I mentioned recently in our church that the Reformed Forum network interviewed me at the Gospel Coalition Conference. Camden Bucey, one of the two hosts, is a native of Stillman Valley.
In this interview, I talk about both pastoral searches and forgiveness. The section where they interview me begins at about the 13 minute mark.
Click here.
Here’s a short introduction I did about Unpacking Forgiveness for Peacemakers Ministries before speaking at their National Conference.
You can listen to the conference messages here.
A webinar I did on forgiveness with Peacemakers here.
One of the points I argued in Unpacking Forgiveness is that forgiveness cannot happen completely apart from repentance. Christians ought always to have an attitude of forgiveness. But, forgiveness is about the restoration of a relationship and if the offending party is unrepentant, then forgiveness cannot fully take place any more than you can shake hands by yourself. The offended Christian wraps the package and offers it freely. Yet, the gift needs to be received. For more on this point, see this post.
Conditional forgiveness flows out of the biblical principle that we are to forgive one another as God forgave us (Eph 4:32). God only forgives those who turn in repentance from their sins and receive the gift of eternal life. I’m not alone in taking this position!, see also A.B. Caneday, “Being forgiving doesn’t always mean forgiving.”
A point I have stressed in writing and speaking about forgiveness is that if we insist on unconditional interpersonal forgiveness, then some will inevitably argue that God forgives unconditionally apart from repentance and faith. Those who insist on automatic forgiveness can easily end up arguing that God should also automatically forgive.
This progression is seen in Rob Bell’s thinking. In Velvet Elvis, Bell asserted:
Hell is full of forgiven people God loves, whom Jesus died for (Bell, Velvet Elvis, page 146).
This is a very problematic statement. The idea that someone can be forgiven by God, yet still go to hell, eviscerates forgiveness of any biblical meaning.
Now in Love Wins (188-189), Bell has taken the next step when he argues that on the Cross, Jesus granted unconditional forgiveness apart from repentance or faith on the part of those who crucified Him.
Jesus forgives them all, without their asking for it.
Done. Taken care of.
Before we could be good enough or right enough, before we could even believe the right things.
Forgiveness is unilateral. God isn’t waiting for us to get it together, to clean up, shape up, get up – - God has already done it.
But, should we accept Bell’s premise that Christ granted forgiveness? As I have argued elsewhere, Jesus wasn’t granting absolution to those who crucified Him – - he wasn’t saying unilaterally that they were forgiven. He was praying for their salvation. Scripture is clear that this prayer would only be answered if they believed in Him. Otherwise, the wrath of God would remain on them (John 3:36).
Bell insists he does not believe in universalism (the teaching that all people are saved). Yet, when he argues that Christ granted forgiveness unilaterally on the Cross and extends that forgiveness to all people, apart from belief, then it’s hard to see how this is not universalism.
Denying the reality of hell may be very attractive to some. But people who hold this position are likely to become hard, embittered people when they encounter evil.
Yesterday, I posted about Rob Bell’s theologically liberal views on the doctrine of eternal punishment (hell).
One of the reasons that Bell’s teaching is so attractive is that we have been relatively protected from violent crime. Consequently, we don’t feel a great need for justice. If the worst thing anyone has done to you personally was to accidentally get Roundup on your grass, then you may not feel a great need for justice to be done, even if you are intellectually aware of the Holocaust.
Scripture, on the other hand, interacts with many situations where people have been gravely injured. As I pointed out in my book Unpacking Forgiveness one of the central ways that Scripture teaches us to avoid bitterness is to rest in the truth that God will see that justice is done. Hence, Romans 12:17-21 says that we ought not to repay evil for evil, but rather we can rest in the truth that vengeance belongs to God and that he will repay.
Similarly, in Psalm 73, the Psalmist is struggling because many seem to get away with gross sin. The turning point for the Psalmist takes place when he considers the final destiny of the wicked (Psalm 73:17).
Over and over again in Scripture we see this teaching. A central strategy for avoiding bitterness is to rest in the truth that God will see that justice is done. In 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9 Paul soberly encourages the recipients that God will make sure that justice is repaid to those who persecute them. Or, in 2 Timothy 4:14 Paul processes an injury done to him by Alexander the coppersmith by trusting that God will pay him pack. In Revelation 6:10 the martyred cry out asking God how long until he avenges their blood.
When Bonhoeffer was imprisoned by the Nazis, and shortly before he was hung, someone asked him how it was possible to feel love for such evil people. Bonhoeffer replied,
. . . it is only when God’s wrath and vengeance are hanging as grim realities over the heads of one’s enemies that something of what it means to love and forgive them can touch our hearts.
See also:
An article about the murder of Kelsey Grammer’s sister.
What I would say to the parents of a child murdered at Virginia Tech.
You don’t have to be a Packer Backer (though I highly recommend it) to appreciate this article.
Rick Reilly of Sports Illustrated:
Aaron Rodgers is the MVP of this teeth-grinding, palm-sweating Super Bowl, and it has nothing do with how he throws or how he runs. It has to do with how he lives.
In 50 years, when they write Rodgers’ life story, they won’t praise so much his freakish arm.
They won’t write about his Houdini feet.
They won’t go on about his grace under pressure, his rifle-scope accuracy or his courage while the land around him burned.
No, they’ll write about his unlimited capacity to forgive.
Through all the hell Brett Favre put him through, through all the yo-yoing Favre did with Rodgers’ career all those years, Rodgers never lost his patience. He never lashed out. Instead, he forgave and got to work.
Fast-forward to the biggest moment of his life — Super Bowl XLV — and teammates started turning on him again.
They started dropping the ball. Literally.
Read the rest here.
HT: Z
This clip from ER shows the emptiness of liberal theology.
HT: Trevin Wax
One of the great advantages of our day is the availability of quality preaching on the Internet. If you are looking for good preaching on forgiveness, then I recommend the sermons available from Peacemakers 2010 National Conference. You could start with Josh Harris’ sermon which was wonderful.
Click here.
Though I would explain the word “unconditional” in this context, I like this post from Tullian Tchivijian.
Tullian Tchividjian:
This story told by my friend and former professor, Steve Brown, illustrates well the radical discrepancy between the ways in which we hold other people hostage in their sin and the unconditional forgiveness that God offers to us in Christ.
Do you remember the story about the little boy who killed his grandmother’s pet duck? He accidentally hit the duck with a rock from his slingshot. The boy didn’t think anybody saw the foul deed, so he buried the duck in the backyard and didn’t tell a soul.
Later, the boy found out that his sister had seen it all. Not only that, she now had the leverage of his secret and used it. Whenever it was the sister’s turn to wash the dishes, take out the garbage or wash the car, she would whisper in his ear, “Remember the duck.” And then the little boy would do what his sister should have done.
There is always a limit to that sort of thing. Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore–he’d had it! The boy went to his grandmother and, with great fear, confessed what he had done. To his surprise. . .
Read the rest here.
In a fallen world, conflict is never far away. This is reality. This being the case, it is imperative that we know how to unpack forgiveness. Only Christ and His Word can show us how to unpack forgiveness on our own. The wounds are too deep and the questions are too complicated for us to do it on our own.
It is a special privilege to preach three expository sermons on forgiveness this Sunday at Grandview Park Baptist Church (Des Moines) in the GSOI.
A question and answer period will follow the evening service.
In my absence, Brian Hanson of Morningstar Baptist Church, will preach in our church.
