The Myth of Gods Unconditional Forgiveness By Patricia Backora The word unconditional or unconditionally appears NOWHERE in scripture.

Yet this word is one of the main deceptions of satan being preached from pulpits everywhere. Jesus taught that God makes it rain on both the just and unjust (Matt.5:45). In the sense of dispensing NATURAL blessings upon His creation, God cares for everyone, even the most evil of men. He even instructs believers to do good even to their enemies. But are Gods spiritual blessings dispensed to all, with no preconditions attached to receiving them? The apostles never taught that the spiritual blessings of forgiveness and brotherly love are to be freely given to all, even men hardened in defiance against God. Not until recent times have you heard of terms such as Gods unconditional love Gods unconditional mercy or Gods unconditional forgiveness. You never heard about Gods unconditional love in sermons preached in the 1700s, 1800s, or even the first part of the 20th century, before the hippie movement came along promoting free love. I ran a word search through ten sermons of Jonathan Edwards, and not once does the word unconditional appear in any context. Instead, Edwards warns repeatedly that man is by nature Gods enemy, separated from His love and under threat of Gods wrath. Edwards taught that only reconciliation with God through Christ can save him from that wrath. Sermons on holiness and the wrath of God are almost never heard anymore. Instead of believing the Bible when it says God is a consuming Fire (Heb.12:29), God is portrayed as a cuddly teddy bear. Christians are commanded not to lose their savor (flavor). True salt will make people thirsty. Spiritual salt creates more thirst for Christ, the Living Water, than sugar. Sugar looks a lot like salt. It pours like salt. But a teaspoon of sugar goes down easier than a spoonful of salt. Modern preachers are teaching Christians to become sugar, not salt. The only must in a Christian life: Be sweet. Never speak out against sin, thats being negative. Live and let live. Hear no evil, see no evil. Its a sin to get angry at sin. SMILE! You can catch more flies with sugar than vinegar (true, but you can catch even more with manure). If a gang of teenage thugs beats up your baby on the bus, HURRY! Rush over to them to reassure them that you forgive them

and God still loves them just as they are! Even if your seven-yearold is lying in intensive care and might be brain damaged the rest of his life. Even if those devils arent sorry, even if they laugh at your pain and brag about getting off scot-free, youre expected to give up any wish to see Gods justice done in the situation. If someone at work spreads ugly rumors about you, RUSH to that person and say YOURE to blame for making them want to slander you. Even if youre totally innocent, search your own heart for sin first, and confess SOME sin to that person whos lying on you to the boss to try to steal your job. Confessing fictional sin isnt humility! Its a religious deception of satan. The truth is always the truth, even if the truth is in your favor. If you confess to a sin you havent committed, thats just as much a lie as if you try to wiggle out of something you have done. Does God think youre a wonderful Christian if you absolve unrepentant sinners of all guilt and responsibility for their sin? Prov.17: 15 He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the LORD. About the only folks Christians are eager to condemn are other Christians who find fault with unrepentant sinners. And as for taking unwarranted blame for your own victimization, a lie is a lie even if its against yourself. If you justify (absolve of guilt) anyone who is clearly in the wrong, and deliberately condemn yourself for something you know you havent done, youre justifying the wicked and condemning the innocent victim as being guilty. Even if you just commit this sin against yourself, its still wrong. This verse clearly states that whoever does this is an abomination (hateful thing) to the Lord, not a humble, loving saint. Gods love is not founded on lies, false humility and self-deceit. God says youre to love your neighbor as yourself (Rom.13:9; Gal.5:14; James 2:8). You arent commanded to love your neighbor better than yourself. If you desire justice for an injured neighbor, then by implication, its right for you to want justice for yourself. If you love your neighbor you wont want to see him used as a doormat for others to wipe their dirty feet on. If you love yourself as God loves you, then why should you want that for yourself? What if you dont like to let evil people use you for a doormat? Someone read this verse at a meeting:

