2014.04.06_Forgive Without Measure

God Treated Angel and Man Differently

            God is full of mercy. He is compassionate towards us with abounding love and mercy. God has treated the Devil and man differently.

            There is a myriad of angels in Heaven carrying out each of their own duties under the command of the archangels. Among them are angels under the direction of the archangel, Gabriel, who deliver the good news of Heaven. There are also those who praise the glory of God with everything beautiful, and the archangel in command is the angel of light, namely Luciel. Although Luciel was perfect as an angel in the beginning, he was carried away by his own beauty and splendor that he became proud in his heart and rebelled against God. Thus, he became Satan, God’s enemy. His depravity and sin had desecrated Heaven, so God had him in darkness along with the angels that belonged to him, until the Day of Judgment. The angels that were used for this were the heavenly hosts led by the archangel Michael.

            Some people may well ask, ‘How can the angel fall when God created him perfectly?’ We need to remember that angels are perfect as a created being; they are not absolutely perfect like God. As the creations of God, angels could live forever only by God and for this they have to obey God’s word (John 12:50). For any creation to obey God’s word, it must have the will to accept and refuse. A commandment can only apply to a person when he has the will to refuse to follow God’s word, and there must be a commandment in order for the created spirit to obey and thus live.

            Originally, man only had body and soul but after God had given to Adam the spirit He had created in Heaven, man came to have body, soul and spirit. God had made man become a living spiritual being because only the spirit created in Heaven is able to commune with God, receive His word, and obey His commandments. Thus by becoming a spiritual being, man is able to receive God’s word and live forever.

            This aroused the Devil’s jealousy. The Devil was originally created in Heaven but was hurled to Hades, never to return to Heaven again. When man was not a spiritual being, as soon as the body died, the Devil could not afflict man any more even if he wanted to. At that time, those destined to go to Hell were only the Devil and his servants. However after God breathed into man the breath of life, his spirit was able to go to Heaven even if his body died. Since the Devil could never again return to Heaven, he could not accept the fact that the man created on earth was able to go into Heaven. Hence, the Devil enticed the woman in order to destroy man’s spirit.

            To the serpent which had enticed the woman and caused man to fall, God said, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman” (Gen 3:15). It was not man’s flesh but his spirit that the Devil became an enemy of. While oxen or pigs that do not have a spirit are not the Devil’s enemies, man who does have a spirit has become the Devil’s enemy.

Do not Misunderstand God the Father

           The people in the Old Testament lived according to the Law. They were not aware of the spiritual reality; they did not even know about spiritual living. The kingdom of God that they had longed for was the kingdom to be established in the land of Canaan, not the New Jerusalem of Heaven, which we are longing for. They served God with only the regulations of the flesh. Under the regulations of the flesh, anyone who broke the Sabbath was cursed and thus stoned to death, put to death by the sword, killed in the war, or died of disease. Such wrath inflicted on the flesh was a kind of a model. With the coming of Jesus Christ to the earth, the governance of the Law was brought to an end, and it was revealed that what God had promised was not a man-made place in Jerusalem but the New Jerusalem in Heaven. Everything that happened under the Law was a copy and a shadow of the spiritual reality.

            It is a pity that even today’s Christians who are living under grace, consider the trials in their flesh as punishments resulting from their sins. The flesh was punished under the Law as a kind of a model and a shadow. The stereotype formed under the Law is still dominating the hearts of Christians. We see people who commit many sins, enjoying good health and success in their business. Punishment will begin after the Lord’s second coming. Until then, people could be afflicted by the interference of the demons, but we must not regard them as God’s punishment (Jas 1:13).

            Punishment will proceed after the Lord returns. God has given us the truth because He wanted our spirit to have eternal life by obeying the truth. Likewise, God has treated man and the Devil differently. The Devil was not given a chance to be forgiven and will ultimately receive eternal punishment in Hell, however man has been given the love of forgiveness. Man must choose to either obey God’s word with a living spirit, or remain dead in spirit and follow the Devil and go with him to Hell.

            Some people imagine the prosperity of their business or work when they hear, “You have received God’s love.” Indeed such things are possible through the warmth of love. However the fundamental meaning of receiving God’ love is to receive God’s forgiveness. Man was doomed to perish with the Devil who is unable to return to Heaven, but man has received forgiveness by the love of God, through the God’s Only Begotten (John 3:16).

            God did not give the Devil a chance to be forgiven but has granted us forgiveness. Isaiah 1:18 says, “’Come now, and let us reason together,’ says the Lord, ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.’”. If we have received God’s grace, it means we have been forgiven; to have received God’s love also means to have received forgiveness. Despite their many weaknesses, Christians are those who have been forgiven by God.

            To angels, God is a judge. However, to Christians, He is the Father. What is the father like? The heart of a father is to forgive his children without measure. A father tries to teach his children about his own experiences so that they would not undergo trial and error. Still, he would forgive their mistakes without measure. In this world, people are subject to criticism and punishment for their wrongdoings but God the Father forgives us without end. God the Father knows all too well that we will have to perish with the Devil if we do not receive forgiveness.

