TEN PRINCIPLES OF FORGIVENESS

by Ed Cardwell

 

Death is a most certain event that every member of the human family must face.  But can anyone depart this life in full confidence of his ultimate destiny, knowing assuredly that he is at complete and total peace with his Creator?  The answer is a resounding ‘Yes’, and this treatise proposes to explain how this can be so.

 

Let us take a short journey beginning in a familiar passage from the Gospel of Mark:

 

“And when He had come back to Capernaum several days afterward, it was heard that He was at home.  And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room, even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them.  And they came, bringing to Him a paralytic, carried by four men.  And being unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying.  And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, ‘My son, your sins are forgiven.’  But there were some of the scribes sitting there and reasoning in their hearts,  ‘Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?’  And immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit that they were reasoning that way within themselves, said to them, ‘Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts?  Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven'; or to say, 'Arise, and take up your pallet and walk '?  But in order that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins’ -- He said to the paralytic--  ‘I say to you, rise, take up your pallet and go home.’  And he rose and immediately took up the pallet and went out in the sight of all; so that they were all amazed and were glorifying God, saying, ‘We have never seen anything like this.’”  ^{Mark 2:1-12}

 

Four times in this passage we encounter a form of the word ‘forgive’.  In the English language Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines ‘forgive’ as:  to give up resentment of or claim to requital(compensation, retaliation) for something; to pardon, excuse, grant relief from payment. Before we go any further we need to understand the Biblical definition of this word. The original language (Greek) is far more concise and descriptive of the action involved in forgiveness.  The word in this passage is  avfi,hmi  (aphiemi), which is made up of two words, avpo, (apo) (away) and a root word hiemi (to send) and gives a mental picture of ‘a lifting up and carrying away.’  It is a New Testament word for an event in the Old Testament for which it was a type.  It visualizes in New Testament terms its prophetic fulfillment from the Old Testament – the annual sending away into the wilderness the Scapegoat that bore all the sins of Israel.

 

“Then Aaron shall lay both of his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the sons of Israel, and all their transgressions in regard to all their sins; and he shall lay them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who stands in readiness.   And the goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to a solitary land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness.”  ^{Leviticus 16:21-22}  [‘solitary’ land:  a land ‘cut off’, where there is no returning]

 

This is the picture that describes New Testament ‘forgiveness’ that comes from God Himself.

 

But who is this man that is referred to as ‘the Lord Jesus Christ’?  And how does he qualify to forgive any man’s sin?

 

The religious leaders who were charging Jesus with blasphemy in the above narrative were theologically correct:  Only God can forgive sins.

 

Can it be that this man from Nazareth, born in Bethlehem, nailed to a cross outside Jerusalem some 20 centuries ago, was merely a royal ‘Whipping Boy’ -  like those young men in England in the 15^th and 16^th centuries whose sole purpose it was to suffer for the evil deeds of  the princes of the court?  Was he only some innocent young man whom God nurtured and led along to take the humiliation, blows and stripes, and even taste death for the sins of others?  Simply stated: How can someone be punished for the misdeeds of others and that be called justice?

 

Even Isaiah the prophet extols this aspect of the divine nature:  “For the LORD is a God of justice.”  ^{Isaiah 30:18}

 

But note the clear testimony of these Jewish apostles of New Testament Scripture regarding this Jesus, who is called the Christ:

 

“For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust.”  ^{1 Peter 3:18}

 

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us”  ^{Galatians 3:13}

 

“For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.”  ^{Romans 5:6}

 

“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”  ^{2 Corinthians 5:21}

 

So, the New Testament writers, and indeed all of orthodox Christianity, teach that the death of Jesus on the cross was a divinely purposeful event.   The death of Christ on the cross is even hailed as the supreme sacrificial act worthy of the highest of exultation ^{Galatians 6:14}  The Apostle Paul said the word of the cross was ‘the power of God.’ ^{1Corinthians 1:18}  It would seem then that unless we understand the full scope of forgiveness and establish the real identity of this man Jesus, the Christian faith and the so-called Gospel(Good News), which is its fundamental tenet, seem all too incongruous, and utter nonsense at best.

 

Let us examine some universal moral principles that might help us discover the answer to the questions just raised and perhaps throw light on the person of Jesus, who is called The Christ (Messiah).

