Sunday Sermons
Does Forgiveness Remove Consequences?
One of the barriers that stands between people and forgiving others is the feeling, especially in our modern times, that forgiveness means letting a person off the hook or that forgiveness is downplaying the seriousness of what they did. “One of the greatest barriers to forgiveness is the myth that forgiveness automatically frees our offender from any consequences for his actions” (When Forgiveness Doesn’t Make Sense, Jeffress p. 88). Clearly, when God forgives He removes the eternal consequences of our sins (Romans 6:23), but there are many examples where such forgiven people still had to face the lingering physical consequences, as in the case of David (2 Samuel 12:10-14). The first consequence was that, “the sword shall never depart from your house”. That is, David’s own family (specifically Absalom) would bring evil against him. His family would be characterized by rebellion and violent deaths. “For the rest of his life David would witness violence and death in his own household, with three of his sons dying violent deaths” (Chafin p. 307). This would include: Amnon’s rape of Tamar (13:1-14), Absalom’s murder of Amnon (13:28-29), and Absalom’s rebellion against David (15:1-12). Just as David had selfishly taken Bathsheba from Uriah, his own son Absalom would openly claim David’s wives during Absalom’s rebellion against his father (2 Samuel 16:20-21). From this passage it appears that David’s poor example in this area would send the wrong message to Absalom. “God could not ignore David’s sin and thus let unbelievers impugn (call in question) the holiness of His character. This tragic record shows that although sin is forgiven, sin’s inevitable consequences frequently come to fruition in the lives of believers (Galatians 6:7)” (Laney p. 109). MacArthur accurately notes that some sins, particularly scandalous sexual sins, carry a reproach that cannot be blotted out even though the offense itself is forgiven (Proverbs 6:32-33 “And his reproach will not be blotted out”). There is no promise in Scripture that God’s forgiveness will eradicate all the consequences of our sin. We have already observed that forgiveness does not necessarily erase the public reproach attached to scandalous sins” (p. 67).
Benefits of the Consequences
“The vital principle that must be understood about continuing consequences is this: Continuing consequences always have some good and beneficial purpose that must never be construed as the punishment of a forgiven sinner” (From Forgiving to Forgetting, Adams p. 151). That is, while consequences can be a punishment inflicted by the government or the laws of nature, there is always some beneficial purpose that must be realized if we are going to benefit and change.
· Consequences serve as a warning to others:
1 Timothy 5:20 “Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning”; Acts 5:11 “And great fear came over the whole church, and over all who heard of these things”. In David’s case, the consequences that he experienced after being forgiven by God, served as a warning to the entire nation that even the king cannot sin without consequences. Thus consequences can be an effective deterrent. Consequences also are God’s way of seeking to preserve order and prevent anarchy in society (Genesis 9:6). “Imagine the chaos that would engulf the world if everyone was free to do as he pleased without any consequences” (Jeffress p. 96).
· Consequences may serve as justice for someone who cannot speak:
Concerning the death of the child that was conceived in the adultery (2 Samuel 12:14), Gaebelein notes, “When David slept with the woman and created new life, the woman did not belong to him but to Uriah. The child cannot belong to David. He cannot enrich himself through his sin, and in a sense, justice is done to Uriah” (p. 946).
· Consequences can help break the hold sin has on us:
Paul told the Corinthians to remove the man who had taken his father’s wife and then noted, “I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus” (1 Corinthians 5:5). “What a terrifying phrase. Withdrawal is simply the formal declaration by the visible community of what has already taken place in the invisible realm, withdrawal suggests our stepping back and leaving the man alone” (McGuiggan p. 62). Withdrawal is the acceptance of the "reality" of the case. This man, because of his selfishness, belongs to Satan's kingdom, and not God's. Act like it. Treat him as such. “For the destruction of the flesh”: “That what is sensual in him may be destroyed” (TCNT). “May”:The "destruction of the flesh" and the "spirit being saved", are hoped for results. This is a key word to understanding the whole verse. Withdrawal can take place and neither result happen. Since the "spirit being saved" depends upon the attitude of the sinner, therefore, the "destruction of the flesh", must be something that the sinner being withdrawn from must allow to happen in their life. I think Barclay has a good grasp of this verse, “it was to humiliate the man, to bring about the taming and the eradication of his lusts so that in the end his spirit should be saved. It was to bring him to his senses, to make him see the enormity of the thing that he had done” (p. 50). “The hope is that he will feel the loneliness of isolation, recognize the heinousness of his wrong, repent and return” (McGuiggan p. 63).
