QUESTIONS/ANSWERS ON FORGIVENESS
QUESTION #82 -- Hebrews 6:4-6
says, "For it is impossible for
those who were once enlightened,
and have tasted of the heavenly
gift, and were. made partakers
of the Holy Ghost, and have
tasted the good word of God, and
the powers of the world to come,
if they shall fall away, to
renew them again unto
repentance; seeing they crucify
to themselves the Son of God
afresh, and put him to an open
shame." Does this mean that if
one backslides it is impossible
for him to be restored, and that
he is hopelessly lost?
ANSWER #82 -- This passage and
the one in Hebrews 10:26-29 both
refer to the Jew who after
having been enlightened to the
meaning of Christ's sacrifice
for sins attempts to turn back
again to the symbols which he
formerly followed in his Jewish
faith. Though such were once
covered by their sincerity, they
now find no such covering, and
with them, as with us all, it is
Christ or damnation. But any
backslider, even a backsliding
Jew, can come back to God and be
restored, if he comes back
through faith in Christ, which
is the only way for anyone. I
think immense harm has come from
the careless habit of religious
teachers of making a general
application of this specialized
scripture and so holding that a
person who has drifted from
fellowship and obedience is
hopeless. I would rather hold
out hope to one whom God has
refused than to withhold it from
one whom God encourages, and I
am sure that our good God never
makes a person's hell more
intolerable by convicting one
whom He is unwilling to save.
Therefore, I do not believe
these stories about desperate
penitents who in spite of their
genuine contrition are refused
by the Lord. Undoubtedly people
who "cross the dead line" are
either physically dead or
spiritually indifferent. Any
other view is inconsistent with
the holy character of God.
* * *
QUESTION #83 -- When a Christian
backslides and goes clear back
to the world, and comes to God
again for restoration, is he
"born again" upon this return or
did he remain a child of God
while he was wandering away?
Some say one thing and some
another.
ANSWER #83 -- I think this is
just a play on words, and a too
decided leaning toward
literalism. The spiritual change
which one passes through when he
becomes a Christian is so
radical and real that it is
comparable to a birth. But to
throw the figure down on its
all-fours and try to make all
the details apply is entirely
unwarranted. In reality there is
no particular difference in what
takes place when an alien sinner
comes to God the first time for
pardon and regeneration and that
which takes place when a
wandering backslider comes back
to God. But by way of
distinguishing the history of
the individual case the first
coming is called conversion or
the new birth, and the second
and subsequent comings are
called reclamation. No, a
backslider is no more a child of
God than an alien sinner of the
same degree of doubt and
indifference.
* * *
QUESTION #84 -- In a recent
discussion some. contended that
we should ask other Christians
to forgive us when they think we
have done them wrong, but that
there is no scripture requiring
us to ask forgiveness of
sinners. What do you think about
this?
ANSWER #84 -- I think this is
"cornering" on Christian
morality in about the most
reprehensible manner imaginable.
Christianity is not such a
legalistic system as that would
indicate. If you injure anyone,
be he ever so undeserving,
scruple not to beg his
forgiveness. This may not be the
law, but it certainly is the
gospel.
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