Arminianism The Golden Idol of Free Will Part 1
September 6, 2019
Augustus Toplady
"Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto Thy Name, give glory for Thy mercy, and for Thy truth’s sake"
Ps 115:1
Expositors have supposed, that this Psalm was penned by the prophet Daniel; on occasion of the miraculous deliverance of Shadrac, Meshac, and Abednego, when they came out, unhurt, from the burning fiery furnace, into which they had been thrown by the command of king Nebuchadnezzar.
And, indeed, there are not wanting passages, in the Psalm itself, which seem to countenance this conjecture. As where we read, at the fourth verse (speaking of the idols of the heathens, and, perhaps, with particular reference to that golden image which Nebuchadnezzar commanded to be worshipped), their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands: they have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they but they see not.
I dare say, that, in such an auditory as this, a number of Arminians are present. I fear, that all our public assemblies have too many of them. Perhaps, however, even these people, idolaters as they are, may be apt to blame, and, indeed, with justice, the absurdity of those who worship idols of silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. But let me ask: If it be so very absurd, to worship the work of other men’s hands; what must it be, to worship the works of our own hands? Perhaps, you may ask, "God forbid that I should do so." Nevertheless, let me tell you, that trust, confidence, reliance, and dependence, for salvation, are all acts and very solemn ones too, of divine worship: and upon whatsoever you depend, whether in whole or in part, for your acceptance with God, and for your justification in His sight, whatsoever, you rely upon, and trust in, for the attainment of grace or glory; if it be any thing short of God in Christ, you are an idolater to all intents and purposes.
Very different is the idea which Scripture gives us, of the ever-blessed God, from that of those false gods worshipped by the heathens; and from that degrading representation of the true God, which Arminianism would palm upon mankind. "Our God [says this Psalm, verse the third] is in the heavens: He hath done whatsoever He hath pleased." This is not the Arminian idea of God: for our free-willers and our chancemongers tell us, that God does not do whatsoever He pleases; that there are a great number of things, which God wishes to do, and tugs and strives to do, and yet cannot bring to pass: they tell us, as one ingeniously expresses it: That all mankind He fain would save, But longs for what He cannot have. Industrious, thus, to sound abroad, A disappointed, changing God.
How does this comport with that majestic description, "Our God is in the heavens"! He sits upon the throne, weighing out, and dispensing, the fates of men; holding all events in His own hand; and guiding every link of every chain of second causes, from the beginning to the end of time. Our God is in heaven, possessed of all power; and (which is the natural consequence of that) He hath done whatsoever He pleased: or as the Apostle expresses it, (the words are different, but the sense is the same) "He worketh all things after the counsel of His own will"
(Eph 1:11).
Therefore it is, that we both labor, and suffer reproach: even because we say (and the utmost we can say upon the subject, amounts to no more than this: to wit, that) our God is in heaven, and has done whatsoever pleased Him. And do according to His own sovereign pleasure He will, to the end of the chapter; though all the Arminians upon earth were to endeavor to defeat the divine intention, and to clog the wheels of divine government. He, that sits in heaven, laughs them to scorn: and brings His own purposes to pass, sometimes, even through the means of those very incidents, which evil men endeavor to throw in His way, with a mad view to disappoint Him of His purposes. "All things," saith the Psalmist, "serve Thee" (Ps 119:91). They have, all, a direct tendency, either effectively or permissively, to carry on His unalterable designs of providence and grace. Observe: effectively, or permissively. For we never say, nor mean to say, that God is the worker of evil: we only maintain, that for reasons unknown to us, but well known to God, He is the efficacious permitter (not the agent, but the permitter) of whatsoever comes to pass. But when we talk of good, we then enlarge the term; and affirm, with the Psalmist, that all the help that is done upon earth, God does it Himself.
I remember a saying of the great Monsieur Du Moulin, in his admirable book, entitled Anatome Arminianismi. His observation is, that the wicked, no less than the elect, accomplish the wise and holy and just decrees of God: but, says he, with this difference; God’s own people, after they are converted, endeavor to His will from a principle of love: whereas they who are left to the perverseness of their own hearts (which is all the reprobation we contend for), who care not for God, nor is God in all their thoughts; these persons resemble men rowing in a boat, who make toward the very place on which they turn their backs. They turn their backs on the decree of God; and yet make to that very point, without knowing it.
