Two Kinds of Forgiveness: One Good, Good, Father
Rembrandt’s Return of the Prodigal Son
My conundrum about forgiveness: When I sin, do I need to confess, repent, and ask God for forgiveness? After all, why should I ask for forgiveness if I’m already forgiven in Christ?
But if I’m already forgiven, why did Jesus teach us to ask for forgiveness?
Several years ago, when we did a preaching series on prayer, I was given a text that had always troubled me, one of the petitions in the Lord’s Prayer: “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.”
It was Jesus’ “if-then” explanation that caused me so much anxiety: “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
What? My eternal salvation is dependent on my willingness to forgive my offender?
As I read the commentaries, I realized that my confusion was caused by my conflating two different expressions of God’s forgiveness. God extends His forgiveness to His children in two overlapping modes: He is good in that He forgives us judicially, and He also good in that He forgiveness us relationally.
Judicial forgiveness is once for all.
In Christ, God has declared me “not guilty.” This means that I can do nothing to change His mind, nothing to make Him love me less (or more). His love is steadfast, and my position before Him is secured not by my obedience, nor by my intentions or my effort, but by His faithfulness.
I need not fear that His forgiveness could ever be withdrawn. I am His.
He has marked me as His own.
The Father’s judicial forgiveness is permanent and unchanging, and I need never ask for what has already been given to me in Christ.
Relational forgiveness is ongoing.
Because my behavior often doesn’t align with my standing, I must often ask my Father for His forgiveness. Even though I enjoy a place in the household of my good, good Father, I still often rebel against Him. And when I do rebel, I create a relational rupture between me and Him.
My sin stands as an offense against my Father, whom I love.
So when I have offended my Father, I must do what Jesus told me to do: I must seek His forgive-ness to restore the relationship. Because my sin is ongoing, my experience of God’s relational forgiveness is ongoing. His mercies are new every morning.
In Jesus’ beloved story of the prodigal son, we can see both kinds of forgiveness in play.
Though he couldn’t know it in his rebellion and self-exile, the prodigal son’s standing was never in question, not even when he was far away. Long before his wayward son returned, the father had already forgiven him. Although the son had reason to suspect he had lost his place in the family (he said as much), his father had never abandoned him, not even in his heart.
The father’s gracious disposition toward the son is displayed in two details in Jesus’ story:
1. Dad spotted his son while he was still far away. This was a father who longed for reconciliation with his son and was apparently looking for, longing for his return.
2. And my favorite detail: Dad didn’t even let his son finish his confession. Before his son could finish his sentence, Dad started barking orders to the servants: the robe, the ring, the fatted calf! It’s time to celebrate!
But that relationship couldn’t be restored until the son went through the sorrow of facing his failure and rebellion. That wayward son could know his father’s forgiving love only when he was willing to come face to face with his Dad in confession and repentance.
So do I need to ask God to forgive me when I sin?
Yes, but not because I fear damnation.
My asking for forgiveness doesn’t restore my position before God, but it does restore my fellowship with my good, good Father, who stands always ready to forgive the one who repents.
Two questions:
These questions will be the subjects of future posts.
Persevere,
Paul Pyle
Pastor of Discipleship
But if I’m already forgiven, why did Jesus teach us to ask for forgiveness?
Several years ago, when we did a preaching series on prayer, I was given a text that had always troubled me, one of the petitions in the Lord’s Prayer: “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.”
It was Jesus’ “if-then” explanation that caused me so much anxiety: “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
What? My eternal salvation is dependent on my willingness to forgive my offender?
As I read the commentaries, I realized that my confusion was caused by my conflating two different expressions of God’s forgiveness. God extends His forgiveness to His children in two overlapping modes: He is good in that He forgives us judicially, and He also good in that He forgiveness us relationally.
Judicial forgiveness is once for all.
In Christ, God has declared me “not guilty.” This means that I can do nothing to change His mind, nothing to make Him love me less (or more). His love is steadfast, and my position before Him is secured not by my obedience, nor by my intentions or my effort, but by His faithfulness.
I need not fear that His forgiveness could ever be withdrawn. I am His.
He has marked me as His own.
The Father’s judicial forgiveness is permanent and unchanging, and I need never ask for what has already been given to me in Christ.
Relational forgiveness is ongoing.
Because my behavior often doesn’t align with my standing, I must often ask my Father for His forgiveness. Even though I enjoy a place in the household of my good, good Father, I still often rebel against Him. And when I do rebel, I create a relational rupture between me and Him.
My sin stands as an offense against my Father, whom I love.
So when I have offended my Father, I must do what Jesus told me to do: I must seek His forgive-ness to restore the relationship. Because my sin is ongoing, my experience of God’s relational forgiveness is ongoing. His mercies are new every morning.
In Jesus’ beloved story of the prodigal son, we can see both kinds of forgiveness in play.
Though he couldn’t know it in his rebellion and self-exile, the prodigal son’s standing was never in question, not even when he was far away. Long before his wayward son returned, the father had already forgiven him. Although the son had reason to suspect he had lost his place in the family (he said as much), his father had never abandoned him, not even in his heart.
The father’s gracious disposition toward the son is displayed in two details in Jesus’ story:
1. Dad spotted his son while he was still far away. This was a father who longed for reconciliation with his son and was apparently looking for, longing for his return.
2. And my favorite detail: Dad didn’t even let his son finish his confession. Before his son could finish his sentence, Dad started barking orders to the servants: the robe, the ring, the fatted calf! It’s time to celebrate!
But that relationship couldn’t be restored until the son went through the sorrow of facing his failure and rebellion. That wayward son could know his father’s forgiving love only when he was willing to come face to face with his Dad in confession and repentance.
So do I need to ask God to forgive me when I sin?
Yes, but not because I fear damnation.
My asking for forgiveness doesn’t restore my position before God, but it does restore my fellowship with my good, good Father, who stands always ready to forgive the one who repents.
Two questions:
- What did Jesus mean by His two “if…then” statements (“if you forgive… if you do not forgive…”)?
- Is God being oversensitive to take offense at my sin? Doesn’t He understand that I’m just a human prone to failure?
These questions will be the subjects of future posts.
Persevere,
Paul Pyle
Pastor of Discipleship
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