not possible that He should be held by it....³⁶Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." ³⁷Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do," ³⁸Then Peter said to them, "Repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹For the promise is to you and to your children and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."

~Stephen, like Jesus, had a forgiving spirit. However, that did not mean that the sins of the men who murdered him were forgiven unless or until they actually repented of the sins:

Acts 7 (KJV) ^"59And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." ⁶⁰Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not charge them with this sin." And when he had said this, he fell asleep."

~Jesus appeared to Saul, one of the men who was present at the stoning of Stephen.  Saul (the Apostle Paul) was not forgiven until he repented and obeyed the Gospel.

Acts 9 (KJV) ^"3As he journeyed he came near Damascus and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. ⁴Then he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, Why are you persecuting Me," ⁵And he said, "Who are You, Lord," Then the Lord said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads. ⁶So he, trembling and astonished, said "Lord what do You want me to do, Then the Lord said to him, "Arise and go into the city and you will be told what you must do." ⁷And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. ⁸Then Saul arose from the ground and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. ⁹And he was three days without sight and neither ate nor drank.
Ananias Baptizes Saul
¹⁰Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, "Ananias." And he said, "Here I am, Lord." ¹¹So the Lord said to him, "Arise and go to the street called Straight and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. ¹²And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him so that he might receive his sight." ¹³Then Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. ¹⁴And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name." ¹⁵But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. ¹⁶For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name's sake." ¹⁷And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." ¹⁸Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized."

~What is God's Plan of Salvation?

~Though we learn about Jesus in the New Testament. Jesus lived and died under the OLD LAW (Law of Moses, Old Covenant). This is an important point to understand since we live under the Law of Christ (New Law, New Covenant). Understand the TWO LAWS (Lesson) - Video: Law

~Jesus gave us the example that there are sins committed in the church that we should not be forgiving of (such as idolatry), but should do what we can to combat:

Matt. 21 (NKJV) Jesus Cleanses the Temple ^"12Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. ¹³ And He said to them, "It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a "den of thieves".

~Another example which shows us that God does not tolerate sin is found in The Revelation of Jesus Christ which He gave to John to give to the churches. Jesus points out the good things and the sin of the 7 churches in Asia. He tells the churches that if they do not repent, He will remove their lampstand (Rev. 2:5).

Rev. 2 (NKJV) The Compromising Church
^"14But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. ¹⁵Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. ¹⁶Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth...
The Corrupt Church
²⁰Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. ²¹And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. ²²Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. ²³I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts."

~There is sin (unrepented sin by those calling themselves 'brothers') that we, as Christians must become angry about (though we are warned not to sin in our anger - Eph. 4:25). Let's say that we have a brother in the church who is taking The Lord's Name in vain, cursing, stealing, getting drunk, committing fornication or any number of sins. Should we forgive that person while he continues in the sin and refuses to repent or even if he stops the sin, but refuses to repent? The answer to this is absolutely not. In 1 Cor. 5, Paul was not even present at the congregation where a man committed sexual immorality BUT HE STILL JUDGED the man.

1 Cor. 5 (KJV) Immorality Defiles the Church
^"1It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles that a man has his father's wife! ²And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you. ³For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done this deed. ⁴In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, ⁵deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. ⁶Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump, ⁷Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. ⁸Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Immorality Must Be Judged
⁹I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. ¹⁰Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. ¹¹But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner--not even to eat with such a person. ¹²For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside, Do you not judge those who are inside, ¹³But those who are outside God judges. Therefore put away from yourselves the evil person."

~Christians are warned NOT to lie to one another (Col. 3:9). After all, Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44). We see the seriousness of this in the account of Ananias and Sapphira where lying to a brother was considered lying to the Holy Spirit.

Acts 5 (NKJV) ^"2And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles feet. ³ But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? ⁴ While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart, You have not lied to men but to God."

~When a person is born again, he becomes a spiritual babe, child or "little one" in the Kingdom of God, the church. Notice that repentance is extremely important. Jesus says that even IF the brother sins 7 times in a day and returns 7 times in a day and says that he repents, you must forgive him.