 

Principle #1:  AN OFFENSE IS A TRANSGRESSION AGAINST SOMEONE AND ALWAYS CARRIES A PENALTY.  Regardless of its severity, any infringement of the rules of law or social norms or any misdeed of any kind always brings an unwelcome consequence, which we call: debt, guilt, or obligation of some sort.  Examples are endless.  A dented fender requires restitution; a slandered reputation causing a wounded spirit results in a law suit; an accidental coffee spill on a new rug requires some payment for cleansing, etc…ad infinitum.  

 

Principle #2:  THE ONE WHO COMMITS AN OFFENSE BECOMES INDEBTED TO THE OFFENDED PARTY.  The offender becomes a debtor to the offended party, who may be considered a creditor, much like one who has borrowed money and is held responsible for its repayment. Again, examples are limitless.  The lawbreaker must answer to the courts for his misdeeds.  The shop owner is owed restitution for a customer’s careless handling and breakage of shelf merchandise.  An inventor is owed compensation for infringement of his copyright.  The full payment of any fine, forfeiture, or punishment may be exacted to satisfy any offense.

 

Principle #3:  THE OFFENDED PARTY, ie THE CREDITOR, HAS THE MORAL RIGHT AND MORAL AUTHORITY TO CHOOSE BETWEEN TWO OPTIONS IN RESPONSE TO THE OFFENSE:

 

A.    He may exact the full amount of the debt, or

 

B.     He may forgive the debt.

 

Notice carefully:  he is fully justified in exacting the full amount or any portion of the restitution; and he is equally fully justified if he chooses to forgive the debt.  This is because the moral authority rests with him as creditor, the offended party.

 

So, if the offended party, the creditor, chooses option B, to forgive the debt, then…

 

Principle #4:  IN THE ACT OF FORGIVING, THE OFFENDED PARTY (THE CREDITOR) CHOOSES TO RELEASE THE DEBTOR FROM HIS DEBT,    But note carefully that this act does not nullify the reality of the debt itself; forgiveness does not cause the consequence of the offense to disappear:  the dress is still torn, the glass remains broken, the money has not been repaid, the embarrassment and humiliation is still painful, etc, etc, etc…

 

Principle #5:  IN THE ACT OF FORGIVING, THE OFFENDED PARTY BEARS THE PENALTY OF THE OFFENSE HIMSELF!!!  And the result is the offended party suffers the damages incurred by the debt ON HIS OWN HEAD!!  The shop owner must pay for the damage/loss of his merchandise; the inventor suffers the loss of income from another’s violation of his copyright; the owner of the torn dress pays for the loss herself, etc…

 

Principle #6:  WHEN FORGIVEN, THE OFFENDING PARTY (THE DEBTOR) IS SET FREE OF THE OBLIGATION INCURRED BY HIS OWN OFFENSE.  He is released!!!  He is set at liberty!!! 

 

Note the exultant language of the psalmist:

 

“Bless the LORD, O my soul, And  forget none of His benefits;  Who pardons all your iniquities; Who heals all your diseases.”  ^{Psalm 103:2-3}

 

And remembering the duty of the Scapegoat:

 

“As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.”  ^{Psalm 103:12}

 

And the celebration of this freedom by the Apostle Paul in the New Testament:

 

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.”  ^{Romans 8:1-2}

 

Principle #7:  ALL SIN IS ULTIMATELY AGAINST GOD.  All moral offenses against those made in His image are ultimately against Him.  God, therefore, is ultimately the offended party in all such occasions.

 

To anyone familiar with the life of David and the events surrounding his relationship with Bathsheba, his sins are well known:  adultery, the murder of Uriah, bringing shame upon the nation of Israel.  Yet he acknowledges that all these are ultimately against the Lord God Himself:

 

“Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.  For I know my transgressions, And my sin is ever before me.  Against Thee, Thee only, I have sinned, And done what is evil in Thy sight, So that Thou art justified when Thou dost speak, And blameless when Thou dost judge.”  ^{Psalm 51:2-4}

 

Principle #8:  THE PENALTY FOR SIN IS DEATH.  Death in the Biblical sense is total eternal separation from God.

 

“For the wages of sin is death.”  ^{Romans 6:23}

 

“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned.”  ^{Romans 5:12}

 

Principle #9:  SIN IS UNIVERSAL.  Mankind is under the curse since the Fall in the Garden.  All the children of men have the same nature.  No exceptions.