Luke 12:58:When thou goest with thine adversary to the magistrate, as thou art in the way, give diligence that thou mayest be delivered from him; lest he hale thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison. 59 I tell thee, thou shalt not depart thence, till thou hast paid the very last mite. This was misapplied to mean that if we dont humble ourselves before the person who hurt us and confess that WERE the ones at fault, God will take His forgiveness away from us and torment us till we comply with the lie. Someone I know professes to believe in eternal security after salvation but still thinks we can lose out with God unless we love everybody on the planet, regardless of how evil and unrepentant they are. God expects us to repent in order to be forgiven, but we must forgive those who hate us and wish they could do even more to hurt us. Are we better than God? Jesus said not to cast our pearls (spiritual blessings) before swine, because theyll only walk all over you and your pearls (Matt.7:6). I dont think He was telling us to beware of Porkchops the Pig! Gods grace toward the repentant is a FREE gift (Rom.5:15,16,18). You get into trouble with God if you refuse to forgive a brother who owes you something and cant pay. The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant in Matt. 18 was used as a shaky support for unconditional forgiveness of the unrepentant. 1. This parable was prompted by a question Peter had about forgiving a BROTHER. Unrepentant men of violence are NOT my brother. Theyre children of a different daddy, satan (John 8:44; I John 3:10). 2. The fellow servant was just that, a fellow servant. That evil thug on the street is not a fellow servant of mine because he serves a different master, the devil. 3. The fellow servant asked for forgiveness. 4. It wasnt a crime of deliberate malice and violence, simply inability to pay back a money debt. Even if it had been a moral offense rather than a monetary debt, the offense should have been forgiven after being repented of. The preceding verses in Matt. 18 are part of the same context where this parable is found. This passage proves conclusively that Jesus doesnt want us to just let it go without true reconciliation with the offender:

15 Moreover if thy BROTHER shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. 16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. 17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. Jesus doesnt tell us to just forget it if another believer sleeps with your wife. All of Matt.18:20-25 specifically addresses how you deal with an erring BROTHER. It does NOT condemn us for refusing to bestow unconditional forgiveness on an unrepentant criminal. Many present-day beliefs hail from the love & peace hippie generation, not from orthodox Christianity. If some lowlife breaks into your house, kills all your children, rapes your wife, tortures you, steals all you have, burns down your house, then laughs about it at the trial, youre allegedly still supposed to forgive that person and not wish to see justice done. This is more like Ned Flanders than the Jesus Who said, Unless you repent youll all perish (Luke 13: 3,5). Jesus said this twice in the same context, as if for emphasis. Luke 11:21: When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace:* * * * *Jesus did not rebuke the strong man for protecting his home from violent intruders. He didnt even rebuke the strong man for being armed. Jesus said the possessions of the strong man were in peace because of the strong mans actions. Matt.24:43: But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered (allowed) his house to be broken up.* * * * Jesus does not rebuke the home owner for defending his own property from vandals. He says the strong man should have been vigilant. Not so the strong man could meekly sit and watch the crime happen, but so he could resist the attacker and defend his home. Jesus does not say the home owner should have allowed his home to be trashed in order to turn the other cheek. Turn the other cheek. What did Jesus mean, examining this saying within the context of his own culture? Back then, one of the worst social insults was to give someone a back-handed slap on the cheek. In Matt.5:39 Jesus specifically says the right cheek. Most people are right-handed. If you use your right hand to hit someone

on the right side of their face you have to either twist your arm upside down or use a back-handed slap. But if you turn your left cheek to your enemy also, youre forcing him to treat you as an equal. Jesus teaches that were to deal kindly to enemies, to try to win them through love. But God does not acquit them if they dont repent (Exodus 34:7). Some quote this verse to justify WEAK WORM Christianity: Psalms 22:6: But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. Jesus allowed himself to suffer this extreme humiliation to make atonement for our sins. To say Jesus is still a worm, and therefore, we have to be worms too, is to deny countless other verses where Jesus is called a man. Jesus is, at present, glorified, and at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. As He is, so are we in this world (I John 4:17). Some Christians believe in total pacifism, even if their families are under attack, because we have to be worms. Just because its wrong to use excessive force against adversaries doesnt mean we shouldnt protect society from violent criminals. Rom.13:4: For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: 4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Paul describes law enforcement officials as bearing the sword in the service of God to execute wrath on evildoers. Not one word of condemnation for failure to love the wicked. Consider the parable of the unjust judge, who refused to give an oppressed widow justice and avenge her of her adversary. This parable in Luke 18:1-8 is used by Christ to teach believers to be persistent in prayer, that God WILL send the answer. God is far more faithful to do right by you than the judge who got so tired of the widows pleas that he gave in and did what she wanted. But notice a couple of things most preachers overlook: 1. Not once in telling this story does Christ ever insinuate that the judge was unjust for finally avenging the widow.