One great contest, between the religion of Arminius, and the religion of Jesus Christ, is, who shall stand entitled to the praise and glory of a sinner’s salvation? Conversion decides this point at once; for I think, that, without any imputation of uncharitableness, I may venture to say, that every truly awakened person, at least when he is under the shine of God’s countenance upon his soul, will fall down upon his knees, with this hymn of praise ascending from his heart, "Not unto me, O Lord, not unto me, but to Thy Name, give the glory: I am saved not for my righteousness, but for Thy mercy and Thy truth’s sake. . ."
And this holds true even as to the blessings of the life that now is. It is God that sets up one, and puts down another (Ps 75:7). Victory, for instance, when contending princes wage war, is all of God. "The race is not to the swift, as swift; nor the battle to the strong" (Ec 9:11), as such. It is the decree, the will, the power, the providence of God, which effectually, though sometimes invisibly, order and dispose of every event.
At the famous battle of Azincourt, in France, where, if I mistake not, 80,000 French were totally defeated by about 9,000 English, under the command of our immortal King Henry V., after the great business of the day was over, and God had given that renowned prince the victory, he ordered the foregoing Psalm (that is, the Ps 114), and part of this Psalm from whence I have read you the passage now under consideration, to be sung in the field of battle: by way of acknowledging, that all success, and all blessings, of what kind soever, come down from the Father of lights. Some of our historians acquaint us, that, when the triumphant English came to those words which I have taken for my text, the whole victorious army fell down upon their knees, as one man, in the field of conquest; and shouted, with one heart, and with one voice, "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to Thy Name, give the glory, for Thy mercy and for Thy truth’s sake."
And thus it will be when God has accomplished the number of His elect, and completely gathered in the fullness of His redeemed kingdom. What, do you think, your song will be, when you come to heaven? "Blessed be God, that He gave me free-will; and blessed be my own dear self, that made a good use of it"? O no, no. Such a song as that was never heard in heaven yet, nor ever will, while God is God, and heaven is heaven. Look into the Book of Revelation, and there you will find the employ of the blessed, and the strains which they sing. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying: Thou art worthy, for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God, by Thy Blood, out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation (Re 9:10). There is discriminating grace for you! "Thou hast redeemed us... out of every kindred," etc, that is, from among the rest of mankind. Is not this particular election and limited redemption? The Church below may be liable to err: and if any visible church upon earth pretends to be infallible, the very pretension itself demonstrates that she is not so. But there is a Church, which I will venture to pronounce infallible. And what Church is that? The Church of the glorified, who shine as stars at God’s right hand. And, upon the infallible testimony of that infallible Church; a testimony recorded in the infallible pages of inspiration; I will venture to assert, that not one grain of Arminianism ever attended a saint to heaven. If those of God’s people, who are in the bonds of that iniquity, are not explicitly converted from it, while they live and converse among men; yet do they leave it all behind them, in Jordon (i.e. in the river of death) when they go through. They may be compared to Paul, when he went from Jerusalem to Damascus, and the grace of God struck him down: he fell, a free-willer; but he rose, a free-gracer. So, however, the rust of self-righteous pride (and a cursed rust it is: may God’s Spirit file it off from all our souls) however that rust may adhere to us at present; yet, when we come to stand before the throne, and before the Lamb, it will be all done away, and we shall sing, in one, full, everlasting chorus, with elect angels and elect men, "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us." And why should we not sing that song now? Why should not we endeavor, under the influence of the Spirit, to anticipate the language of the skies, and be as heavenly as we can, before we get to heaven? Why should we condemn that song, upon earth; which we hope for ever to sing, before the throne of God above? It is, to me, really astonishing, that Protestants, and Church of England men, considered merely as rational creatures, and as people of common sense, who profess to be acquainted with the Scriptures, and to acknowledge the power of God, should have any objections to singing this song, "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy Name, give glory, for Thy mercy and for Thy truth’s sake." Still more wonderful and deplorable it is, that some, who even make profession of spiritual religion, and talk of an inward work of God upon their hearts, should so far lose sight of humility and of truth, as to dream, either that their own arm helped the Almighty to save them, or at least that their own arm was able to have hindered Him from saving them. What can reflect deeper dishonor upon God, than such an idea? And what can have a directer tendency to engender and to nourish the pride of heart which deceiveth men? It pleased God to deliver me from the Arminian snare, before I was quite eighteen. Antecedently to that period there was not (with the lowest self-abasement