Forgiveness, legalism, law and grace. Now there is a set of words that we could teach on for years to come. Frankly, we have been teaching on them for years. Yet with all the previous teachings on the subject of God’s Ridiculous, Radical, “all most too good to be true”, Inexhaustible Grace, we have not put a dent in the deeper truths on this great Gospel of the Grace of Jesus Christ. So, here we go again.
Some may wonder – why keep hammering away on this subject of God’s Great Grace. First off, because religion has duped many into wrong believing and stuck them in bondage to legalism. Secondly, because scripture continues to drive the gift of grace home repeatedly, especially in the Pauline Epistles (Romans to Philemon). Then the book of Hebrews masterfully continues the truths of this message, not forgetting the powerful revelation of truths in 1,2 Peter, 1,2,3 John, Jude……Well, you get the idea.
Actually, the entirety of scripture contains the revelation of the Grace of God. If you’ve studied the previous blogs, you’ll notice that although phrases and scriptures may be repeated from lesson to lesson, numerous scriptures throughout the bible are used separately in each teaching.
What’s the point? You will see familiar phrases repeated where necessary. The theme or subject matter of every teaching will be the Grace of God, but each separate teaching will reveal it with a different revelation based on some of the same scripture, yet including different scriptural inserts.
I remember Kenneth Hagin Sr. telling a story once about studying the bible. He came across a passage and after studying it a bit, he said “Wow God. I never saw that in that scripture before”. God answered him and said “There’s a lot of things in my Word you haven’t seen before Kenneth”.
As I study a new teaching for posting, I continue to get new revelation of the majestic grace of God and I’ve been teaching and preaching this for over twenty years. Repetition will be a part of the teaching in this blog, but the outcome will be revelation. The teaching will not lead you to a better understanding of the grace of God. It takes a personal revelation for that to happen. Here’s scriptural proof of that and a scripture you will continue to see used in teachings to come.
11 Dear brothers and sisters, I want you to understand that the gospel message I preach is not based on mere human reasoning. 12 I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ.
Okay. With all that said, let’s take a look at this subject. What is forgiveness? If grace is the gift of God’s righteousness through the blood of Jesus, what is forgiveness?
Study the story in Matthew 18:23-27. It is the parable of the unforgiving debtor. This slave was in an impossible situation. We were in an impossible situation with sin. The slave promised to repay the debt, but his lord knew he never could. Moved with compassion, his lord forgave the debt. He canceled the debt. This is Jesus’ working definition of forgiveness. It’s canceled. I said canceled debt.
Understand this. Once you owed everything. An overwhelming debt. Now you don’t owe anything. Your debt has been canceled through the blood of Jesus. The balance is zero. That’s it….just like that.
Remember this. “God sacrificed the very life, for those who caused the death, of the very life He sacrificed”. You owe nothing. It’s a gift from Jesus. So, according to Jesus, when he forgives us, our total debt is marked canceled, paid in full, because of the savior with the nail scars in His hands.
We must appropriate this forgiveness as often as we need it or else we won’t grow as Christians. What does that mean, appropriate it as often as we need it. Our tendency is to continue to ask for forgiveness, but there is no more forgiveness available. Remember, He said it is finished. He said your debt or your sin has been forgiven…canceled. It’s paid in full – past, present and future. PAID IN FULL.
There are those who think they have to or can do something to justify themselves, or show themselves righteous. That's because the enemy tempts us by giving us a pathway to a legitimate end, but does so through an illegitimate means. He gives us a way to meet a need, but it's a deception of the truth. The actual truth is found in God's word and what He says.
What’s obvious in the parable in Luke 18:9-14 is those who trust in their own righteousness are very far from God’s righteousness. Here’s the story in the New Living Testament version.
9 Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else:
Notice, Jesus told this story so it would be good to pay close attention to what revelation it is He’s trying to give us. First He says there were some who had GREAT confidence in their OWN righteousness. So proud of themselves and what they were doing to the point they scorned others. They were law-keepers and legalists.
I’m not saying there isn’t room for correction, but it must be done with love and scripturally. 2 Tim 3:16 – “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right”. Back to the story.
10 Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: “I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don’t cheat, I don’t sin, and I don’t commit adultery. I’m certainly not like that tax collector”!
Oh do you see the self righteous attitude in this religious individual. Look at all the performance successes this person has accomplished. I don’t drink and I don’t chew and I don’t hang with those that do. Aren’t I special? How many people do you know that fit this category? Be honest. Guess what? They are in bondage and need someone to tell them about the Truth of God’s great grace.
First we are told what this person doesn’t do and now we are told what he does do. “I fast twice a week.” Oh yeah? Who told you to do that? If it wasn’t God then you wasted your time. Need scripture for that? Isaiah 58:5,6.
13 But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, “O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner”.
Do you see the difference. We are unable, incapable, useless to do anything that will make us righteous enough for God to accept us. He said this is my beloved Son, not this is my beloved Dick or Jane. When you get saved, that’s not the time to have to try and DO things, that is the exact point at which you are DONE.
14 I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. James understood this by revelation of the Grace of God. Look what he wrote in James 4:6 – And He gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Much more on this in part 2. Grace and Peace.
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