 

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  ^{Romans 3:23}

 

“As it is written, ‘There is none righteous, not even one.’”  ^{Romans 3:10}

 

“For God has shut up all in disobedience that He might show mercy to all.”  ^{Romans 11:32}

 

What does this tell us about this Jesus of Nazareth, who is called the Christ (Messiah)?  What, and who, is he claiming to be?  Jesus did not respond directly to their question as to whether it was only God who could forgive sins.   Was it not left for his audience to conclude the obvious?  Is it not now left for the reader of Mark’s recorded narrative to arrive at the same logical and necessary end?  Clearly Jesus is claiming to be the offended party, or the full representative of the offended party.  Compare the following passages:

 

“He who has seen Me has seen the Father.”  ^{John 14:9}

 

“I and the Father are one.”   ^{John 10:30}

 

Incidentally, Jesus spoke those last words to a very skeptical audience in the temple of Solomon, and because of those words he was immediately threatened with stoning.  When Jesus asked why they were going to do this, they answered him, “because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God.”  ^{John 10:33}

 

Many have insisted mistakenly over the years that Jesus never claimed to be God, or the Son of God.  Such a view could only be held by someone who is unfamiliar with the reading of the New Testament.  The passage in Mark’s Gospel is just one of many passages where Jesus claimed to be God, and as such, leaves no doubt as to who this Jesus claimed to be.

 

The prophet Isaiah spoke plainly of the purpose and the suffering of this coming Redeemer in that famous passage that portrays His great sacrifice for all mankind:

 

“All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.”  ^{Isaiah 53:6}

 

The apostle Paul describes His servant’s heart in fulfilling that mission for which He came:

 

“And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”  ^{Philippians 2:8}

 

Principle #10:  FORGIVENESS OF SIN IS A FREE GIFT FROM GOD.  No amount of saying ‘I’m sorry’ can eliminate the penalty incurred by sin.  Only the offended party, God Himself, can erase such a consequence, and that by bearing the debt Himself.  God Himself, in the form of man, must die.

 

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”   ^{Romans 6:23}

 

“For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”   ^{Romans 5:17}

 

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What is left to say, except that this Jesus, prophesied from the beginning (Genesis 3:15) to appear at the appointed time (Luke 2:34), born of the virgin Mary (Matthew 1:24f), performing many powerful miracles throughout his stay on this earth (Acts 2:22), crucified at the hands of His own creation (Acts 2:36), buried in a sealed tomb (Matthew 27:59f), raised from the dead on the third day (Mark 9:31), and ascended to His heavenly home in glory (Luke 24:50f) is indeed the very Son of God, God become man.

 

GOD IS THE OFFENDED PARTY, THE CREDITOR, WHO IN HIS INFINITE MERCY HAS OFFERED TO ALL FULL PARDON FOR ALL SINS.

 

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What then?  How does one rightfully respond to such wonderful grace?  How does one respond to complete forgiveness?

 

“That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.”   ^{Romans 10:9}

 

“And they said, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved, you and your household.’”   ^{Acts 16:31}

 

“‘Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man shall give to you, for on Him the Father, even God, has set His seal.’  They said therefore to Him, ‘What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?’  Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.’”   ^{John 6:27-29}

 

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Is there any other road to heaven?  Is there any other who could qualify to forgive the sins of man but the God-man Jesus the Christ?  Many have argued that there are many ways to God.  But that is the greatest mistake that has eternally tragic consequences.  If one does not receive this marvelous gift of forgiveness freely offered to all, he, by his refusal, bears the full penalty of the debt on his own head – the 2^nd death, eternal separation from God.

 

“And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved.”   ^{Acts 4:12}

 

“I said therefore to you, that you shall die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you shall die in your sins.”   ^{John 8:24}

 

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You are invited, dear friend, to receive this free gift of forgiveness and eternal salvation in which you will live forever in unspeakable joy and fellowship with the Creator of the Universe who has redeemed your soul.

 

“Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”   ^{Psalm 16:11}

 

Do not delay.  Now is the day of salvation!

 

“For He says, ‘At the acceptable time I listened to you, And on the day of salvation I helped you’; behold, now is ‘the acceptable time,’ behold, now is ‘the day of salvation’.”  ^{2 Corinthians 6:2}

 

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls.”   ^{Matthew 11:28}

 

“And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.”  ^{Revelation 22:17}

 

ecardwells6@gmail.com

 

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Ed Cardwell is my friend and long-time co-worker in the ministry of Christian school education. He spent several years as principal while I was head administrator. He was an excellent and very popular Bible and foreign language teacher. We were of one mind, and it was very natural to work together since we thought so much alike.