I confess it) a more haughty and violent free-willer within the compass of the four seas. One instance of my warm and bitter zeal, occurs just now to my memory. About a twelvemonth before the divine goodness gave me eyes to discern, and an heart to embrace the truth, I was haranguing one day, in company, (for I deemed myself able to cope with all the predestinarians in the world), on the universality of grace, and the powers of human free agency. A good old gentleman (now with God) rose from his chair, and coming to mine, held me by one of my coat buttons, while he mildly addressed me to this effect: "My dear Sir, there are some marks of spirituality in your conversation; though tinged with an unhappy mixture of pride and self-righteousness. You have been speaking, largely, in favor of free-will: but, from your arguments, let us come to experience. Do let me ask you one question. How was it with you, when the Lord laid hold on you, in effectual calling? Had you any hand in obtaining that grace? Nay, would you not have resisted and baffled it, if God’s Spirit had left you in the hand of your own counsel?" I felt the conclusiveness of these simple, but forcible interrogations, more strongly than I was then willing to acknowledge. But, blessed be God, I have since been enabled to acknowledge the freeness and omnipotence of His grace, times without number; and to sing (what I trust will be my everlasting song when time shall be no more), "Not unto me, O Lord, not unto me, but unto Thy Name give all the glory." We never know so much of heaven in our own souls, nor stand so high upon the mount of communion with God, as when His Spirit, breathing on our heart, makes us lie low at the footstool of sovereign grace, and inspires us with this cry, "O God, be mine the comfort of salvation, but Thine be the entire praise of it." Let us briefly apply the rule and compass of God’s Word, to the several parts, of which salvation is composed; and we shall soon perceive, that the whole building is made up of grace, and of grace alone. Do you ask, in what sense I here take the word grace? I mean, by that important term, the voluntary, sovereign, and gratuitous bounty of God; quite unconditioned by, and quite irrespective of, all and every shadow of human worthiness, whether antecedaneous, concomitant, or subsequent. This is, precisely, the scriptural idea of grace: to wit, that it (i.e. salvation in all its branches) is "not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth; but of God, Who sheweth mercy" (Ro 9:16). And thus it is, that grace reigneth, unto the eternal life of sinners, through the righteousness of Jesus Christ our Lord (Ro 5:21). 1. In canvassing this momentous truth, let us begin where God Himself began: namely, with election. To whom are we indebted, for that first of all spiritual blessings? Pride says, "To me." Self-righteousness says, "To me." Man’s uncoverted will says, "To me." But faith joins with God’s Word in saying, "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to Thy Name, be the whole glory of thy electing love ascribed: Thou didst not choose us, on supposition of our first choosing Thee; but, through the victorious operation of Thy mighty Spirit, we choose Thee for our portion and our God, in consequence of Thy having first and freely chosen us to be Thy people." Hear the testimony of that Apostle, who received the finishings of his spiritual education in the third heaven: There is a remnant according to the election of grace. And, if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise, grace is no more grace. But if it [i.e. if election] be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise, work is no more work (Ro 11:5- 6). Let us sift this reasoning; and we shall find it invincible. There is "a remnant," i.e. some of fallen mankind, who shall be everlastingly saved through Christ. This remnant is "according to election". God’s own will and choice are the determinate rule, by which the saved remnant is measured and numbered. This election is an "election of grace," or a free, sovereign and unmerited act of God. The Apostle would not leave out the word grace, lest people should imagine that God elected them on account of something He saw in them above others. "Well, but" (may some say) "admitting election to be by grace, might not our foreseen good works have a little hand in the matter? Might not God have some small regard to our future good behavior?" No, answers the Apostle, none at all. If election be by "grace," i.e. of mere mercy, and sovereign love; then it is no more of "works," whether directly or indirectly, in whole or in part; "otherwise, grace is no more grace." Could any thing human, though ever so little, be mixed with grace, as a motive with God for showing favor to Peter (for instance) above Judas; grace would all evaporate, and be annihilated, from that moment. For, as Augustine observes: Grace ceases to be grace, unless it be totally and absolutely irrespective of any thing and of every thing, whether good or bad, in the object of it. So that, as the Apostle adds, was it possible for election to be "of works," then would it be "no more" an act of "grace"; but a payment, instead of a gift: "otherwise work were no more work." On one hand, "work" ceases to be considered as influential on election, if election is the daughter of "grace"; on the other hand, "grace" has nothing at all to do in election, if "works" have any concern in it. Grace, and conditionality, are two incompatible opposites; the one totally destroys the other; and they can no more subsist together, than two particles of matter can occupy the same individual portion of space at the same point of time.
"Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men."
(Copied from Zion's Advocate, February 14, 1871)
That forgiveness is the most important part of the law of Zion is apparent from the many times it is enjoined upon the people of God in the New Testament, and from the fact that it is one of the things named in what is called commonly the Lord's prayer, upon which we are to hinge our prayer to be forgiven. For this reason let us examine what is meant by it and speak about some things connected with it. And, first, it is very important that we have a clear understanding of what is the exact meaning of the word itself as used in the Bible. Words are of no value, except as signs of ideas; and so it is requisite that we just what idea the word signifies. In the Greek of the New Testament the word has precisely the same signification tint is given in Webster as the definition of it. And its literal meaning is "to pass over," "to remit," "to put away." Thls is the meaning of the Greek verb aphiemi, translated "forgive," and it may be defined literally as meaning "to send an offense away from an offender," or "not to impute an offense to the one committing it!' Therefore, the command to forgive means that we shall not in any way count an offense against him who has committed it. We shall so separate the offense from the guilty one in our hearts, that we shall not think of it in connection with him, nor act toward him as though we remembered it. According to the meaning of the term, we have not really forgiven the offender, so long as we feel that it is any bar to our intercourse with him, or our kind feeling toward him. To feel and act toward the offender as though we are sore or wounded, or resentful, is not to forgive. To say, "I want no more to do with the one who has offended me, let him go his way and I will go mine," is not to have forgiven him. I think, to sum it all up, "forgiveness means that we feel and act toward one who has injured us as though he had not done so." To act that way is not enough, but we must love him as well as ever. Second—There is a difference between "being wronged" and "being offended." Many a time was Jesus wronged, abused, ill-treated, but where or when did He take offense at it, or exhibit resentment? Stephen was stoned, and yet he was not offended. He prayed for those who so abused him. This was practical forgiveness. Many a man has continued his bounties to the ungrateful and disobedient children, who had despised his bounty and defied his just authority. This is forgiveness. And many a Christian, hated and persecuted by the world, has yet striven to do good to his bitterest foes, praying for them and weeping over them. This is forgiveness. We cannot hinder the wrong that is done us. That is the act of another. But our business is to watch and pray lest the wrong done arouses any resentments in our breasts, lest we take offense. As long as we feel offended we have not forgiven. 0 for such a spirit in us, leading and controlling us, as would enable us to be offended at no personal slight or injury. Third—The importance of forgiveness may be seen from the frequency with which it is enjoined, both in the Old Testament and in the New. I have just counted up twelve times in the -Old Testament and forty-two times in the New, that the word "forgiveness" in some of its forms is used. And this is not all the number. But it is enough to show of what importance the Holy Ghost considered it. It is enjoined in the Old Testament as a mutual duty. (Ge 1:17.) It is enjoined by the Saviour upon the ground of being forgiven. (Mt 6:12; Lu 11:4; Mt 18:23-35.) It is also enjoined by the apostles. (2Co 2:7.) Certainly then it is a theme of which we ought to speak and write, and upon which we ought to meditate. And above all things it is important to have this heaven born and heaven sent guest to come and dwell in our hearts. How delightful is -the place and the hour when gentle forgiveness makes its presence felt in our souls! Who that has ever known its sweetness would exchange one hour of its presence for years, filled with enmity, ill-will, hatred and revenge? Fourth—Its origin is not of the earth. Its birth place is in heaven. It is among the fruits of the spirit, and is worthy to stand beside the lovely graces of faith, hone, love, humility, patience, etc. What human face to us is lovely; what human memory is pleasant, if it be not that of one whose heart is ready to forgive and slow to take offense? Who of us all can find pleasure in gazing upon the face of him who is filled with anger and resentment against his enemy? All things beautiful and pleasant, and of good report, are heavenly in their origin, and so forgiveness is from heaven, and is lovely without blemish. The fallen, natural heart of man breathes resentment and revenge when