2. If Jesus approved of the judge refusing to avenge the woman, even to make things nicer for her oppressor, then why did He call him an unjust judge? 3. Jesus did not condemn the widow for wanting justice. 4. He did not say the widow should have continued to patiently endure the abuse of the oppressor without complaint. 5. He did not take sides with the widows oppressor or say she was being un-Christian for complaining about his abuse. 6. Jesus promises to speedily avenge His own elect. What if some thug had jumped Jesus mother in the alleyway? Would Jesus have told the criminal that God forgives him for what hes about to do? Jesus wasnt a girlie-man. He was a strong carpenter. After Joseph died Jesus became head of His home, and it became His responsibility to protect and provide for Mary. I seriously doubt Jesus would have handed the thug a tract and said God loves you anyway while His mother was under attack. The Book of Acts records the missionary activities of the apostles. They won many souls. Yet the word love doesnt appear even once in that book. Sinners should be taught about the love of God which provided a Savior to die for their sins. But they also need to be warned that God views them as His enemies (Rom.5:10; Col.1:21; Eph.4:18). Peter and Stephen accused their listeners of betraying and murdering Jesus. They didnt gloss over the fact and try to build bridges by being tactful (Acts 2:23;7:52). Peter didnt start out the way most modern evangelists do: Brother, Jesus loves you no matter what youve done and He has a wonderful plan for your life. Just come up and make your stand for the Kingdom of God. This dangerous doctrine of confession-free forgiveness absolves sinners of ALL responsibility to humble themselves before God. Talk about bargain basement forgiveness. Confession-free forgiveness is a Burger King deal for the unrepentant sinner, and it places the power in THEIR hands! Those who hate you can have it their way. They can go on enjoying their ongoing offense against you with no fear of being charged with any sin, because its allegedly a light matter to hurt a Christian. Some evil thug who jumped you in the alleyway can just sneer in your face and say Tee hee hee! Youre a Christian so you have to forgive me! God will punish YOU if you dont forgive me for anything I feel like doing to you, ha ha ha!

The false doctrine of unconditional forgiveness of the unrepentant makes mockery of Prov.28:13 which demands confessing and forsaking of sin as Gods condition for mercy. This doctrine of devils frustrates the Holy Spirits job of convicting sinners of their lost condition and the dirty state of their heart. Peter wasnt afraid to lay the blame for Christs death where it belonged. He didnt mince words. He accused his own countrymen of killing his Savior (Acts 5:30; 10:39). His faithfulness to tell the truth resulted in thousands of souls getting saved. Acts 2:23: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Acts 2:36: 36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. 37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. How did Paul feel about those who didnt love Jesus? I Cor.16:22: If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema (accursed). Maranatha. How did Paul feel about those who did nothing worse than disagree with his theology? Gal.1:8: But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. Whats the matter with Paul? Didnt he ever hear of live and let live and to each his own? How will Jesus deal with hardened, unrepentant sinners in the future? Rev. 19:11: And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. The following verses of that passage go into gory detail about the punishments suffered by sinners who will NOT receive unconditional forgiveness from Gentle Jesus. I dont know about you, but if Jesus will return to carry out the FIERCENESS OF THE WRATH OF ALMIGHTY GOD, how could anyone still cling to the false notion of Him being as weak and gentle as a helpless baby? Its not just mild annoyance were talking about here, but FIERCENESS. We want as many people as possible to be spared that terrible fierceness by repenting and putting their trust in Christ as Savior. Woe unto them if they dont! Some point to Jesus teaching: Resist not evil (Matt.5:39). This sometimes conjures up the image of becoming a weak doormat who suffers criminal violence without a peep of protest. But Christ could have primarily been talking about not repaying evil with more evil. Romans 12:19 exhorts us not to take our own vengeance, and a lot of Christians stop there. But part B of that verse says we refrain from avenging ourselves because were making room for God to do it. Perfect divine justice demands just retribution upon unrepentant sinners, and thats Gods job. He sets us free from the need to avenge ourselves. 2 Thes.1:6: Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; 7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;

