* Automatic Forgiveness Keeps People from Christ: Should repentance be superfluous? Many unbelievers have rejected Jesus Christ in part because of the false teaching that Christians should forgive others regardless of whether or not there is repentance. For Jesus Himself taught that ordinarily, repentance should be a prerequisite for Christian forgiveness. For example see Luke 17:3.
* Show Summary from a 2006 BEL Program: STOP ME!! Before I Forgive Again...
* Don't Forgive Murders: If you are not God, then you should not forgive a murderer. You only have authority to forgive those who sin against "you" and even then, not for any harm their crime brings to others.
* Don't Forgive the Unrepentant: If someone does not repent, you should NOT forgive them. Millions of Americans who believe in God but reject Christ's Gospel believe that God is all forgiving, and that forgiveness is automatic and does not require repentance. The false Christian teaching that we should automatically forgive everyone puffs up our own flesh making us holier-than-thou, and worse, it helps send millions to hell with the false belief, given to them from Christians, that forgiveness is automatic and does not require repentance. However, Jesus taught that if someone sins against you, "rebuke him! And IF he repents, forgive him."
* Pat from Denver: brought up the cliché that God has unconditional love for man, yet God will send to hell those who reject Him. That's NOT unconditional.
* Forgive Others To Be Forgiven = Law, not Grace: In Matthew chapters 6 and 18 (see verses below), Jesus taught that to be forgiven by God, a man must FIRST forgive others! That is law, NOT grace! God's program for believers today is GRACE, NOT LAW! Under Grace, when we trust Christ, God forgives us of ALL our sin, and forgiving others is a SECONDARY matter. The Four Gospels do not record Jesus using the word "grace" NOT EVEN ONCE, because He came teaching Law, not grace! That is why the Gospels speak of law, commandment, ordinance, regulation, and Moses many dozens of times, frequently by Christ's own words. Later, God gave to the Apostle Paul the teaching of Grace. That is why Jesus only used the word "grace" while talking to Paul, but He never once mentioned the word grace in all four Gospels!
See also our related resources:
- Should Christians Judge?
- All Sins Are Not Equal
- Christian Clichés
- Nicer than God
* Two Big Resources: 1) Bob's life's work, our bestselling 330-page unpublished manuscript, The Plot which discusses these forgiveness, law and grace issues! 2) Enjoy Bob's fast-paced Nicer than God critique of today's Christian teaching on the issues of forgiveness, judging, confrontation, etc. in MP3 CD or downloadable format, or just call us at 1-800-8Enyart
* An Ongoing Resource: You can get a subscription to our Monthly Bible Study and receive an MP3 CD album mailed to your home once per month. Nicer than God would then be just one of the worthwhile albums you will automatically receive and hopefully, greatly enjoy!
* Hear Also: BEL's 2016 interview of theologian Chris Brauns on his great book, Unpacking Forgiveness!
Mat. 6:12, 14-15 "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors... For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."
-Jesus, to Israel, under the covenant of circumcision (i.e., the law; remember, the four Gospel never once record Jesus using the word "grace", for the gospel of grace for the Body of Christ was not given until Acts 9 when Jesus gave it to the apostle Paul the and sent him out as the Apostle to the Gentiles. See kgov.com/the-plot.)
Mat. 18:32-33, 35 [The king said], " 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 33 Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?' So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother [g]his trespasses."
-Jesus, to Israel, under the covenant of circumcision (i.e., the law; remember, the four Gospel never once record Jesus using the word "grace", for the gospel of grace for the Body of Christ was not given until Acts 9 when Jesus gave it to the apostle Paul the and sent him out as the Apostle to the Gentiles. See kgov.com/the-plot.)