AIG Debate

I was only able to watch part of the debate last night between Bill Nye and Ken Ham. I have heard various versions of who "won" the debate. That really doesn't matter, because truth is not determined by majority opinion or "winning" a debate. Truth does not change.

 

The bottom line is that modern man tries to determine the truth about the pre-flood world and the pre-fall world, based on his observations of the present fallen world from a perspective that is tainted by sin. Such observations are unreliable and mean nothing in light of the fact that God has told us what He did. The fall produced great changes by bringing the curse into the world, and the post-fall, pre-flood world no longer exists. "For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water" (2 Peter 3:5-6, NKJV).

In Memory of James M. Bramblet

“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints” (Psalm 116:15).

 

On December 1, 1988, the day Dr. J. Vernon McGee died, my wife Janet’s late husband, Ken Bonebright, came home and said to her, “A great man died today, and the world never even noticed.” The same could be said now about the death of my father-in-law, James M. Bramblet, on Saturday, January 25.

 

Jim Bramblet was not as well-known as Dr. McGee, but he was a great man and great servant of the Lord in his own right. He was a pioneer in the Christian school movement of the second half of the 20^th Century. Even though I had heard of him before I met and married his daughter Janet in August of 2003, I had no idea what a great man of God and a giant among Christian school educators he truly was. It has been my privilege and blessing to get to know him and benefit from his insight and wisdom. He is one of my heroes in ministry.

 

Janet had the privilege of helping take care of her mother in Tacoma, Washington for the final week of her life before she went to be with the Lord on October 4. We had her dad living with us here in Colorado Springs for the final three months of his life. He would have been 90 years old in March. We are planning a memorial service for him in early March in Tacoma.

 

During his more than 40 years as a Christian school educator, Jim Bramblet started a number of schools in Oregon, Washington, and California. He also taught in the state of Idaho. In addition to his work in Christian schools, he was also an interim pastor for a while.

 

During his college years, he began to understand the difference between secular education and truly Christian education. He said, “I had taken a course on the philosophy of education at the University of Idaho and realized it was all wrong … that it was not Christian. I began, from then on, to change my way of teaching so that it was definitely Christian rather than secular. … as far as I’m concerned, Christian schools are there to help parents educate their children.”

 

“Scripture makes if very clear that God created everything. In other words, all truth, then, is God’s truth. If it’s not God’s truth, it’s not truth. So then we need to realize that mathematics is not a secular subject, English is not a secular subject. History is not a secular subject. Even physical education is not a secular subject. Our God has created us in every aspect of our lives, and this too needs to be passed on to our children in every subject. This doesn’t mean that if we are teaching them mathematics, that every lesson is all about God. But they need to understand that God created mathematics. That he gave the truth about mathematics to us, and as they work these problems, they need to know that they are thinking God’s thoughts after Him. If they make a mistake, then they’re not thinking God’s thoughts. God stands for truth, and they need to try to strive to find the correct answer. And they need to understand that they’re dealing with things of God, because when God created the universe, He did it mathematically. Scientists who study the universe have to know mathematics. God created the universe after a mathematical formula. It’s very easy to demonstrate that, and the students studying math need to understand that so that when they come out of math class, they should have confidence that they’ve been studying the truth of God. It’s the same thing when they come out of their science class. They’ve been studying the things that God has created, and there should be rejoicing over all the wonderful things that He has made. … If it is taught correctly … they will appreciate knowing that they are not just studying dull old subjects, but that they’re studying the truth of God.”

 

These are just a few of his responses in an interview I did with him several years ago. You can read the entire interview here.

 

Jim Bramblet has gone on to be with the Lord and with his beloved Vivian. His impact on so many children and young people over the years will pay eternal dividends. We can be sure the Lord’s words to him are, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21).

 

 

To read articles by James M. Bramblet, click here.

The Christmas Story in Chronological Order - KJV

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made (John 1:1-3).

And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.

And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. 

Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her (Luke 1:26-38).

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins. 

Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name Jesus (Matthew 1:18-25).

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David), To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn (Luke 2:1-7).

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14).

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. 

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them (Luke 2:8-20).

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. 

Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way (Matthew 2:1-12).

Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).

And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory (1 Timothy 3:16).

"Love" Does Not Mean "Compromise."

Someone posted an article on Facebook about the Christian Bed and Breakfast owners in England who lost in court after they stood up for their convictions. They ended up having to sell their business.

 

The Facebook post brought a number of comments, and there was a very interesting one that criticized the Christian couple by using the text of 1 Corinthians 13, basically implying  that if we operate by love, we will be accepting of others, no matter what. Below is a combination of two comments I made to the post.

 

1 Corinthians 13 is generally considered "The Love Chapter," and it makes some great statements about love in general, but if that is all we see there, we are isolating it, using it out of context, and are missing the point. Chapter 13 is in the middle of a longer passage (Chapters 12-14) dealing with spiritual gifts within the Body of Christ. Chapter 13 teaches us that the use of spiritual gifts is only profitable and beneficial to the body if they are used in a context of love.

 

It is not possible to find anything in this chapter, or anywhere else in Scripture, that justifies giving tacit approval to things that God says are wrong. “Love” does not mean compromising with the world’s philosophies, lifestyles, or standards. There is a great deal said today about "tolerance" in our culture, and it is usually Christians who are told they need to be tolerant. We rarely hear about any necessity for people to be tolerant of Christians. In reality, the majority of Christians are the most tolerant of people.

 

The meaning of the word “tolerance” has been changed by many to mean "approval." In reality, the actual meaning of the word implies that we only tolerate that with which we disagree. I can tolerate people with whom I disagree without giving my approval of their lifestyle, doctrine, etc.  I can be tolerant of a person but be utterly in disagreement with their lifestyle or beliefs. If I approve of everything someone does, I am no longer tolerating them, I am agreeing with them.

 

To truly tolerate someone with whom we disagree means we do not try to destroy their property or to hurt or kill them. Instead, we recognize their freedom to do what they are doing, but we do not have to agree with them. If someone says, “You have to be tolerant and accept what I do,” that individual has no comprehension of the meaning of “tolerance.” If a believer accepts someone’s sinful lifestyle, then that believer is not loving the other individual in any way. That is no more a way to show love than an overindulgent parent is showing love when he allows his children to do things that are harmful to themselves. Overindulgence is not love. Approving of sin is not love. Real love is tied to the truth.

 

There are things taking place that I can do nothing about other than stand faithfully for the truth of the Gospel. I can tolerate people, who were made in God's image, without agreeing with their behavior. When government gives “hearty approval” to evil, it has stepped over a line. “...they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them” (Romans 1:32, NASB). I cannot put a stop to behavior with which I disagree, but I do not have to give it my approval by allowing it in my house. Those who wish to do those things can go elsewhere.

 

From what I have read on the subject, the people involved in this situation did what they needed to do in order to be consistent with their convictions. That is a basic tenet of freedom. There used to be, and maybe there still are a few, signs displayed in places of business that say “We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone.” In reality, that is consistent with biblical truth. In Matthew 20, Jesus told the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard. The owner of the vineyard made equal payments to all who worked that day, from those who had worked all day to those who had only worked one hour. Some of those he hired were saying things very similar to what people would be saying today. “Not fair! Not fair! I’ll call the union,” etc. “But he answered and said to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours and go, but I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous?’” (Matthew 20, 13-15, NASB). From the narrative, it is clear the Jesus approved of this man doing what he wished with what was his own. Private property, and the use of private property, is a biblical principle. “Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own?” is a biblical way to express “We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone.”

 

It is not the responsibility of every business to provide services to everyone. For example, I don't go into shops that sell incense, candles, and other New Age paraphernalia, but I also don't try to deny their right to have a store just because they don't meet my needs. I go to other stores. The lawsuits that are allowed these days border on insanity. It is up to the customers to find a store or business that suits them rather than trying to force every business to change to meet their individual needs. We need to allow the free market to take care of such things. If there is a demand, someone will supply it. If a business doesn't have enough customers, it will be out of business. Government needs to stay out of such things.

 

If I were ever to go into a store that had a sign posted that said, “We don’t sell to or serve Christians,” I would politely take my business elsewhere. If they don’t want my money, that would be fine with me. It’s their loss. I would not raise a ruckus or sue them. Instead, I would pity them and pray for them, because being anti-Christian means being anti-Jesus Christ, which means they need Him as Savior. Not only would they lose out on a sale, they would also be losing out on salvation because of their unbelief. As Christians, there needs to be a difference between how we handle such matters and how unbelievers handle them.

