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Forgiveness is as Forgiveness Does

by Scott Bruton  
3/08/2012 / Christian Living

In 1994, Paramount Pictures released the movie Forrest Gump. This movies portrayal of Winston Groom's book went on to win 6 Oscars, including best picture. Tom Hanks, who played the leading role, won an academy award for his moving performance as Forrest; a mentally challenged man who everybody thought would never amount to anything. There were many memorable quotes from this movie, but none stood out more than the line, "stupid is as stupid does." In the movie, people would ask Forrest, "Are you stupid?" Forrest would respond by saying this thought provoking quote. That acknowledgment is a powerful lesson for us all. In life, you always get back what you put into it. If you want success, you have to put forth the effort to achieve. Forrest knew that it did not matter what you are perceived to be by others. What matters is if you need a friend, you must be a friend; if you need encouragement, you must give encouragement, and if you do nothing, you will receive nothing in return; in other words, he knew that you are what you do!
This lesson is not only valid in our earthly lives; it is also true in our spiritual life. The Bible is full of teachings like, little faith produces little confidence; little understanding produces little knowledge. However, the crucial one that I want to address here is, If you do not grant forgiveness, you will not be forgiven. God is telling us the same thing that Forrest told his critics, forgiveness is as forgiveness does. "But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." - Matthew 6:15.
As humans, we find forgiving other people extremely difficult and to some, an impossible task. In our minds, withholding our forgiveness is our way of fighting back or getting justice for the wrong that was committed against us. Our first instinct is to get even or make the person pay for what they did. However in the above scripture, Jesus is saying that forgiving others is a requirement that must be fulfilled before God will forgive us. Is Jesus saying that He will send me to hell if I die having not forgiven someone? In Paul's teachings, He makes it clear that the idea of God's savings grace and forgiveness is unconditional and free. "All are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that name by Christ Jesus." - Romans 3:24. However, some may ask, "if God's forgiveness is free than why does Jesus place a condition on us by saying that He will only forgive us if we forgive others?" This sounds very contradictory. In fact, many skeptics will point to these two scriptures (Matthew 6:15 and Romans 3:23) and say, "we told you that the bible contradicts itself."
To thoroughly understand the concept of "forgiveness is as forgiveness does," we must look at the context in which Jesus spoke these words in Matthew 6:15. This scripture was given to us as Jesus was delivering the Sermon on the Mount in the presence of people who truly believed, for the most part, he was the Messiah. A congregation of Christians in today's terms. Since He was delivering this message in the presence of Believers, the context tells us He was not addressing the kind of forgiveness needed for salvation. Rather He was addressing a Father/Son kind of love in which the Father disciplines the son for not exhibiting the Fathers characteristics of forgiveness to those who have wronged us in some way. When we put Matthew 6:15 into this proper context, it becomes abundantly clear that what Jesus is saying is that as a Christian, if you do not forgive others, God's discipline as our Father will be to remove His forgiveness from us and let us come face to face with our sin.
This father/son discipline of sin is seen throughout the Old Testament. Israel was a country given over to idolatry. God finally, after warning them many times, gave Israel exactly want they wanted. Babylon a land full of idols. It was as if God said; if you want idols, than have your fill of them. "I dispersed them among the nations, and they were scattered through the countries; I judged them according to their conduct and their actions." Ezekiel 36:19 In the New Testament, Paul taught the same thing. "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life." Galatians 6:7-8 if you want something so bad, even if it is wrong in God's eyes, God will allow you to have it. However, please understand that when God gives it to you, you will be on your own. This is God our Father's discipline on our lives, not God choosing to withdraw His gift of salvation. If you choose not to forgive others, your salvation is secure. However, you will lose God's fellowship and forgiveness of your own sin until such a time you come back and acknowledge your sin and ask Him to forgive you for having that unforgiving spirit.
Forgiveness is as forgiveness does. We forgive others because God first forgave us, and he who has been forgiven much, forgives much. Pray this week for the courage and the strength always to have the spirit of forgiveness and love for others; a spirit that we must have in order to have a relationship with our Heavenly Father.

I am the author and editor of paraklesisblog.com, a website blog created to encourage the Christian believer in their faith. I am also a Parkinson patient at age 48. This article is free to be distributed as long as my name and website address are attached to the print. Copyright 2012, Scott Bruton

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