The Law of the Holy Spirit, Rather Than Our Conscience or the Law

            Even if the world does not condemn, every person is condemned by his own conscience. Yet what is more fearful is faith-conscience. There is not a single person who would not be condemned as they read the Old Testament. That is because there is no forgiveness in the Law, which is the central point of the Old Testament. Yet the Pharisees deemed themselves as righteous before the Law. In reinforcing the Law, Jesus said that anyone who hates his brother is committing murder, having lustful thoughts is adultery, and if anyone covets s/he is committing theft. There was no one who could stand before the Law of Jesus without being condemned. He said, “till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled” (Matt 5:18) and “For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 5:20).

            Despite believing in Jesus, unless people know the truth, they cannot have freedom and instead may come under a greater fear than when they had lived by their conscience. Jesus said, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). God had said to Cain, “sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it” (Gen 4:7). However, Cain did not have the power to master over sin. The Law is able to condemn man but it cannot give man the power to rule over sin. It is only the Law of the Holy Spirit, which can give the power to rule over sin.

            Many Christians put great weight on the Law and fear it. Yet, while the sin of breaking the Law may be forgiven, the sin of disobeying the Holy Spirit cannot be forgiven in this age and in the age to come (Matt 12:31-32). What is more fearsome than the Law is the Law of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit leads our spirit to God. However, people do not fear the Holy Spirit while they do fear the Law. When things are not going well, they become oppressed under the Law or their conscience and believe that everything is the result of their sin; they do not follow the Law of the Holy Spirit. Likewise, anyone that does not acknowledge the Holy Spirit cannot be led by the Holy Spirit, even if s/he goes to church.

Christians Have Received Forgiveness

            The love of God we have received is forgiveness. God has sent Jesus Christ to carry our iniquities and die on the cross in order to forgive us. He said to us, ‘drink my blood and be forgiven!’ and plunged His body into the curse. The Holy Spirit seals those who have been forgiven by His merits so that they would not be lost. 2 Corinthians 1:22 says, “who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.”

            Christian faith is not about self-cultivation or practicing asceticism. Because of the flesh, we could not but live an unclean life in the world, having a nature that is contrary to God’s will. However, we have now come to the church and received forgiveness. We were able to receive forgiveness in the church because the church is Jesus’ body. If anybody wishes to come before Jesus and receive His love and grace, s/he must come into the church.

            Some people say, “I went to church but nothing turned out for the better.” They would say that if they had expected their business to grow as a result of going to church. But the flesh will die, regardless of how much money a person has. The problem is that, without receiving forgiveness, a person’s spirit will be judged afterward (Heb 9:27). The spirit of a man, who has not been forgiven will go to Hell that is prepared for the Devil and suffer forever together with the Devil (Matt 25:41).

            Anyone who desires to believe in Jesus must have the confession, “I am a sinner.” This means to acknowledge how s/he needs to be forgiven and prostrate before the name Jesus. Philippians 2:10 says, “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth.” The name Jesus has the meaning, ‘He will save His people from their sins’ (Matt 1:21). Therefore, to kneel down before the name Jesus means that the person acknowledges that s/he needs to be forgiven by the One who saves sinners.

            God seals those who confess they have received forgiveness through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. And He gives the Holy Spirit to those who acknowledge that they have been sealed. Although the Holy Spirit is invisible, the people who have received the Holy Spirit are able to testify that the He is within them. It is the power of the person who has received the Holy Spirit that causes the demon inside another person’s body to tremble and then finally leave. We must show that we have received forgiveness by driving out demons, laying our hands on the sick and healing them, preaching the word and so on, thus radiating the perfume of Christ.

            The Devil tries incessantly to subdue us by using the Law and our conscience as a snare. However, those that have already come into Christ are no longer sinners but have received forgiveness and thus call God as their Father. The purpose of us going to church is not in trying to stop committing sins such as having lustful thoughts, coveting or hating another person. These are not real sins, but ignoring God is. God has bestowed love on man, yet if people disregard that love saying, “Has God ever given me money? Forgiveness? I don’t care if I don’t get that. I don’t need forgiveness”, that is the sin which cannot escape Hell.

            We do not know when we will leave this earth suddenly. Our spirits must receive God’s forgiven before that time. Unbelievers have not entered through the door of forgiveness that God has already opened for them. The fact that they are not coming into the church means that they are outside of Christ. They have not received forgiveness. Compared to the population of mankind, the number of those who have been forgiven is so limited. During the time of Noah, barely eight people were saved from the Flood (1 Pet. 3:20). In the same way, God has bestowed grace to the world through Jesus Christ; however, only few are receiving forgiveness.

Show Evidence of Being Forgiven

            Among those that go to church, there are some people who are not able to testify of being forgiven. They do not emanate the fragrance of Christ. If anyone has surely been forgiven, s/he should be able to forgive others. Peter asked Jesus, ‘Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven!’ The Lord said to forgive without measure (Matt 18:21-22).