 

It was rightly pointed out by another commenter that 1 Corinthians 13:6 says, “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.”

2 Peter 3:9 - A Misused and Misapplied Verse

There are a number of Bible verses that are consistently misused. One of these verses is 2 Peter 3:9. “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (NKJV).

 

This verse is often used as ammunition against what we have come to call “Calvinism,” specifically the doctrine of “unconditional election.” There are several facts that must be addressed.

 

First, when we read that “the Lord is not slack concerning His promise,” we must ask, “What promise?” The context indicates that the promise being referred to is the return of the Lord. Jesus made it very clear that He will come back and that He will not ever “cast out” or “lose” any who are His own, because they are the ones His Father has given to Him. Each and every one of them will come to Him for salvation, and the seeming delay in His return will give all of them time to be saved. None of them will be left out. His redeemed ones are safe and secure. This is a promise.

 

“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day" (John 6:37-40, NKJV).

 

Second, we must determine to whom He is writing. 2 Peter 1:1 answers this very clearly:  “To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ” (NKJV). This letter, including Chapter 3, Verse 9, was written to believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. When Peter says that “…the Lord…is longsuffering toward us,” it is very obvious that the “us” (NASB and ESV say “you”) in the passage refers to those to whom He is writing. Since he is writing to believers, he is saying that the Lord is longsuffering toward all believers, all of His own, or that term that so many fear, all of “the elect.” It violates the context to suddenly shift gears and claim the passage says He is longsuffering to all the world, even though God clearly is longsuffering, or He would likely have destroyed the world a long time ago. He certainly was longsuffering in the days of Noah as the ark was being built, but when the flood came, only Noah and his family were on board. My point is that we should not use this passage incorrectly to support doctrine that is not addressed here. We must base our doctrine on the Scriptures rather than selectively finding verses to support our doctrine.

 

Third, we must realize that when Peter says that God is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance,” he is not talking about the all-inclusive “all” that means every person who has ever lived or ever will live. I knew someone who was fond of saying, “All means all and that’s all all means.” There is a sense in which that is true, but in reality, it would be more accurate to say, “All means all and that’s all all means, except for when it doesn’t.” In the context of 2 Peter 3:9, this is the limited “all” that means “all of a specific group,” in this case, the group that is referred to as “us” or “…those who have obtained like precious faith with us.” God is not willing that any of that group should perish, but rather it is His will that they all come to repentance, and they all will. If the “all” in this passage means “everyone in the world,” then “everyone in the world” will be saved. That is the false doctrine of universalism. It is impossible to establish from Scripture that it is the sovereign will of God that all people will be saved, because we know that not all people will be saved. God is all-powerful, and His will is going to be done. What kind of an omnipotent God would be unable to perform His sovereign will?

 

Regardless of where someone stands on the issue of “Calvinism” vs. “Arminianism,” it is important to base doctrine on Scripture. I believe it is illegitimate to use 2 Peter 3:9 to say that God wants everyone to be saved, but He is somehow unable to accomplish His will. It is more accurate to let the verse say what it says:  The “all” that God determines to be saved will, in fact, be saved. “This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing…” (John 6:39, NKJV).

 

Some would say that God's electing grace is unfair and unjust, but in reality, it is a glorious truth for all believers. Not one of us can ever be lost or tossed aside. We are safe for all eternity. The truth of the matter is that without His electing grace, we would all choose condemnation because of our sinful nature, but that is another topic for another time.

 

Family Changes

I have not posted anything for a while. It has been an eventful past few weeks. In late September, it became evident that my mother-in-law, Vivian Bramblet, was nearing the end of her life due to leukemia. My wife Janet flew to Washington to be with her mom in Tacoma, and she was able to take care of her for the last week of her life. After she passed away, I drove to Tacoma for the funeral and to help take care of many details.

 

Janet's dad, James Bramblet, at first determined that he wanted to continue to live in the senior apartment they had enjoyed for the past year. However, it was not long before he realized that it would be better to live with family, and he has come to live with us in Colorado Springs. Jim and Vivian enjoyed 69 years of marriage and many years of service for the Lord in Christian school ministry and in various church ministries over the years. We are thankful for the privilege of having him with us as he approaches his 90th birthday in March of 2014.