it fancies itself injured. In some cases men have considered revenge a religious duty. And the language of every unrenewed man is, "I will not allow clench to be trampled upon. I will show proper resentment." And the world at large applauds the man who "will not allow himself to -be insulted, or injured," and despises the man who bears injury meekly and patiently, and is not provoked. But the things despised by the world am in the sight of heaven of great price. Which are we most anxious to please, heaven or the world? To bring the question closer still, do we in this seek to please ourselves or God? To revenge ourselves is man-like, to forgive is Christ-like. As its origin is heavenly, if our conversation is in heaven we shall seek to be conformed to the heavenly in this also. To this end let us consider for a little, some reasons why it should be easy to forgive, and which may incite in us the spirit of forgiveness. And so, fifth, we may consider the following things: We, as believers, have had the assurance that God has forgiven us. If the one who-has trespassed against us be our brother in Christ, how can we re-fuse Ito forgive the few pence which he may owe -to us, since our Master has forgiven us such a vast debt? If he be not our brother in Christ, is not his doom in the next world fearful enough without our holding resentment against him. It becomes us to pity his fate rather than to revenge ourselves upon him. 0 that we could feel more deeply how much we have been forgiven! Then should we learn to possess a little more of the spirit of forgiveness. Consider, also, that we do still sin and still have need to pray "forgive me my trespasses." Can we have confidence to pray "forgive me" when, at the same time, we will not forgive`? Consider, also, that we not only sin against God, but we sin against our brother, or against our fellow-man. Have we done another no ill, that we can demand such exact satisfaction from all? Are our hands clean? 0, if my brother or my friend can forgive my failures toward him, certainly I can forgive what he has done amiss toward me. Let us remember again that God, the just Judge, has forgiven our brother all his sins. Can we then refuse to forgive the small portion of those sins that were to our harm? Remember, also, that as he is our brother we expect to live with him to all eternity. In that world there will be no strife nor any revenge. If we now have the spirit that is heavenly, let us begin to exhibit it while here. And, lastly, do not fail to consider well that at the worst the injury can endure but a short time, while eternity is unending. The wrong, and the suffering caused by it, is but for a moment's space, and then it will be in our experience as though it had never been. What is the use of a long absent child, when journeying home, stopping to quarrel by the way? Why should he mind the selfishness of a fellowtraveler, or the rudeness of those who hate him and his Father? He will soon be beyond it all at home. Sixth—In the prayer referred to at the head of this article the expression is "forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors." And in the comment afterwards made by our Saviour Himself, He said that except we should forgive others their trespasses against us, neither would our heavenly Father forgive our trespasses. This is a matter of experience. No one of us, when we cannot forgive our brother, can possibly at the same time feel what sinners we are ourselves. Consequently, in our pride and boastful selfsufficiency, we exalt ourselves above our brother, and refuse to bow with humble confession before God. And as those only who confess their sins find Him faithful and just to forgive them their sins. This one receives , no forgiveness and his soul is still in a state of alienation and opposition to God, and he experiences no joy of pardon. God forgives those who confess their sins. Only the humble in spirit ever confess their sins. And such as these find it easy to forgive others their trespasses against them, seeing they are obliged to count their own so great. If then a man is in such a state that he can forgive others against him, he is also in a proper frame to be forgiven. So we can with encouragement and confidence, rather than with fear, pray "forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors." If we can really pray for forgiveness, it is in our hearts at the same time to forgive. Seventh—But if to forgive means to feel and act toward the offender as though he had not offended, is it not impossible to keep this command? As the Saviour once Himself said, "It is impossible with men, but with God all things are possible." And this does not mean that God in His absolute power can do all things, but it means that by His grace we ourselves can do what in and of ourselves we cannot