23 Alphabetical Attributes of Salvation: Part Six

 

6: Forgiveness

We all have a lot to repent for when it comes to this subject. Like it or not, we are sinners, and we don't often ask for forgiveness from others or God, and others refuse to forgive past wrongs. We are in bad shape if we don't forgive as we are forgiven.

I can vouch for myself. I don't know about you, but I fail in this area a lot. I'm glad I have the Holy Spirit living inside me, because He convicts me of this sin and I have to please God, so I take the thought into captivity of Christ and ask His forgiveness, which He unfailingly gives. For this I am thankful.

There are many Scriptures which I can point out, notably these:

Blue Letter Bible: Forgive

Some stand out, like the words of Jesus Christ:

Matthew 6:14, 15 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Matthew 18:21, 22 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. (Author's note: That's 490 times!!)

Luke 17:3 Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.

And so many others...

One passage which I know is great for today's America:

2 Chronicles 7:13, 14 If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence (COVID-19) among my people; If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

God wants us to forgive one another, especially Christians. The world can't forgive as God does, yet He offered us eternal forgiveness when He sent His only begotten Son to die for us on the cross. Forgiveness is a precious thing, a holy virtue, with which the child of God must always be willing to offer. It doesn't matter who is the offender is or how they offend, what matters is that God wants us to forgive as He has forgiven us. Even the lost have this opportunity, and to do so is a good way of leading up to one's salvation. This means if even a lost man can be forgiving, he can be more open to God's love gift of eternal forgiveness. Sadly that doesn't happen much today, but as long as God gives you life, you have the chance to be saved through God's forgiveness through His Son.

This is worth mentioning, since it boggles people's minds and they can't think up the correct answer because they don't care about the Bible. There is a frightening verse that mentions the unpardonable sin, which only the true believer knows the meaning:

Mark 3:28, 29 Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:

Jesus is saying here that the unpardonable sin from which there is no forgiveness is the blasphemy of the Holy Ghost. This is taken from the context that Jesus was rebuking His enemies, the Pharisees and Sadducees. They grievously sinned against Him because they wrongly accused Him of being possessed with devils when He healed people. 

Mark 3:22 And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.

That is the worst blasphemy of all, condemning the sinless Son of God by claiming He had Beelzebub (meaning the Lord of the Flies) to heal people. They hated Jesus so much, they literally came all the way from Jerusalem to find Him and commit this horrible, untrue blasphemy. 

Beelzebub is another name for Satan, and demons (the Bible calls them "devils") can infest people much like flies infest a dead, rotting carcass. When Jesus said they committed the unpardonable sin, He was judging them as never having another chance to be saved from Hell, because Hell is where Satan and all his devils are going at the Final Judgment. If you say the Son of God is of the Devil, then you are committing the unpardonable sin, and the Holy Ghost will no longer draw you to Christ. There is no more hope for you at all. 

As long as God gives you breath, He wants you to be saved. This is how the Apostle Paul wrote it, speaking the very words of Christ when He met Paul on the Damascus road. This is what God wants from all of us.

Acts 26:18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

Believe on Jesus Christ and be forgiven and eternally saved.