Isaiah 53: 4 Surely, he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Forgive Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster: To forgive is to stop feeling resentment against (an offender) or to give up resentment of or claim to requital for (an insult) or grant relief from payment of (a debt).
In seeking to understand more thoroughly the nuts and bolts of forgiveness, there are some basic things which we must grasp. When the Bible speaks of God granting us grace, and mercy, full, and free, it is free to us, but it costs God a whole lot, because the very concept behind forgiveness is the fact that someone has to pay for it.
In our first passages we see Jesus, who took it upon Himself to voluntarily pay the debt we owed, but in doing so, it cost Him His life, and a whole lot of pain, heartaches, suffering, and shame. Yet, He followed through with His promise to pay our debt, thereby setting us free from the inevitable consequence of sin.
So yes, forgiveness, as it comes to persons from God through Christ is God’s free gift but we should never forget that it had costs associated with it, so that it could be materialized. We are going to amplify this concept, since some might be considering forgiving an individual without having to pay in some form or fashion.
Basically, in a nutshell, not happening, for whenever someone is forgiven, the forgiver takes a hit, either financially, emotionally, socially, mentally, verbally, or even physically, but someway somehow, there is an impact to the forgiver. This fact we must now be permanently reconciled to.
Over the holidays, several gifts were exchanged by friends and families, but all the items had to be paid for at Macy’s, Bloomingdales, or Nordstrom, as the case might be. So, the gifts were free to those who received them, but the individuals who made the purchase had to pay.
Similarly, if we are to forgive someone full and free as God does, we must be prepared to pay, or take a hit, in some form or fashion so that forgiveness can be offered, as it was through the person of Christ.
God did not leave forgiveness up to mere feelings as many of us do, but instead was strategic, deliberate, and intentional in making it available. The reason for this is that if persons were to leave forgiveness up to mere feelings, there will often be times when we do not feel to forgive. In fact, in most instances, feeling to forgive goes quite contrary to our natural grain.
So, the fundamental understanding of forgiveness is that it will cost, some more, some less. Therefore, as the Lord contemplated the huge costs of forgiveness to billions, upon billions of people, it was necessary to create a sort of banking account as it were, so He could store much forgiveness for whenever we may need it.
This account never runs dry because it is centered in Christ, who went over, and beyond to make certain that any amount of forgiveness could be readily and easily deployed to any, and everyone who needs it. This concept of storing forgiveness for whoever may need it, can be found in the book of Exodus, where God says that he “Keeps” mercy for thousands. Let’s read:
Exodus 34:6 And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,
7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.
And so said, so done, for as the sanctuary system of sacrificial offerings was instituted, God then made provision so that a constant, and a readily available supply of sheep, lambs, goats, and bullocks was on tap, for whenever and wherever forgiveness would be needed. This is the concept of God creating the “Storehouse” or bank account of forgiveness. Let’s read:
Hebrews 9:2 Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary.
2 For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary.
3 And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all;
4 Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid roundabout with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;
5 And over it the cherubim of glory shadowing the Mercy seat; of which we cannot now speak particularly.
6 Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God.
7 But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people.
13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies to the purifying of the flesh.
14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
God did not wait for the last minute, when sinners would need forgiveness, to then start thinking about how He would pay, but instead furnished a constant supply, so that persons could approach His throne of grace at any given time, whether morning, noon, or night very similar to how God still offers forgiveness.
As sinners, in need of God’s grace, and forgiveness, we could approach His throne of mercy during the heat of the day, or in the wee hours of the morning, or even in the dead of night when most should be sleeping. It matters not, the time, the place, or the situation, there is a storehouse of forgiveness that God can draw on at any given time. Let’s read:
Psalms 121:1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
2 My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.
3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keeps thee will not slumber.
4 Behold, he that keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.
6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
8 The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.
Thus, just to reiterate before we proceed, God made provision for forgiveness, so that it could be drawn upon wherever, and whenever it is requested, and needed. That is a critically important concept for us to grasp as we move forward.
There is a parable given by Christ, which deals with forgiveness specifically, as He responded to Peter’s questions of how often should he forgive. Peter at that time probably thought of himself as being quite generous to suggest seven times.
But to Peter’s surprise, Jesus significantly raised the threshold, by saying seventy times seven. Then, to drive home the point even further, Jesus gets even more specific, by saying that forgiveness might need to be administered to the same person seven times in a single day, which speaks to a forgiving attitude, not to a mere number of times to offer pardon.
And since seven is a number that is representative of perfection, it means that we should be ready and willing to forgive as much as is necessary. Therefore, for all intents and purposes, this kind of forgiveness would require an account, so that just like with God, forgiveness could be drawn upon as needed. Let’s read:
Luke 17: 3 Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.
4 And if he trespasses against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turns again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.
Seven times in a single day will obviously bring into question the offender’s sincerity, for no one likes to be taken for granted, or worse yet, abused for their kindness and long-suffering, especially if it seems as if the offender is doing it willfully, or just doing it for spite.