            We need to testify that we have been forgiven. Jesus said, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained” (John 20:23). Also James 5:16 says, “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” If we meet a sick person, we need to help them confess their sins and receive forgiveness. There is power in the prayer of those who have been forgiven. An absence of power indicates a lack of faith in being forgiven. Those who do not confess that they are forgiven do not have power. This is because they have not been sealed by the Holy Spirit, meaning they have never received the Holy Spirit.

            I Corinthians 12:7 says, “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all.” The Lord wants us to preach as well as pray for the sick. Just as He said that if we forgive anyone their sins they would be forgiven, when we try to heal the sick, they will be healed. Indeed the outcome depends on whether or not the sick person has truly repented, but whatever the outcome, we need to lay our hands on them, pray for them and curse the demon. If the sick person has not repented, the demon will not come out, and even if it does leave, it will return. Still we need to take on the work of helping others receive forgiveness, as the Lord has said.

            We must receive forgiveness, not only seven times but even seventy thousand times seven thousand. Though other people may know about our flaws and say, “s/he is a hypocrite,” the fact that we have received God’s forgiveness should not be shaken. The important matter is how God acknowledges us, not what other people accept. We should not even trust what our own conscience tells us. If we trust our own conscience, we would become despondent and eventually go to Hell. We are the ones who believe in the name of the Lord. The name Jesus means He will save His people from their sins. As those who believe in that name, we have been forgiven.

            If we have surely been forgiven, we ought to forgive others. We must radiate the fragrance as those who have received forgiveness. If we cannot forgive others, it shows that we have not been forgiven. A minister should not be unforgiving of a church member and say, “don’t come to church anymore!” He should not refuse to visit their homes or look after them just because he is not pleased with them. We have to forgive others, even just for the sake of us to be forgiven. When all the people who were seeking to kill the woman caught in the act of adultery had gone away, Jesus asked, ‘where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?’ Then He said, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more’ (John 8:10-11).

            Forgiveness is the power of Christians. The reason families are in conflict is because there is no forgiveness. I went to a photography studio and there were a number of uncollected photographs. They belonged to couples that split up on their honeymoon. It was because they could not forgive each other’s past. They probably spilt out their secrets trusting that the other person would forgive them, but the person who was listening did not have the power to forgive.

Let Us Forgive Others

            A certain person does not forgive her husband and speak ill of him even in front of her children. When her child does something wrong, she says, “are you trying to be like your father?” She puts on a smile in front of others, but turn the cold shoulder to her husband. Another person does not forgive his wife. If she happens to break a plate, he scolds her with disdain. These things lead to conflicts and even break families apart. The reason parents throw their children out of home, or children leave home is because they could not forgive one another.

            Some people fall into temptation while leading their church life because they do not forgive. If anyone has resolved to attend church, there must be something that they are seeking to receive from God. But why do they start looking at other people and be affected by them? Why do they look on the pastor and fall into temptation, look on the elder and fall into temptation, or look on the deacon and fall into temptation? That is because people do not forgive. People fall into temptation and bring their spirit to ruin, and yet even so they refuse to forgive. The only one to be destroyed by doing so is ultimately their own spirit.

            Why do we take the Lord’s Supper every Lord’s Day? Are we not remembering the Lord who never questioned about our sins and instead carried them and sacrificed Himself? Are we not commemorating the fact that we have been forgiven because of such sacrificing of the Lord? What would happen if a partaker of the Lord’s Supper does not forgive others?

            Jesus taught His disciples to pray, “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (Matt 6:12). He also told them about a servant who was unsympathetic to his debtor when he himself had his large debt cancelled, and said, “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses” (Matt 18:35). One knows very well whether s/he has received forgiveness or not. If anyone has an unforgiving heart towards another, it is evidence that s/he has not received forgiveness. When Jesus said to His disciples, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them” (John 20:23), He was speaking of what would happen when the Holy Spirit comes.

            We must forgive. We need to radiate the fragrance of a spiritual Christian. God has loved us and sacrificed His Son so that we would not perish and that anyone who comes to Him would be forgiven. Therefore, we must forgive the church. The church is led by the Holy Spirit as the body of Christ. We must forgive the minister. We should not deny the blood of Jesus, the name of Jesus and God’s love by refusing to forgive the person whom God has forgiven.

            We cannot become like the Devil, being envious when another member has received forgiveness. Some people ask, “Pastor, can someone receive the Holy Spirit when he hasn’t repented? That person sinned a great deal before he believed in Jesus. He probably hasn’t repented of all of them but how can he say he has received the Holy Spirit?” However, if anyone comes before Jesus and professes that he has been forgiven, God will seal him and send the Holy Spirit as a guarantee.

            The Lord sternly said that anyone who does not forgive others would neither be forgiven. We do not know when we will leave this world. When our spirit departs this world, there should not be anyone whom we dislike and have not forgiven. As the people set free from the Law, we ought to emanate the fragrance of Christ and forgive others, and receive eternal freedom.