do. God gives grace to help us keep His commandments. And if it were impossible for the believer to forgive, then God would have given no such command. It is true, as Paul said, "I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me." We do despite to the spirit of grace and heap the reproach of ignorance upon the All-wise, and turn the grace of God into lasciviousness when we seek to excuse our hardness and revengefulness by the plea that God has not given us grace to overcome these things. God forbid that the Christian should ever say, "God has not given me grace to forgive." Oh the contrary, if we realized the enormity of our offense when we do not -forgive, we should be found with sighs and tears begging God for forgiveness from His throne, and to create in us a clean heart and renew within us a right spirit. Eighth—I know as an actual fact of experience that God can strengthen us, so as that we can and do forgive in just the sense I have been presenting. I remember once when I had thought that a brother had not treated me right, I shortly afterwards heard him preach. I desired to hear him gladly and with hearty sympathy, as I had many times before, and I could not. I was conscious of a feeling of resentment within me that would not let me receive the word at his hands. I was ashamed of myself and humbled. I was grieved at my hardness of heart and lack of the spirit of forgiveness. While he was yet preaching I tried to lift up my heart in prayer for us both—for myself that I might be made to feel right, and for him that he might preach with liberty and power, and I was shut up from prayer. I can never tell how I was ashamed and grieved. I thought, "Is it possible that I cannot forgive?" But yet, hard and stubborn as my heart then was, in less than six hours afterwards I was softened in feeling and felt at perfect peace with that brother, and as entirely one with him as I had ever done. And this feeling lasted, and the next four days were days of happiness beyond measure. And the feeling of oneness to that brother, and of perfect, forgetfulness of all the injury which I thought I had received, has never left me, and the next week I heard him preach again with all the joy that I had ever done. So that I know that forgiveness is not a grace beyond what we may feel in our daily experience, the grace of God being our helper. I will speak of one more instance of the power of forgiveness in the heart, and then close this too lengthy letter. I had preached one Sunday somewhat upon the theme of forgiveness, and among other things had said that some would say when injured, "0 I can forgive the wrong, but then I can never have confidence again. I never want to see that one ; let him go his way and I will go mine," etc. I said "this was not forgiveness at all. Suppose the Lord Jesus forgave us that way, what should we do? To forgive we must have come to love and desire the fellowship of that one as much as before the wrong was done." Some three months afterwards a sister, now gone to her home, who had been baptized by me six months previous, while riding with me to meeting one day, referred to this sermon. And then she said, "I knew that you did not mean me, because you did not know the circumstances which at once came to my mind, but the sermon was a heart searching one to me." She then went on to tell me about having had a difficulty with a step-daughter a few years previous, when she had felt herself ill-treated, but that (as she supposed) she had forgiven her stepdaughter, only, she had said, "I do not care for her to come here often, and when she does come I will see as little of her as possible." "But," she added, "I thought I had forgiven her, else I never could have come to the church when I did; but your sermon has shown me that I have never known what forgiveness means." She then went on to tell me about hours of anxiety and grief over her hard heart and unforgiving spirit, and of the bitter struggle which she had to write to this step-daughter and make confession of her wrong feelings toward her, and of falling upon her knees in prayer one day, and for how long a time she did not know, agonizing there for God's blessing to help her forgive really and truly, and of how God heard her and answered her, and took away all the bitterness so that she felt that she could take the stepdaughter in her arms and love her without a hindrance between. And she said, "I can never tell you the perfect peace that filled me when the conflict was ended and God gave me the victory over my hard heart." And she said this step-daughter had visited her since, and the day passed and she never even thought of the old trouble. This seemed to me a wonderful display of the grace of God, and I felt like praising God on her behalf. We have also a Bible example of forgiveness, in the case of Joseph toward his brethren. But I must close this letter. May God make us willing to forgive and willing to be forgiven, which I have found the hardest of all, because that implies three little words that are very hard to say, "I am wrong." The writing of this has been profitable, I think, to me, and if published I hope that it may prove so to others also. As ever, I am your brother in hope of life eternal, F. A. CHICK. Reisterstown, Md., June 6, 1884