10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day. This passage tells me that Gods people will glorify Him for His perfect justice when He deals justly with unrepentant sinners. They wont tell the Lion of Judah to count to ten or take an anger management course. The Christians who were cruelly martyred in Roman arenas wont go down to Neros cell in hell and say, Brother, Im human too. If Ive done anything wrong to influence you to want to throw me to the lions, Im sorry. Jesus did not fulfill the prophecy about becoming a worm (Psalms 22:6) until the time came for Him to suffer death for our sins. Throughout His public ministry, Jesus said good things about Himself and bad things about His unrepentant enemies. Jesus did not mince words just to make sinners feel better about themselves. Did Jesus ever resist evil? Christs suffering on the cross was terrible beyond all human comprehension. But before the time came for Him to offer Himself up for our sins, there is not ONE recorded example of Jesus getting injured by a criminal, though some attempted to do this (Matt.2:16; Luke 4:28-30; John 10:31). Up until the time He was to be offered up for our sins, Jesus did not just stand still and let His enemies hurt him. He escaped an angry mob of enemies that wanted to hurl Him over a cliff (Luke 4:29-30). When the Jews got in a bad mood and wanted to stone him for alleged blasphemy, He didnt just stand there and take it. In Matt. 23:13-39 Jesus DID take a bold stand against evil. He gave the religious hypocrites of His day a good verbal thrashing, threatening them with hell for leading the people astray from the Way of Life. He resisted evil in the Temple when he drove out the buyers and the sellers (John 2: 12-16). Jesus did not tell John or Peter to take a whip to these merchants because it was His job, not theirs. We are no better than Jesus. If He managed to escape from stone throwers and hostile crowds instead of turning the other cheek to them, why should we want to be doormats for the devils children? Some well-meaning Christian suffering addicts go through life wearing a kick me sign on their backside. Far from being everybodys favorite doormat, Jesus stood His ground. He excoriated His religious enemies, calling them poisonous snakes, fools, blind guides, whitewashed tombs, and hypocrites (Matt.23:16-33). Rather than showering cheap forgiveness on these evil men like candy, Christ said they deserved

the damnation of hell. Jesus even said some of them sinned so bad theyd never be forgiven for it (Mark 3:29), and thats scary! One popular misconception is that if enough years go by God forgives and forgets, and so should you. No matter how bad you got hurt, no matter what the nature of the offense, no matter how the offense(s) ruined your life, theres a statute of limitations on Gods perfect justice and the unrepentant sinner gets off scot free just cause it happened long ago. Did Jesus believe this? Matt.23:34: 34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: 35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. 36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. From Abel all the way till the time of Jesus. That covers quite a few years, roughly 4000 of them! Yet Jesus holds every single murder of Gods prophets in the history of ancient Israel against the Pharisees of His generation because they would have done the dirty deed themselves if theyd lived back then! Jesus even scolded those rotten religious leaders for crimes they hadnt even committed yet, and would commit against His future church! One prevalent myth is that God is an old grandpa softie who nods his head indulgently and doesnt crack down on evil like he did in the Old Testament. In the Book of Acts, God Himself resisted evil infiltrating into His Church when he executed Ananias and Sapphira for just ONE incident of lying to the Holy Ghost (Acts 5:1-11). If He is that severe toward unrepentant church members, why should He let unrepentant, hardened sinners and evildoers off the hook? Will Jesus act like Ned Flanders when, at the inauguration of His thousand-year Reign, He deals with those who reject His rule over their lives? Luke 19:27: But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me. Isaiah 11:4b: But with righteousness shall he (the reigning Christ) judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