Thus, in order to bring some clarity to the matter in question, Jesus spoke the following parable, which we will use as our springboard to better understand the nature of forgiveness, and issues pertaining to indebtedness. And hopefully, it would help us grasp, the extent to which God forgives us and by example, how we too should also forgive others. Let’s read:
Matthew 18: 23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, who would take account of his servants.
24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.
25 But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.
26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.
28 But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellow servants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.
29 And his fellow servant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.
31 So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.
When the Bible says that this particular servant was called to account, it refers to an audit of sorts where the King sought to balance out the books as it were. But for some unknown reason, the servant came up short, very short, and apparently the missing money was such an enormous sum, that it would warrant the sale of the man, his wife, and his children.
Before we rush to any conclusions, and write off the unforgiving servant in the parable, we will need to understand a few things about him. And, as we dig deeper, we would see why in certain situations, we ourselves find it hard to forgive, especially when it is money that is involved, as it was in the parable.
We will make a few observations from the parable, and then we will see why it is necessary for persons to follow God’s lead when dealing with the sensitive issue of forgiveness.
[1] In the parable the forgiveness is centered around monetary issues which too often cause bad blood or estrangement between families, friends, coworkers, church members, relatives, and in laws. And in some instances, the situations could get so bad, that it is never resolved, till debt do us part. Let’s read:
Matthew 18: 24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.
Ten thousand talents would be the equivalent of $142,436,571.48 U.S. Dollars; just about what Rudy Giuliani owes to those election workers in Georgia. That’s a whole lot of debt to be in, and even though the parable does not say what the money had been misappropriated for, it does say that it had become extremely difficult, and nearly impossible, for that servant in the parable to repay.
After the holidays, there often comes a time of very sobering reckoning for persons, who, with the very best of intentions, went overboard in spending. And as the new year turns, and they begin to crunch the numbers some may realize that they got in way over their heads, and will be saddled with debt for a very long time.
The use of credit cards should be monitored closely, and in some cases, must be held in by bit and bridle, lest like the servant in the parable, persons may find themselves owing more than they could repay. It is not the will of Christ, that God’s people be straddled with a burden of heavy debt to the point that it may force persons into insolvency.
If and when this is the case, God is dishonored, for it can cast a dark shadow over His kingdom within the sphere of one’s influence, thus causing onlookers to conclude that Christianity can place the Christian at a disadvantage.
The people God must have something special about them, which would attract, and not dissuade others as per the viability and nobility of God’s kingdom. In this way the secular observer will be led to conclude that it is a good thing to follow Jesus, as manifested in the lives of the you and me, as the principles and laws of God are lived out in real time. Let’s read:
Deuteronomy 4: 5 Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the Lord God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither you go to possess it.
6 Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom, and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.
7 For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for?
8 And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?
Especially, with the current interest rates on credit cards hovering around 23%, individuals and families should be wary of racking up debt, for doing so can put persons in a very unfortunate situation, where lenders might have to go after them, sometimes via litigation. Let’s read:
Deuteronomy 15: 5 Only if you carefully hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all these commandments which I command thee this day.
6 For the Lord thy God blesses thee, as he promised thee: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee.
Wherever we may have fallen short on the issues of outstanding debts, let’s ask God for wisdom to make a turnaround, and when He hears, and answers your earnest prayers in these matters, let us try our very best to turn a new page, so that persons could stand tall in the freedom that the gospel affords.
[2] The unforgiving servant in the parable seems to have had good intentions, for unlike some others he actually promised to pay back his just dues. In other words, he did not seek to shirk his responsibility by trying to avoid his lender. Let’s read:
Matthew 18:26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him saying Lord, have patience with me and I will pay thee all.
Wherever possible, persons, and saints, who have racked up debt, either inadvertently, or by splurging wantonly, should try their very best to reconcile the debt, because avoiding or shunning one’s just dues, brings great dishonor to the kingdom of God, and in some cases can actually cause the casual observer to brand the followers of Jesus as untrustworthy.
The Bible refers to the followers of Jesus as a Royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a peculiar people, so if the “peculiar” people are found riddled with debt that is irreconcilable, it would raise the question in the mind of the worldling as to what is so peculiar about them.
Legal vehicles that are available in the courts of the land for mitigating debt, such as persons declaring bankruptcy, should be avoided wherever possible, for doing so as a Christian, can cause the worldling to conclude that the followers of Jesus are not that great at managing temporal matters. Let’s read:
Romans 13:7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.
8 Owe no man anything, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
[3] It was the compassion of the King that led him to forgive the entire debt, not that the servant in the parable deserved the forgiveness. Let’s read:
Matthew 18:27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.
There are times when folks who need to be forgiven are not worthy. In fact, none of us is worthy, thus, it must be compassion that drives us to forgive, for if we were to wait until offenders are worthy, we will never forgive.
The Lord of that servant in the parable, was moved by compassion, and, in tender pity, he forgave the entire debt. But we must follow the parable closely, because even though the king felt pity for the one in question, he could only have forgiven the servant if he could afford to.
