Come to Order, Pt. 10
Study Guide, May 18, 2025
Pastor Clay Olsen
It seemed ironic that in a series on ‘Order’, or ‘Coming to Order’, for the purpose of better understanding and living out Biblical principles, that we would conclude with Part 9. It seemed a bit more ‘orderly’ to conclude with Part 10. ‘9’ feels like a show that ends with ‘To be continued’. But, really, because we live in a world where there is so much ‘disorder’ about most everything, it’s not really known how many sessions we could include on a series of Coming to Order…Coming to Biblical Order. And since it’s not really known, I can’t tell you…yet.
However, what is ‘known’ is that when it comes to ‘disorder’ in relation to how both the world and even many Christians handle one particular ‘Discipline’ of the Christian life, the difference between the world’s practice of it and the Biblical practice of it is about as different as ‘destruction’ in nature versus ‘beauty’ in nature.
The issue that we are talking about is the difference between ‘Worldly Forgiveness versus Biblical Forgiveness’. And the results of practicing worldly forgiveness instead of practicing Biblical forgiveness are about different as chaos and destruction in nature and beauty and peace in nature. And one of the problems in many churches has been that many in church leadership and in church settings have adopted more of this ‘worldly’ or ‘humanistic’ idea about forgiveness rather than teaching their people and practicing ‘Biblical Forgiveness’. And the results of that have been harmful and unjust in properly defending and vindicating those people in those church settings that have been offended by not chastening and holding accountable those who have been the offenders, with either believers in the church or with unbelievers in the world. Again, the problem in this worldly idea about forgiveness is that it is damaging to the offended parties and it does not carry out justice on the offenders.
It bears repeating here that my Pastor in college was once Mr. Mid-West as a Body Builder. One night a thief broke into his house. Wrong choice by that thief…because the Pastor overwhelmed him and restrained him until the Police took him away. Later, the Pastor went to visit him in jail and witnessed to him. So he showed mercy in his forgiveness, but he also showed justice in that the man still had to do time for the crime. That’s how mercy and justice work together!
A key trait in worldly forgiveness is that ‘Biblical justice’ is always abused, either by neglecting it entirely or just canceling it out entirely. But ‘Justice’ is the very first requirement in God’s list of what He requires of people. Mic 6:8- “He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness (mercy), and to walk humbly with your God?” NASU By the way, I like what C.S. Lewis said about the ‘humility’ requirement. He said: “Humility is not thinking less of yourself – it’s just thinking of yourself…‘less’!” Yes, just be less occupied with yourself! Or, less occu-pewed, as my Dad put it!
But notice carefully that both Justice and Mercy are requirements of God upon all of mankind. There is a blessed harmony between them, and never a neglect or an abuse of either of them. And that is the problem with much of the worldly teaching about forgiveness that has seeped into many church settings. Mark it down: Worldly forgiveness is the abuse of Biblical justice, whereas Biblical justice is the friend of Biblical forgiveness. So let’s explore:
In the Bible, forgiveness is defined as a decision to release resentment, anger, and bitterness towards someone who has wronged you, while still acknowledging their actions and their need for repentance. Forgiveness is a powerful act of love and obedience, and it’s also a pathway to healing and peace for the one who forgives another. And isn’t that just like our benevolent God…that God has so designed it that forgiveness is ‘for our sake’. Forgiveness blesses the one who forgives…blesses us, in the freedom from resentment, and in the help in healing, and in the potential for strengthened relationships. Whereas unforgiveness can lead to bitterness and emotional distress, and inner conflicts.
But again, and very important here: Forgiveness is not condoning sin or pretending it didn’t happen, but rather, it is a conscious choice to let go of the stressful emotions of the offense. Forgiveness is essentially moving the offender out of ‘our hands’ and ‘placing them in ‘God’s hands.’ And remember what God said about that! Rom 12:18-10- “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord.” NASU
That’s powerful! You mean God promises to enact vengeance upon the offenders of God’s people, against the persecutors of God’s people, against those who do harm to God’s people? He certainly does! And what is this ‘vengeance’ of God’s? God’s vengeance is both a vindication of those who were wronged and a just consequence upon the wrongdoer. God is promising us that He is going to vindicate us from any wrong that was ever done to us and He is going to ensure that the just consequences for the wrongdoing will be meted out upon the wrong doer. Remember, our forgiveness for others does not remove God’s vengeance from them. The removal of God’s vengeance upon them is dependent upon their repentance toward God and toward those they have wronged. Where there is no repentance, the vengeance remains, and God will repay!
Just think about how much the Apostle Paul was wronged by both unbelievers and even other believers. Why, he could have carried around a boatload of bitterness toward them all. But instead, he carried two things in particular with him at all times. One, was this forgiveness toward his offenders, this release from doing the harm to them that they had done to him. Now, he still did justice as well. A great example of this was when the Romans had illegally condemned Paul to scourging Paul rebuked these governing authorities by saying: Acts 22:25- “When they tied Paul down to lash him, Paul said to the officer standing there, “Is it legal for you to whip a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been tried?” 22:29- “The soldiers who were about to interrogate Paul quickly withdrew when they heard he was a Roman citizen, and the commander was frightened because he had ordered him bound and whipped.” NLT Here’s a great example of Paul doing justice along with mercy.