Luke 17 (NKJV) Jesus Warns of Offenses
^"1Then He said to the disciples, "It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! ²It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. ³Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. ⁴And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, "I repent," you shall forgive him."

~This is important so I am going to repeat it.  What exactly does the Scripture say? ~IF~ your brother repents, forgive him. The Scripture does NOT say, forgive your brother even IF he does not repent. Nor does it say, "wonder if your brother repents" and forgive him. Or "God knows your brother's heart" therefore forgive him. The Scripture says, IF your brother repents, suggesting that YOU KNOW that he repented of the sin he committed, then, forgive him.

Luke 13 (NKJV) ^"3I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish."

~IF a brother commits sin, we, as Christians, are offended, but God is also offended. We should confront that brother of sin according to Matt. 18:15. We have a loving Father Who went to the extent to send His Only Begotten Son to die on the cross as a propitiation for our sins (Rom. 3:25, Heb. 2:17, 1 John 2:2, 4:10). IF the brother sincerely repents, we must forgive him (and should want to) because God forgives him and IF we do not forgive him, God will not forgive us our sins.

Luke 17 (NKJV) ^"3...If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. ⁴And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, "I repent", you shall forgive him."

~Because most people do not want to have people bring up their sins, confronting a brother who has sinned can become complicated if he chooses not to repent, that is, not to obey the Word of God (Matt.18:15-17). This becomes even more difficult if the elders (men if there are no elders) of the congregation are not faithful to God's Word concerning discipline. Why is discipline important? Video 1; Video 2. Remember what happened when Judas betrayed Jesus. Though this happened under the Old Law, Judas did not repent. The Difficulty of Repentance. Though Judas regretted what he had done, he was mainly sorry he had gotten caught. Judas felt remorse and returned the money, but rather than repent - he went out and hanged himself. He had no Godly Sorrow. Therefore, Judas will be lost for eternity, when, had he repented of what he had done, he could have been saved. What is Bible Repentance? Lesson on Repentance A brother caught in sin and confronted of the sin may not want to acknowledge his sin. This creates a difficult situation. When Christians sin they must have Godly Sorrow which produces repentance (2 Cor. 7:9-11).

2 Cor. 7 (NKJV) ^"10For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.."

Psalm 81 (NKJV) ^"11?But My people would not heed My voice, And Israel would have none of Me. ¹²So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart, To walk in their own counsels."

Psa. 106 (KJV) ^"13They soon forgot His works; They did not wait for His counsel... ⁴³Many times He delivered them; But they rebelled in their counsel, And were brought low for their iniquity."

Col. 2 (NKJV) ^"8Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ."

Mark 7 (NKJV) ^"7And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men."

Isa. 19 (NKJV) ^"11...Pharoah's wise counselors give foolish counsel..."

1 Cor. 1 (NKJV) ^"21For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe."

1 Cor. 3 (NKJV) ^"19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, "He catches the wise in their own craftiness"; ²⁰ and again, "The LORD knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile."

Rom. 10 (NKJV) ^"2For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. ³Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. "

1 Cor. 2 (NKJV) ^"12Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. ¹³These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual."

2 Cor. 11 (NKJV) ^"2For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. ³But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. ⁴For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you may well put up with it!"

See: The Whole Counsel of God

~It is important for the person sinned against to obey the Word of God so that he does not sin. IF a Christian does NOT go to a brother who has sinned, that puts the church in danger of becoming leavened (Rev. 2:14, 20). Just as a cancer spreads, sin that is not confronted and disciplined (if not repented of), will leaven the church. Other Christians will think, well, if he can do that, I can too ~or~ think, he is doing that, maybe it is not a sin ~or~ they may just become numb to sin. The church then becomes just like the world. Notice that when Ananias and Sapphira sinned and were rebuked, the church clearly understood that lying was something they should not do. Video 1; Video 2

Acts 5 (NKJV) ^"9Then Peter said to her, How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out. ¹⁰Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband. ¹¹So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things."