One Word Forgiveness

“ATTITUDE OF FORGIVENESS” AND “THE ACTION OF FORGIVENESS”

Eddie Parish

The argument is held at two different levels about two different things and because we are using the same word, there is an impasse.  Because sometimes we don’t properly distinguish which in our terminology the difference between the attitude of forgiveness and the action of forgiveness.  

So, let’s see if we can distinguish those today.  

Charizomai

Let’s talk about the attitude first.  The attitude of forgiveness is most often expressed in the New Testament by the Greek word Charizomai.  The reason why I say that word is not to show you show you how smart I am.  It is to let that word be out there so that when I give you a different word in a moment, you will see they are completely different words.  Charizomai comes from the root word for grace, cares.  It is form of that word.  And that word, the root of it means to be agreeable, to be pleasant, to have a gracious attitude.  

Sometimes this word Charizomai is translated in the New Testament with the word forgiveness.  But the root idea in that word is the attitude we possess, a graciousness, a pleasantness and agreeableness.  It is a disposition of heart and it is an attitude that must be offered unconditionally.  It doesn’t matter what the actions of the offender are.  We should always maintain a gracious disposition, an attitude of forgiveness, if you will.  No matter what the offender does.  Doesn’t matter if he repents or not.  I have to keep my attitude what it should be.  

The bible presents this in a number of ways.  Romans chapter 12 verses 17 and following, seek no vengeance.  Vengeance belongs to God.  God will handle the vengeance side of things.  You as much as depends on you, live in peace with all men, Romans 12: 18.  You live peacefully, you have a peaceful disposition, you exclude from you character any desire for personal retribution.  That is Charizomai.  

Jesus taught us love your enemies.  Do good to those who mistreat you.  Read Matthew 5: 43 and following.  We must treat everyone with kindness and tender heartedness.  Ephesians 4: 32, the passage we mentioned earlier.  As we go through life, we interact with people whether they be friend or foe.  We have a responsible, unconditionally, to keep a good, positive charitable, gracious attitude.  Charizomai. 

Aphiemi

Now, the other word that refers to the action of forgiveness, Aphiemi.  Even if you don’t know what those words mean, you know automatically two different words.  This is word primarily refers not so much to a gracious disposition, but is defined this way.  To remove guilt, to cancel a debt.  To release obligations incurred by wrong doing.  All right, one has to do, one’s disposition, Charizomai, be gracious, be kind, be tender hearted.  The other has to do with releasing someone from their obligations.  There are obligations because they did the wrong thing.  

One is attitude, the other is action.  Now, the bible presents the case that the action of forgiveness is very much conditional.  When one person sins against another person, there is at the same time a sin against God.  Remember how Joseph put it?  Joseph, Genesis 39 verse 9, he is being tempted by Potica’s wife to commit adultery with him.  And he resists her advances.  And his statement to her is how can I do this evil?  How can I do this thing and sin against God.  Now, would his sin, had he given into the temptation, would his sin also be a sin against Potica’s wife?  Against Potica?  Sure.  But his focus at the time was if I sin in this way with you, it is also a sin against God, primarily a sin against God.  

David, similar thing Psalm 51, involving his sin against Bathsheba.  His sin with Bathsheba was a sin against her, wasn’t it?  It was a sin against Uriah too.  Wasn’t it?  Not just the adultery, but David had him killed.  He had all kinds of horizontal problems but he said in his prayer to God Psalm 51: 4 – Against You, You only, have I sinned And done this evil in Your sight – That you may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge.  But his point is, in my sin against others, I sinned against you.  

All right, so if there is a horizontal problem that do not just disagreement over minor things, but a horizontal problem that involve sin, there is automatically a vertical problem.  Why?  Because it is sin and sin is transgression of God’s Law.  1 John 3:4.  Now, when that happens, when you have a vertical problem caused by a horizontal problem, that involve sin, God obligates, God obligates the sinner to reconcile with both parties.  Why does God do that?  Because he is God and forgiveness is his domain.  God says, one who has sin against another has to reconcile with God and has to reconcile with the other party.  

Restitution 

Now, we had time, I encourage to do this on your own.  Go back and read the book of Levicticus specifically, but the old law generally and get an idea on how God views the concept of restitution.  

