Forgive in order to be forgiven? Rightly dividing the word.

Forgive in order to be forgiven? 100% God's word— but only applicable in the lives of all who are asking forgiveness or anything else of the Father apart from the name of Jesus- those who are under Law. That pretty much covers everyone that Christ was addressing during the Sermon on the Mount where He taught His listeners how to pray The Lord's Prayer. Christ said to His disciples in John 16:

23 “And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. 24 Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

25 “These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but I will tell you plainly about the Father. 26 In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; 27 for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God. 28 I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father.”

At the time that Christ preached the Sermon on the Mount where He taught The Lord's Prayer and up until when the Holy Spirit was given after Christ's resurrection, the Jews whom Christ addressed and taught how to pray could only ask of God based on their works and His mercy, never in the name of Jesus.

"In that day you will ask in My name," in John 16 above refers to after Christ's resurrection. And why did God raise Christ from the dead? See why in Romans 4:25-

"who was delivered up because of our offences, and was raised up because of our being declared righteous."

See The Passion Translation-"Jesus was handed over to be crucified for the forgiveness of our sins and was raised back to life to prove that He had made us right with God!"

God raised Jesus from the dead because we have been declared righteous. For all who believe in Him, all of our entire lifetime of sins have been forgiven and every demand of the Law fulfilled. Hebrews 9 says:

"27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, 28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many...."

The wages of sin is death. One death for our lifetime of sins. Christ died that death. Christ was offered once to bear all of our sins. If Christ was crucified for the forgiveness of our entire lifetime of sins, what sins of ours are we trying to get God to forgive through our efforts at forgiving others?

This is God's written word but many disbelieve God's Word and say that believers' sins that Christ was crucified for are still hanging unforgiven somewhere until we go and fast, sow seed or forgive others in order to be forgiven.

Believer, Jesus is not going to come to die again for the sins we will commit tomorrow. This is Grace- undeserved, unearned, unmerited favour. In Christ, God sees us as righteous, “even though we are guilty of many sins.”Antichrist pastors say Grace is “blasphemy” and “license to sin” but God's word says differently:

"And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. 17 For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and His gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one Man, Jesus Christ."

The death that is the wages of sin is a process- same way Adam died: earthly ills then physical death. The final death process is hell fire for those who do not believe in Jesus; those who do not believe Romans 4:25 above. Believer, Jesus will not come and die again for your past, present and future sins. Hebrews 10:12 says:

"But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then He sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand."

Believing that you have to do something about your past, present and future sins before you can be forgiven or that you are unrighteous because of your sins is saying that Christ's "single sacrifice for sins" is not enough. It is to deny Romans 4:25—

"Jesus was handed over to be crucified for the forgiveness of our sins and was raised back to life to prove that He had made us right with God!"

Anyone who professes Christ but believes that he is not forgiven until he forgives others or thinks that he is righteous only until his next sin crucifies again for himself Jesus Christ- as if Christ never died for our sins. This is what Paul referred to when he said in Hebrews 6:

"For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame."

Satan through his "pastors" is trying to redefine "fall away" to mean "commit sin." Not so. Some churchgoers taste the truth of righteousness by faith but go back to keeping the law in a bid to get right with God thus rejecting God's freely-given gift of righteousness to us in Christ. Such are the ones that have "fallen away" —

"For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God's grace." Galatians 5:4.

No renewal to repentance for those who hang on to their non-existent ability to keep the law (including forgiving others in order to be forgiven) that condemns everybody. But I digress from the point:)

Back to John 16: 23 “And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. 24 Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full."

What does it mean to "ask the Father in My name He will give you"? It simply means that in Christ, we receive whatever we are asking of our heavenly Father because of Jesus Christ and not because we deserve it or kept the Law or forgave others. We receive all things freely, including forgiveness, because of the finished work of Christ.

This brings us back to the Lord's Prayer and why it is important to rightly partition the word.

Christ was teaching religious JEWS who depended on the Law of Moses to make them right with God how to pray. At the time of the sermon and up until the Holy Spirit was given after His resurrection, no one had ever asked God for anything "in the name of Jesus." The new covenant of Grace which all believers are under did not come into effect until the Holy Spirit was given- after Christ's resurrection. The people that Christ taught how to pray were under the dispensation of the Law of Moses. They asked of God in the name of their works and God's mercy. Notice no "in Jesus’ name" in The Lord's Prayer? Christ said Matthew 6:

“9 In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. 13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

Christ was teaching people who were under Law. The Law says "an eye for an eye." This is God's word and every inch of it will come to pass. But believer in Christ, we have moved from Mt. Sinai (Law) to Mt. Zion (Grace) where we receive undeserved, unmerited favour, blessings, deliverance and salvation. In Christ, we are not under Law but under Grace. Every demand that the Law made of us, including forgiving others in order to be forgiven, Christ paid in full.

Under Grace, we "love much" and so are able to forgive because we have grace to know that we are "forgiven much" in Christ.