This verse concurs with the verses in Revelation which predict Jesus lion-like response to the sin and rebellion He will find in the earth when He returns. Some Christians are deeply offended at any suggestion that God is anything but gentle and nice toward all, even brutal, unrepentant sadists and rapists. But what was Pauls attitude to the justice of God? Did he consider it unnecessary or done away? I was at some small prayer meeting recently where unconditional forgiveness was taught. Sorry, I couldnt swallow it. At the conclusion of the meeting, the group leader prayed, And Lord, help us to forgive everyone who hurts us, NO MATTER WHAT THEY DO. A shiver ran up my spine. Afterward, I prayed for Gods protection from that scary prayer. I learned long ago to be careful what I pray. If you pray for patience, dont be surprised if the first part of the answer is a nasty trial. In Matt.6:13, Jesus taught us to pray that we wouldnt be led into temptation (severe testing). I prayed for this man at home, that he would not be severely tested to see if he could live by these words. Speaking of perilous prayer, I remember one prayer meeting where the leader addressed satan: Satan, Im not scared of you! Do your worst to me! I strongly advise against stirring up needless trouble, either with satan or his children. I find it odd that so many Christians who are all gung ho about fighting foreign wars and bombing somebody elses thatched hut are the same folks who believe in Gods unconditional love and forgiveness for all men. See any contradiction here? Are there any preconditions attached to receiving Gods spiritual blessings? Mark 16:16: He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. John 3: 18 He that believeth on him (Jesus) is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. John 3:36: He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. John 14:21: He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and NOT UNTO THE WORLD?** * * * This is significant. Jesus promises spiritual blessings to those who love Him, not to those in the world (those at enmity with Him). 23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode (dwelling place) with him. Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Insomuch as we are to deal kindly, fairly, and justly toward all men and to do them no wrong, in that sense were to love them. But we cannot love unbelievers in the same sense as members of the family of God. Most New Testament usages of the verb forgive are translated from the Greek word aphiemi, which simply means to set aside. In the Strongs Concordance, this word does not mean forgiveness in and of itself. It does not mean the kind of pardon which grants absolution to an offender, which would set him free from the guilt of his sin and its consequences. It does not suspend the law of sowing and reaping in his life (Gal.6:7). You simply choose to set aside the offense, so as not to bear any grudge against him/her. You then leave that one in Gods hands to deal with justly, which harmonizes with Romans 12:19. Some Christians cant handle the second half of that verse. Theyre more inclined to think God needs an anger management course because it doesnt square with their soft theology. If a stubbornly unrepentant offender thinks theres no price to pay for the harm hes done others, he learns only that sin is cheap recreation and he can get away with it time and again. In the long run, it would not be loving for God to let an evil person get away with hurting other people and just shower that one with pleasant things all his life. Far from making him grateful to God and encouraging repentance toward Him, it would only embolden him to resist the Lord. There is a stronger Greek word for forgive in the NT, charizomai, which means to freely forgive as an act of kindness. This verb is used only three times in the NT, and always in relation to other believers, not unrepentant sinners. There is one other Greek word for forgive in the NT, used only once in Luke 6:37, where Jesus says forgive and ye shall be

forgiven. This word means to release, as in forgiving a debt. If someone asks your forgiveness for something or says they cant pay you back for money or a favor, then set them free from the burden of that thing. Youd want God to do the same for you, and He always expects you to be willing to repent if youve done something wrong. The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant comes to mind. The guy who owed the Unmerciful Servant a bit of money asked for mercy. The man bore no hatred or malice against his creditor. He didnt go around bragging that hed got away with some awful act of violence against the Unmerciful Servant. This particular forgiveness verb could never apply to a hardened criminal who laughs about the pain hes caused you, as the judge lets him off with a warning in a court of law. He has no desire to be set free from sin and its consequences. He doesnt give a hoot that hes injured another human being, or that hes living in open rebellion against God. Some Christians are so sentimental they would let every single sinner into heaven no matter how hardened in rebellion they are against God. But if God were to allow unrepentant perverts and persecutors into heaven theyd only turn it into hell. Imagine a strip joint on every corner. Imagine X-rated films at the local cinema. Imagine Nero walking the streets of gold taunting Christians about all the fun he had hurting and killing them! Sound crazy? Unconditional forgiveness would result in something like that. Forgiveness for all without repentance toward God and faith in Christ (Acts 20: 21) would unleash a floodgate of filth into heaven. God just aint gonna let that happen. Faithful Christians are destined to be co-rulers with Christ (Matt.19:28); 2 Tim.2:12; Rev. 20:6). I wonder how some modern believers would handle the less pleasant aspect of their job, if they were as tolerant toward all men then as they are now? How would lenient Christians deal with mortal sinners who set out to commit some crime in the Millennium? : Some would turn a blind eye to the sin and enforce a dont ask, dont tell policy in their neck of the woods. Others would put the offender into basket weaving therapy. Still others would give the rebel against Christ a teddy bear and say all he needs is a hug. Jesus will rule with a Rod of Iron, not a fly swatter (Psalms 2:9; Rev.2:27;12:5; 19:15). In the strictest sense of the term, you cannot grant an unrepentant person forgiveness. Pure forgiveness, as opposed to just forget it and leave it in Gods hands means absolution, or a releasing of the offender from the guilt of sin and its consequences. Ultimately only Christ has the power to forgive someone in a redemptive sense, to

reconcile him with God. Sins against a Christian arent just against that particular individual, theyre also sins against Jesus (Matt.25:40). Even if you got hurt by an unrepentant sinner and you dont think youre worth very much, an act of evil against a child of God is also an act against God Himself and the unrepentant sinner must answer for it in the Day of Judgment. He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit (I Cor.6:17). Simple logic tells you that when someone hurts you they also hurt Christ, and that only aggravates his guilt in the sight of God. Eph.1:6: To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. The God Who feeds the birds and wild animals makes sure theres food available for lost sinners. In that sense He loves them and hopes theyll come to Christ. But as long as they persist in rebellion against Him and are outside of Christ, they are not included in the Beloved. Its satans devious strategy to blur the distinction between Christian believers and those who hate Christ. This doctrine of the Brotherhood of All Men is a New Age Lie promoted by satan to help usher in the Antichrist. We dont owe hardened sinners the same love and forgiveness we extend to our own brethren. When God forgives a sinner He justifies that sinner (just-if-Id never sinned), giving him a legally righteous status in His sight through the merits of Christs atoning work on His behalf. God justifies the ungodly (Rom.4:5) through faith in Christ, but He does NOT justify the unrepentant. So why should we have to do something God Himself doesnt do? God will by no means acquit the guilty (Ex.34:7). Are we held to a higher standard than He is? Exodus 13:22: Because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and STRENGTHENED THE HANDS OF THE WICKED, THAT HE SHOULD NOT RETURN FROM HIS WICKED WAY, BY PROMISING HIM LIFE Christians who condemn other Christians for believing in Gods justice wither the heart of an innocent person with the lie that God is angry with that attitude and it is they, the injured party, who should be ashamed, not the sinner. When you say to an unrepentant slanderer, thief or rapist that I forgive you and so does God, youre making that vile sinner bolder to go hurt

somebody else. He/she has NO incentive to want to repent and turn to Christ. People hunt for bargain basement prices when they shop for a car, a TV, a computer, a house. Its also human nature for a sinner to want to sneak into heaven at the least cost to himself. If forgiveness is available without a confession of sin and repentance, then why should the proud, unrepentant sinner lower himself to grovel before a Holy God? Why should a hardened sinner seek Gods forgiveness when some well-meaning Christian has told him hes already forgiven? The confused sinner puts two and two together and gets five. Common logic tells him that if hes forgiven he must be going to heaven if God holds nothing against him. If God unconditionally forgave him once without repentance, hell probably brush off every other sin he commits from now till the cows come home. So why not go on his merry way hurting others and blaspheming God till the day he dies? Jesus gave us many more details about hell than heaven. He warned that every tree which doesnt bring forth good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire (Matt.7:19). Forgive an unrepentant sinner as many times as you want, but hell still bring forth bad fruit instead of good, and he wont make it into heaven. God doesnt hand out cheap grace to the unrepentant. God is merciful, true. But He is also just. Truth taken to extremes becomes fatal error. If it is dangerous for a believer to presume on Gods mercy and continue in sin (see Romans chapter 6), why should believers think its okay for unbelievers to continue in sin and refuse to repent? Far from being a loving thing to do for the offender, this popular but false doctrine of Forgiveness Without Repentance only sets that soul up for a fall into the Bottomless Pit. If any soul is lost because some Christian reassures them theyre ALREADY forgiven and God is merciful ONLY, then it will be, to a large extent, the forgiving Christians fault that they end up there.