All of God’s laws are a reflection of God’s character and God’s nature.  And you will see how God feels about restitution involving sins against others.  Give you an example.  Let’s say for the sake, Kevin steals my lawn mower.  Now, if Kevin steals my lawn mower, he is under obligation not by me but under obligation by God that if he wants to be forgiven for that theft, he has to repent of it.  Doesn’t he?  And he has to show in his actions the fruit of that.  Repentance.  

Repentance

Repentance in itself is a change of a person’s mind.  But if a person has truly changed their mind and their attitude about sin, then there is going to result in an action change.  The parable Jesus told about the sons being told to go in to the field and work for the father, Matthew 21, afterward, he repented, changed his mind, changed his action.  

Right, you got repentance and the fruit of it.  Kevin steals my lawn mower, he is under obligation by God to repent of that.  And to show the fruit of that repentance by seeking restitution with me.  Why?  Because he wronged me.  He not only sinned against God by violating the law of not stealing, but he also caused the problem in our relationship by that same action.  He wronged me as well.  God obligates him to reconcile with God, for what?  For breaking his law and reconcile with me because he wronged me in his actions.  

And not one of us has the authority to change God’s terms of pardon.  Must we keep a positive attitude?  Sure, must I be gracious to Kevin?  Yes, as long.. can I harbor bitterness in my heart towards him?  No.  Can I seek some kind of opportunity for vengeance against Kevin?  No.  Charizomai, gracious attitude.  

But you know what is a loving thing for me in my attitude toward kevin, is to desire his penitence.  Why?  Because supposedly I love him.  I don’t want him to suffer in the hands of God’s justice for unrepented sin.  If I want the best for him, of if I love him, part of my loving disposition toward him, part of my Charizomai toward him, is that he meet the obligation that God has placed upon him.  But penitence.  

Sin has consequences by God’s design when I attempts to release someone from God’s obligation without their acknowledgement of sin, I thereby minimize the gravity of the sin.  

It is as if I am saying, well, I know God says this is bad and I know God says that you need to repent of that and seek restitution but you know what, I am going to tell you, you don’t have to do that.  I have essentially put myself in the place of God.  Yes, God says you need to do that but I am going to say it is ok you don’t have to do what God says you have to do.  What happens if Keven repents?  And he seeks restitution, he seeks to make things right with me, my action must follow.  

When repentance happens, restitution is sought, the offended person must release the other from further obligation.  That is cancelling the debt.  I can’t hold that against his head anymore.  I can’t bring it up after the fact sometime later and say, I remember, you stole my lawn mower.  No.  It is done. You have released him of the debt because he made things right with God and he is trying to make things right with me and then I put the matter away.  That is not a problem if Charizomai is in place.  

If Charizomai is there, the whole time he has my lawn mower, my disposition is not vengeful, if I am not bitter, if I am kind, if I am desiring his penitence and I should desire that enough that I go to him and try to make restitution like what Jesus taught Matthew 18.  When a brother sins against you, go to him, tell him his fault between you and him.  Seek restitution.  What would prompt me to seek restitution?  Charizomai, so if I had that, that is part of my disposition, then when he comes to me seeking restitution, seeking to restore that relationship, is it that hard for me to cancel that debt?  No, why?  Because the attitude has always been there, the attitude is there unconditionally and that leads to the restoration of the relationship when the conditions have been met.  

You know, who is the perfect example of harmonizing these two things?  Is God.  God is our perfect example.  How does God deal with sinners?  Is God gracious even to people who live in abject rebellion against his will?  Is God still good in many ways to those?  Sure.  What did Jesus say Matthew 5?  The sun rises on the evil and the good.  The rain falls on the just and the unjust.  What are those?  Those are blessings from God.  And in the context of Jesus saying love your enemies, that is the example he uses.  If you love your enemies, you will be sons of your father, you will be like God.  

Who does that?  What is God’s desire for sinners?  That all men be saved and come 2Peter 9.  But when is the debt cancelled.  When is the debt of sin cancelled?  In the absence of penitence or when penitence is expressed?  The sin debt is not cancelled until you have obeyed from the heart the form of doctrine delivered you be then made free from sin you become servants of righteousness, Romans 6 : 17 and 18.  Is the door of God’s heart always opened for sinners?  Yes.  Isn’t God good enough for his goodness to lead people to repentance?  Paul said it was Romans 2: 4.  