In other words, after forgiving the servant of almost 150 million, the king did not go broke, because it is apparent that he had sufficient funds put aside to forgive the large debt, and yet, remain solvent. You just do not forgive 150 million, without having back- up to both fund the forgiveness, and yet remain in a liquid state.
Here is where many Christians, some with the best of intentions, often hit a bump in the road, for even if like the king in the parable, they might feel some compassion towards the debtor, they just can’t fund the forgiveness, and yet remain solvent.
Some persons run very tight margins, for one reason or another, and therefore, when any money is owed to us, we may not be able to fund forgiveness, since the funds owed are depended on to pay for the car note, the mortgage, or even groceries. We may feel compassion, and some may actually be yearning to forgive but because some are financially stretched to the limit, it becomes very difficult to let the borrower go free, for fear of going into the red because of unpaid debts to ourselves.
It is not the will of God, that His people should run such very tight margins, wherever possible, so that if forgiving someone of a debt that is owed becomes necessary, persons simply cannot afford to forgive. In fact, it is quite possible that this was one of the reasons why the servant found it necessary to choke the man who owed him 100 pence, for he had not the wherewithal to fund forgiveness. This leads us to our fourth observation:
[4] The forgiven servant goes out and he chokes his fellowman who only owes him 100 pence. We read:
Matthew 18:28 But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellow servants, which owed him one hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, pay me what you owe.
Because of the tight margins the servant ran, he in desperation now tries to scrape up every penny he is owed, and thus, he is not in a position financially to fund any forgiveness. Therefore, he goes after his borrower with a baseball bat, and takes him by the throat, and throws him in jail, a process that would inevitably include litigation in the courts of the land.
Some Christians in our day, who are owed by others might not be so graphic, as to physically choke the borrower, as the servant did, but there are subtler ways in which the chokehold might be applied.
Those forever cell phone calls, in the middle of the night, the forever E mails and text messages that are never returned, and in a few cases, the stalking of the borrower at church, at work, and at their home when they are having dinner, all point to a form of chokehold placed upon the necks of the ones who owe.
Some persons may have wondered why the servant went out and choked the man who owed only 100 pence, for he appears to be quite desperate, in his attempts to collect every last cent that he is owed.
We believe we may have finally figured it out. It is quite possible he was trying to scrape up every last dime, so he could pay back the king who he owed formally. If this is the case then it would mean that he did not believe that he was really forgiven. When God in His mercy forgives us, we are not to think that we must do some sort of penance to repay Him for His kind deeds to us.
It seems as if the concept of penance has more curb appeal than accepting God’s free gift of forgiveness. Someway, somehow, persons may feel obligated to do something, in exchange for forgiveness, and if it were the case that salvation was a thing that money could buy, millions more would probably sign on.
When the father forgave the prodigal son, he felt he was obligated to work to pay back the father but the father did not even reply to his son’s overtures, for forgiveness is never to be based on what one can or cannot pay back. In fact, the elder brother in that parable, suffered from the very same syndrome as the prodigal son, for they both believed that the father’s goodness to them was predicated on what they did or didn’t do. Let’s read:
Luke 15: 17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee,
19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
25 Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing.
28 And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.
29 And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gave me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends.
Salvation and forgiveness from God are full and free and they come with no strings attached, except the free service of love, through our freedom of choice. When in such a situation that may warrant forgiving someone, and we may experience difficulty in doing so, it would be well for us to contemplate the great debt God has forgiven us, and continues to forgive us, even to this day.
Like The Lord whom we serve, forgiving others is not to be a one-time event, or something that is left up to feeling. Like God, we should have a constant, and readily available supply of sheep, goats and bullocks for whenever and whoever may need forgiveness at any given time, place, or situation.
In other words, forgiveness is an attitude that ought to be carefully cultivated, to the point where we are expecting to forgive someone every day. The reason why God set up a forgiveness account in Christ, and throughout the entire sanctuary system, is because He expects to forgive persons, on an ongoing basis. Let’s read:
Psalms 103:8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
10 He has not dealt with us after our sins; nor has He rewarded us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
13 Like as a father pities his children, so the Lord pities them that fear him.
And even though we are never to abuse His grace, nor take it for granted, yet the fact is that we will all need forgiveness on an ongoing basis and therefore, if God expects to forgive us repeatedly, we who are His disciples should cultivate that same perspective.
In this way forgiveness would not be something that we will have to think long and hard about. It will be something that is the natural outflowing of love and mercy that was first ministered unto us through the person of Christ. In other words, by beholding what Jesus has done, and continues to do for the you and me, forgiveness can, and will become our default setting.
Let us therefore consider what we do, what we say, and how we react to debtors and let us by the grace of God establish in our persons a storehouse of that grace and mercy, as God once instituted. Thus, we’ll end with two passages of scripture that should help us to turn a new page in understanding, and in the administration of the cost of forgiveness. Let’s read:
Ephesians 4: 31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice.
32 And be you kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
God Bless!