In Mt 18:21-22 we read, “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.” To the casual observer, being sinned against 490 times might seem to be an exaggeration. But considering the constant pressures of life, it really is not far fetched to think of being sinned against that frequently. Many people face transgression against themselves from the moment they awake. Some spouses begin offending even as they prepare for the day. Abusive parents often begin the ordeal during the first moments of the day. Those who are blessed to arise in a loving and secure home eventually must step out into a hostile world. The aggressive driver filled with “road rage” may transgress against the law-abiding driver before they leave their neighborhood. The media blast report after report of the ungodly actions of those who disrupt life in one way or another. Arriving at work, one may face the hostility of a froward employer or back-biting coworker. At lunch, a disinterested server or hostile atmosphere may ruin the meal. The daily grind, with all its attendant woes, serves to wear down the individual until the exhaustive commute through “rush hour” toward home. Even in less populated areas, the invasion of technology such as cell phones and satellite connections often bring word of trespasses. Neighbors may try to move fence rows or wound with vicious gossip. Some people even face continued hostility, whether openly or covertly, after arriving at home. The callous disregard of family members for one’s personal needs can ultimately be the catalyst for emotional upheaval. Yes, if you think about it, in our modern world, being sinned against 490 times is not uncommon. That is why the Lord teaches us that we should forgive 490 times. In essence, we need to be constantly forgiving men their trespasses as they occur through the day, no matter how small (such as being cut off in traffic) or how large (betrayal). We should forgive even if it’s the same brother (spouse, child, parent, member of the church, etc.) who is doing the sinning. Of course, forgiveness is not ignoring public sins against the Church ( 1Co 5:1-7; Tit 3:10-11; Ro 16:17-18). Neither is it indulging and enabling sinful behavior (Gen 20:3-5|;Eph 5:11|). As to public sins, forgiveness is for those who publicly repent. (2Co 2:6-11) Having said that, let us remember that forgiving those who trespass against us personally is a way of life so vital that Jesus said, “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.” (Mt 6:14- 15) And in the parable of the servant who would not forgive, we read, “Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.” (Mt 18:32-35) Considering all The Heavenly Father has forgiven us for Christ’s sake, it is infuriating to Him when we refuse to forgive our brother for the same reason--the blood of Christ. ( Eph 4:32; Heb 10:26-31) Additionally, forgiving is a way of life because it is God’s way of life. In Eph 4:30-32, we read, “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” Finally, forgiving is a way of life for the disciple of Christ because it was and is a way of life for his Master. As He was crucified, He said, “…Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do…” (Lu 23:34) and in Heb 7:25 we read, “…He ever liveth to make intercession for them.” (See also Col 3:12-14.) One reason Jesus said, “Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven,” is that children readily forgive and do not hold grudges. Paul said “... howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.” (1Co 14:20) One minute children may be crying and denouncing their playmate as the one that took their toy or hurt them, but if there is no outside interference, the next minute they usually will be enjoying each other’s company. That is why this verse (Mt 18:2-3) is at the beginning of the forgiveness chapter. May the Lord bless us to view forgiving as a way of life. In so doing, we will honor Him who died for our sins and forgave us, free ourselves of the bondage of holding grudges, and soar in the joys of His salvation!
Michael Gowens
I was looking at old photos and I saw an image of myself, from a time before I re-found my faith.
It is not easy to see the world through another person's eyes, and we must strive to do that every day.
Use your voice and live by your actions. It is not an easy path, but it is the right one.