The other thing Paul carried with him was this promise from God that God was going to see to it that each and every one of those who brought harm to him, if they did not repent toward God and him, God would repay them in doing justice according to whatever just consequence their sin required. Note Paul’s own words about this: 2 Tim 4:14- “Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds.” NASU Paul knew, and we are to know, that the Lord will repay anyone for any harm that they have done to you which they have not made right with God and with you. For our God is not only our Jehovah-Jireh…God our Provider, He is also our Jehovah-Roi…God our Protector and Defender. No one will ever get away with any wrong or harm ever done to one of God’s children without Him repaying them with the just consequences of their wrongs. That’s why they need to repent toward God and toward the children of God that they wronged.
We are to understand that Biblical forgiveness never cancels out justice. It’s worldly forgiveness that cancels out justice. And it is right here that we see much distortion in the handling of ‘forgiveness’. How often have those who have been offended been unjustly counseled to unjustly forgive the offender…as in to just excuse their offense or offenses, and just let that abusive relationship continue. This has been dishonoring to God’s Word, damaging to God’s people, and a distorted witness to the world. And even though every God-given logical sense within people recognizes the injustice of such ungodly counsel, since the counsel was from a ‘religious’ source, they push down their righteous longing for justice and then wrongly excuse the offender and the offence. But all that accomplishes is that it not only brings inner conflict and further harm to themselves, but it also allows the offender to continue their offensive ways…actually, their abusive ways we should say.
And it is right here that this worldly idea of forgiveness is so unjust and damaging, because Biblical forgiveness is protected by the boundary walls of Biblical Reconciliation. Or, think of it this way: Biblical forgiveness releases us from the harm of the offense done to us, and Biblical reconciliation protects us from any further harm that would be done by the offender. Biblical forgiveness is unconditional, as it is offering mercy from us by not repaying the wrong. And yet, Biblical reconciliation is conditional, as it is conditioned upon the offender’s repentance for their sin against us. Again, the key element in Biblical reconciliation is ‘Biblical repentance!’ For there can be no reconciliation without repentance. Be very clear about this fact!
Take Joseph for an example. Did he forgive his brothers for their sin of selling him into slavery? Yes, as he was not bitter and vengeful and just waiting to return the harm to them that they had done to him. However, remember, before he renewed his relationship with them, he first tested them, over a period of time, in order for them to demonstrate their repentance and to show that he could trust them…carefully…and then renew his relationship with them.
Remember something very important here. Relationships are not ‘rights’…relationships are ‘privileges.’ ‘Rights’ are things that cannot be taken away or lost. But ‘privileges’ are things that can be taken away or lost if misused or abused. Even as children of God, our rewards at the Judgment Seat of Christ are privileges that can be taken away or lost based upon our use of our faithful service to God or our abuse of the faithfulness that is required of us. We are secure in ‘our position’ as a saved child of God’s, by grace through faith, but through misuse or abuse of ‘our faithfulness’ as a child of God, we will forfeit privileges and lose rewards.
Which brings us to this ‘protectionary’ aspect of Biblical Reconciliation. The Apostle Paul was very clear about the need for believers to protect themselves from the abuses of either unbelievers or even believers. There were some in the church at Corinth that were treating one another badly…they were divisive and rude and abusive toward their fellow believers. Paul knew that this injustice in the church needed to be corrected, and that those who were divisive and abusive needed to know that their privileges of fellowship would be lost until they changed their behavior. So in his charge he had to cover many different sins going on…but we’ll focus on the one that is often neglected in seeing the seriousness of that sin. We’ll note in from two translations: 1 Cor 5:11-12- “I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is…a reviler — not even to eat with such a one.” NASU And from the NLT: 1 Cor 5:11- “I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet…is abusive — Don’t even eat with such people.”
God is very serious about how believers treat one another and speak to one another. What the Apostle made clear was that to any believers who were rude or abusive in their treatment or their speech with other believers, that their behavior would call for dis-fellowship, and those believers who had been reviled or abused were not to associate with the abuser or abusers. And the purpose of this was twofold: One, was that justice would be done, in that the offended believer would be protected from further abuse. And second, that this loss of fellowship would help the offender to come to repentance toward God and their fellow believer and assist in the hope of reconciliation.
Mark it down: There is no imbalance in Biblical justice and mercy. God is as committed to protecting His children from the abuse of others, be it outside the church or inside the church, as He is committed to convicting offenders of their sin, so as to bring them to repentance and reconciliation. Note just some of God’s protective commands:
Rom 16:17- “Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them.”
Prov 6:16-19- “There are six things which the Lord hates, yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil, a false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers.” NASU
Titus 3:10- “If people are causing divisions among you, give a first and second warning. After that, have nothing more to do with them.” NLT
Prov 22:24- “Don’t befriend angry people or associate with hot-tempered people…” NLT
2 Thess 3:14- “If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that person and do not associate with him, so that he will be put to shame.” NASU
Fellowship and close relationships among believers are privileges, not rights. And the Bible makes it clear that reviling, causing dissension, slander, or abuse in any way, verbally, emotionally, or physically, sets the consequences of disfellowship and disassociation into motion. And it stays in motion until there is repentance toward God and repentance toward the offended one or ones by the offender. That is how God protects His children and how they can carry out this requirement upon them, to – “do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.”
Remember, mercy and justice always travel together. And whenever mercy is spurned, justice steps up. As those who have been reconciled to God, we are ambassadors of reconciliation. But just like becoming reconciled to God was conditional upon our repentance toward God, reconciliation with others is also conditional upon their repentance toward us. This is God’s order for privileged and peaceful relationships.
So just do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God and others.