Romans 2:4

(Chinese UV (T))  還是你藐視他豐富的恩慈、寬容、忍耐，不曉得他的恩慈是領你悔改呢？

(KJV)  Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

(NASB)  Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and restraint and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?

What about us?  Isn’t that the way we should toward people?  To leave always the door open for penitence, the door opened for forgiveness to cancel the debt.  

Let’s go back to the Godwin family.   When they were asked in the same interview.  To send a message to the killer that was still at large at that point.  Here is what one of the daughters said.  I would say to him, turn yourself in.  Although I do believe in forgiveness, she said, I do also believe in the law.  Meaning, when you break the law, there is a penalty for breaking the law.  Yes, they got it.  You remember earlier in the quote right after she said we forgive this person, she explained what she meant by that.  In this world I have no animosity in my heart for this man, what is that?  That is Charizomai.  That many people when they talk about forgiveness will use that word to describe it.  

Forgiveness, what they mean by that is I hold no animosity toward this person.  And so that was their disposition.  We are not seeking personal vengeance.  But she said he ought to turn himself in because he also owes a debt and he is responsible for paying that debt.  Proper disposition, but also a proper respect for God’s law which say sin has consequences and no one can release people from those consequences but God who had said, here is the condition upon that debt can be cancelled.  

What if the person who sinned against you never comes to you for penitence.  You still act the same, you always have Charizomai.  You always have a gracious attitude, you always leave the door for penitence.  And you want them to repent for their own good because they can’t be saved without and if you want what is good for them, you want restitution, you have the door always open for restitution, you do everything in your power to make it easy for that person to walk through that door.  That is Charizomai and that is offered unconditionally but that debt cannot be cancelled until God said it is cancelled.  

Because forgiveness is his domain.  And we cannot change what he has put in place.  If we have bitterness and hatred toward those who sinned against us, or if we flat refuse to forgive when asked, God will not forgive us.  That is Matthew 6: 14 and 15.  If we forgive men their trespasses, God will forgive you, if we forgive not, neither will God forgive us.  

So let’s keep that door wide open.  Let’s give people every reason to feel comfortable walking through that door, restore in the spirit of gentleness, Galatians 6: 1, that is Charizomai, that is open door but let us never minimize the seriousness of sin by trying to remove the consequences of it.  Only God can do that.  Human hands never touch that.  We can’t and we show respect for God and his will when we remember that sin has consequences that God requires sinners to seek restitution.  And we are always ready to grant it according to God’s will.  

So, when Jesus said father forgive them, they know not what they do.  What Jesus was expressing there was his desire for their forgiveness.  

What he was expressing there was Charizomai.  That was the attitude from which it came and his desire for them to experience Aphiemi, the father actually forgive them, was not something that was granted to them on the spot.  That was Jesus expressing his desire that they receive that pardon that the debt be cancelled but it was not cancelled immediately right there.  

How do we know that?  Acts 2 answers that.  When Peter stood up before that crowd of people on Pentecost on Acts 2, what did he accuse them of, what did he said they were guilty of?  Crucifying the Messiah.  He said you have taken and by wicked hand, crucified and slain him, Acts 2, 22.  This Jesus whom you crucified, God made Lord and Christ, Acts 2: 36. But wait a minute.  If Jesus cancelled that debt when he spoke those words from the cross, Peter didn’t know it because he told those people that sin is on your account.  

And when they said what are we going to do, Peter’s response in essence was not you really don’t have to do anything because Jesus forgave you from the cross?  But he didn’t say that.  He said you need to repent and be baptized unto the remission of your sin.  That sin is still on your account and will be until what happens?  Repentance and immersion for them.  

So when Jesus said father forgive them, that debt was not cancelled at that moment.  That was Jesus expressing his desire that those people one day reach the point when their sin is removed from their account and Pentecost was the day it was for 3,000.  That is the combination, Jesus expressed his desire, when they accepted the conditions of it, the debt was cancelled but not before.  

Now, what about you?  Where is your relationship with God?  Do you still need that debt cancelled?  God is gracious to you, God want you to be saved.  He want’s that debt cancelled.  But you got to come to him in order to have it happen.  You have to accept the consequences of your sin.  You must accept the fact that you have sinned.  And that Jesus paid the price for that and you are accepting his forgiveness by turning your life over to him and being joined to him, united with him in baptism, Romans 6: 3 to 5.