Believer, Jesus Christ has removed everything that stood in the way of us having utter forgiveness and fellowship with God (sin and unrighteousness) and freely enjoying His blessings. In Him, we are no longer bound by the Law of Moses which Satan the accuser uses to accuse and condemn. All who are trying to keep the Law stand condemned by it. Judgment must follow. This is why many false pastors keep the flock busy trying to get God to bless them based on how well they are keeping the law and are telling them that God will not forgive them unless they first forgive. Why then did Christ die? What then is the purpose of Romans 4:25-

"Jesus was handed over to be crucified for the forgiveness of our sins and was raised back to life to prove that He had made us right with God!"

In Christ, our lifetime of sins have been forgiven and not because we forgave others but because Christ was crucified. To believe that one still has to do certain things by human effort e.g. "forgive so that you can forgiven" in order to be righteous before God is to deny the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ who was raised from the dead because we have been declared righteous.

Those who are under Law aka trying to keep the Law to get right with God like the Jews whom Jesus taught the Lord's Prayer have to forgive in order to be forgiven. But we who are in Christ are forgiven because of what Christ has done:

"Be kind and tender to one another. Forgive one another, just as God forgave you because of what Christ has done." Eph. 4:32.

Romans 8:32 says of our heavenly Father in Christ: "He who did not spare His own Son but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?"

"All things," including forgiveness of sins and everlasting righteousness (Romans 4:25;) the Grace to live in triumph over sin and death (Romans 5:17) and eternal life through Christ Jesus (John 3:16.) All because of our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Rightly dividing the word is important for all believers and we get to do this by Grace. For example, Christ’s first coming was to save the people of Israel, not we Gentiles. So when the Canaanite woman with the severely demon-possessed daughter came to Him for help in Matthew 15, this happened–

“24 But He answered and said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.””

Imagine interpreting this to mean that salvation is for Israel alone. How lost we non-Jews would all be if this were true for every dispensation! Forgive in order to be forgiven holds true under the dispensation of the Law. But under Grace, our forgiveness is the product of Christ's crucifixion. And because we know that in Him, we are forgiven much, we love much, so in Christ, forgiveness becomes our nature.

Believer, beware of satanic ministers who keep you focused on what you must do in order to be right with God (e.g. fasting, sowing seed, forgiving others, measuring your righteousness by the Ten Commandments) and not what Christhas done. These wolves in sheep's clothing know that this is how to get the flock cut off from Christ and thus ready for devouring:

"For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God's grace." Galatians 5:14.

They know that this is how to keep you locked down in a cycle of sin: "For sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under law but under Grace." Romans 6:14.

Sin has dominion over those who are trying to keep the LAW in order to make God have a good opinion them. For we who have Christ as our Righteousness, Satan and his minions have been disarmed: Colossians 2-

"12 When you were baptized, you were buried together with Christ. And you were raised to life together with Him when you were baptized. You were raised to life by believing in God’s work. God Himself raised Jesus from the dead.

13 At one time you were dead in your sins. Your desires controlled by sin were not circumcised. But God gave you new life together with Christ. He forgave us all our sins. 14 He wiped out what the law said that we owed. The law stood against us. It judged us. But He has taken it away and nailed it to the cross. 15 He took away the weapons of the powers and authorities. He made a public show of them. He won the battle over them by dying on the cross."

The Law is Satan's only weapon to accuse. HaSatan literally means prosecutor at law. That's what prosecuting attorneys in Israel today are referred to as HaSatan. Satan is the accuser and tries to get believers thinking we still owe something to the Law when God has "wiped out what the law said that we owed" for all who believe in Jesus.

The law, including "forgive in order to be forgiven" or any work at all that stands as a barrier between you and God's freely-given blessing, condemns all who try to be godly or get right with God by it. And judgment must follow. This is why many who profess Christ are constantly suffering condemnation and judgment and oppression by Satan- they are trying to make God have a good opinion of them by keeping the law e.g. forgive others in order to be forgiven. The letter (law) kills. But Romans 5:9 tells us how our heavenly Father sees we who are under Grace- Christ Himself:

"And there is still much more to say of His unfailing love for us! For through the blood of Jesus we have heard the powerful declaration, “You are now righteous in My sight.” And because of the sacrifice of Jesus, you will never experience the wrath of God."

In Him, God sees us as having perfectly obeyed His entire law: Righteous. This is God's written word but false teachers try to add terms and conditions aka the Law (keep the Ten Commandments so you can be right with God; forgive so you can be forgiven, etc) to our salvation.

Such try to twist what Paul said in Romans 6: "Shall we continue in sin that Grace may abound" to mean that we who are in Christ still have business with the Law. But see the preceding Romans 1-5 to understand the foolishness of those who bandy this verse about as reason for depending on the law for whatever! Paul was essentially asking a question similar to:

Does the fact that your Father has the cure for cancer (sin) make you want to wallow in cancer (sin)?

Does the fact that your Father is a great orthopaedic surgeon make you want to jump in front of every speeding truck?

Shall we continue in sin because Grace is there to save us? Never! Grace is a person. His name is Jesus Christ. Titus 2:11 says of Him:

“God’s marvelous grace has manifested in person, bringing salvation for everyone.”

Grace is the One Who makes the cancer of sin and reckless living disgusting to us.God's eyes burn at sin (including our inability to forgive others) but radiate perfect love for the sinner, loving us into wholeness. Grace- Christ Himself - frees us from every kind of sin. Titus 2:14 says of Him:

"He gave His life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us His very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds."