Right Words

The most basic division of scripture (2 Tim. 2:15) is that between (a) the kingdom program revealed to the prophets concerning the earth (Acts 3:21); and (b) the mystery program revealed to Paul regarding heavenly places (Eph. 1:3-4, 3:1-6). This distinction is an entire lesson in itself which may follow, but in this post I want to highlight the distinction between the order of forgiveness in these two programs.

1. Kingdom program. One must forgive first in order to be forgiven. Mt. 6:12, 14-15

“ And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

I once heard about a famous evangelist who was counseling an enquirer about salvation. He read the above passage to her and ironically educed that she was bitter toward someone. Whereupon he told her that she could not be forgiven unless she was willing to forgive. Whether this woman was a believer or not, the evangelist’s advice was erroneous, since the program that we are currently under is the mystery program, not the kingdom program which the Sermon on the Mount (Mt. 5-7) pertains to. He should’ve told her that, if she trusted Christ for salvation, that would enable her to forgive others by the power of God.

2. Mystery program. One forgives others because one has been forgiven. Eph. 4:32; Col. 3:13

“ And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” “Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.”

Note that 1 John 1:9, which I’ve heard referred to as the “Protestant confessional,” pertains to the kingdom program, not the mystery program, since Paul affirms that those who trust in Christ today are “forgiven…all trespasses” at salvation (“having forgiven you…”). Instead of confession, the duty of believers in the mystery program is to understand their position of freedom from sin (Col. 3:3, 9) and mortify it in their lives.