From the desk of Pastor Ben

The Example of Forgiveness – Part 6

“His lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. My Heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.” (Matthew 18:34-35)

The Lord does not discipline His children out of hatred but out of love: “For those whom the Lord loves, He disciplines, and He scourges every son whom He receives” (Hebrews 12:6). God ones this only to bring them back to Himself and his righteousness — “He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness” (vs. 10). So, every believer experiences God’s chastening occasionally because every one deserves it from time to time. And it’s only natural that His “discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness” (vs. 11).

When we forget God’s rich forgiveness to us and refuse to forgive fellow believers, Christ places us under such “torturers” (the word referred to inquisitors) — stress, hardship, pressure, or other tribulations — until we confess our sin and receive forgiveness. James warns us, “Judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy” (James 2:13).

Christ is not teaching here of our receiving a forgiveness that brings salvation, as if God saves only those who are forgiving. That would be a form of righteousness by works. But He is referring to believers forgiving one another after experiencing God’s free grace. Believers will — and surely ought to — display the redeemed and transformed life by having a forgiving attitude toward others (see Matthew 6:14-15). However, there will always be times when Christians will fall into the sin of un-forgiveness, and this entire teaching is for those times.

Ask Yourself:
What are some of the “torturers” that can show up in the life of an un-forgiving person, causing him loss and unnecessary pain? How have you experienced some of these unpleasantries in your own life? How did God use them to draw you back into conformity with His Word?