“In my book Say Goodbye to Regret, I tell about a man named Jack who came to me for counseling. He had been involved in an emotional affair with a coworker for several years but had finally broken it off. Although the affair was over, Jack was still suffering the effects of a failed business and a broken trust with his wife. ‘If God has truly forgiven me’, he wanted to know, ‘why do I keep suffering the consequences of my sin?’ I suggested that Jack view these consequences in a different light. ‘Jack, how likely are you to get involved with another woman?’ ‘Every time I see another woman I want to run in the opposite direction. I never want to go through that pain again’. ‘Do you think you would feel that way if you had not had this affair and suffered the consequences?’ ‘No, I’ve always been kind of a flirt and had trouble in my moral life’. ‘So, in a way, this whole experience with your coworker has inoculated you against any future affair?’” (Jeffress p. 100). What we need to realize when we are suffering the consequences is that God is allowing us to suffer because this may be our own chance to finally break a cycle of sin. If these consequences had never come upon us, then we might have never been shocked by the depth of our sins and the tremendous need to change. “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Thy word” (Psalm 119:67).
· Remember what you have escaped:
Instead of being upset or discouraged over the lingering consequences, we need to be grateful that we are alive to suffer an earthly consequence. There are times that God has not given people time to repent (Acts 5:1ff). “Grace means that God, in forgiving you, does not kill you (Romans 1:32). Grace means that God, in forgiving you, gives you the strength to endure the consequences. Grace frees us so that we can obey our Lord. View those consequences as a gift designed to keep you close to the Father who loves you” (Jeffress pp. 104, 105).
· Let the consequences hit:
When we see someone suffering because of their own sinful actions it is tempting to intervene and soften the blow of the consequences. “The father who prematurely posts bond for his son who is accused of drunk driving, and the victim who argues leniency in the sentencing of their offender—all may have wonderful motives, but they are actually tampering with God’s method for maintaining order” (p. 98). “It is potentially life threatening in our day to overlook an unfaithful spouse. Adultery or any form of sexual immorality should be viewed as a serious breaking of the covenant of marriage. I would not argue that once immorality has been committed there is no hope for reconciliation, but the deceit and foolishness involved in order for immorality to occur are rarely recovered from without radical change. Few adulterers want to do much more than patch a leaky boat” (Bold Love, p. 279).
Obligations of the Offender
Being Accessible: (Matthew 18:15 “Go and show him”): This means returning the phone calls of the person trying to meet with you. Some may not like members calling them when they are being unfaithful, but one needs to just appreciate the chance to repent. Members or the elders calling you may be uncomfortable, but it is far more comfortable than God “making a personal call!” There are examples in the Scriptures where someone sinned and no chance to repent was given! (Leviticus 10:1-3; Acts 5:3-5) The chance to repent was only given once! (Acts 5:8-10) Some may complain about the practice of church discipline (1 Corinthians 5:1-11), yet is it far more merciful than what often happened in the Old Testament (Exodus 21:15; 22:20). In the Old Testament the person who profaned the Sabbath was executed (Exodus 31:14-15). There needs to be some gratitude when brethren meet with an unfaithful Christian, for they are coming to restore this person, rather than coming to stone them.
Loving your neighbor as yourself: (Matthew 7:12). People need to realize the difficult position they place other Christians in when they sin. It is very uncomfortable to confront someone; it is not pleasant to make those phone calls and bring up the unpleasant topic. In addition, it is very discouraging to the elders and the members when we must divert our energies from evangelism to deal with an unfaithful member.
This involves a willingness to listen to the person who is trying to help you and own up to what you have done (Matthew 18:15 “if he listens to you”). It involves a genuine sorrow for what you have done and that this sorrow is clearly made known to the person or persons that you hurt, (Matthew 18:29 “Have patience with me”; 2 Corinthians 7:10-11; 2:7). I have noted that one of the biggest obstacles towards reconciliation between brethren is the lack of genuine repentance. To give a half-hearted confession or a confession that includes an accusation against others, places the person who is expected to forgive in an awkward situation. It is very frustrating to have the desire to forgive someone when the person you want to forgive is giving conflicting signs concerning their repentance. If we really love our brethren then we should never want to place them in such a difficult situation. Christians in the first century were faced with a situation in which they were not sure if someone’s repentance was genuine (Acts 9:26).
Do not abuse grace: Which means do not blame others, do not minimize your sin, or bring up other’s real or imagined shortcomings. “The confession that begins, ‘You know, both of us share some blame for this problem, and I’m willing to accept my share if you will’, is doomed from the beginning” (Jeffress p. 162). Identify the wrong you have committed, and do not hide behind generalizations or vague confessions such as, “I haven’t been the kind of Christian, parent, husband, etc..that I should have been”. Acknowledge and own up to the hurt you have caused. “Try and relive your offense through that person’s eyes”(p. 162). Ask for forgiveness—do not demand it. Yes, we can be forgiven of horrible evil acts, but this never means that we should not shutter at the thought that we either were tempted or actually did such a thing (Jude 4; Romans 6:1). The evil that we are capable of doing toward others, especially those we claim to love, should absolutely drive us to God and keep us as close to Him as possible. The attitude of “Oh well, God will always forgive me” is too casual considering the price paid for our salvation (John 3:16).
