It is crystal clear that to achieve God's forgiveness initially we must repent or we'll perish (2 Pet. 3:9; Lk. 13:3; 24:47). Repentance is used interchangeably with a saving faith in Jesus (Acts 10:43 cf. 2 Pet. 3:9; etc.). Furthermore, God's forgiveness comes to us through Jesus' shed blood on the cross.
But the Lord Jesus himself put a condition on God's forgiveness after getting born again, which is denied, avoided and changed by modern day heretics. It doesn't fit into their counterfeit grace theology, so that aspect of God's forgiveness must be mutilated or avoided altogether!
For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. (Mat 6:14,15)Again, if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins! Clear but hated, simple but made complex by false prophets in sheep's clothing. Jesus wants us all to know: for our sins to be forgiven by God after getting saved, we must forgive those who sin against us. Shocking truth in our apostate day, but basic Christian beliefs. NOTE: Only the Christian has God as his Father. Mat. 6:14,15 applies, therefore, only to those who are in God's family -- not people never saved.
Mat. 6:14,15 is also significant in disproving our future sins are all automatically forgiven past, present and future. To receive God's forgiveness, according to the Lord Jesus, you must forgive!
And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins. (Mark 11:25)Over and over that salvation truth is repeated, but some are never taught it. To be forgiven by God, you must forgive those who have sinned against you. Be assured you WILL be sinned against in this sin-filled, truth-hating world. You will not be the exception regardless how loving, kind and generous you are to people. You must understand this truth about God's forgiveness to get forgiven after getting born again! Do not be deceived by popular false prophets in sheep's clothing.
That is exactly what the confused S. Michael Houdmann has done. Houdmann is behind gotquestions.org who is found all over the google search engine and proves that everything on the internet is not factual, nor placed in a proper position. Note what S. Michael Houdmann teaches in the same breath:
A second biblically plausible interpretation of Matthew 6:14-15 is that it is saying anyone who refuses to forgive others is demonstrating that he has not truly received Christ's forgiveness himself. (https://www.gotquestions.org/forgive-forgiven.html)
It is wrong for someone who has truly experienced God's forgiveness to refuse to grant forgiveness to others.... (ibid.)
We cannot possibly walk with God in true fellowship if we refuse to forgive others. (ibid.)
Remember, for eternal security teachers to declare one's fellowship with God is broken and lost by sin is also to declare that same believer didn't have his present and future sins automatically forgiven, as they also teach! Another contradiction! Keep away from such teachers as scripture teaches for your own good.
Judicial forgiveness is that forgiveness God grants to an unregenerate, unredeemed, unsaved individual who comes, puts faith in Christ, God imputes to him the righteousness of Christ, declares him to be eternally righteous, drops the gavel, forgiven, declared righteous, justified forever, judicial forgiveness embraces all of eternity and imputes to us the righteousness of Christ. It's a settled fact forever. (Listen to the audio. Click John MacArthur Teaches Poison.)
Their teaching leads to an addition to Matthew 6:14,15 to blur the conditionality of God's forgiveness, which is not compatible to their mythical doctrine! MacArthur says:
Why should we forgive one another? First of all, because it characterizes saints. Secondly, it follows the example of Christ. Thirdly, it's the highest expression of the virtue of man and fourthly, it frees the conscience from guilt and guilt brings many diseases of the mind and the body. Fifthly, we should forgive one another because it delivers us from chastening. (Listen to the audio. Click John MacArthur Reads Into Scripture.)Grace Changers Say Forgiving Others:
Then the master called the servant in. "You wicked servant," he said, "I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?"Do you believe what Jesus taught about God's forgiveness? For more details about the Unmerciful Servant and unforgiveness consult The Believer's Conditional Security, pages 138-149.In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be TORTURED, until he should pay back all he owed. This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart. (Mat. 18:32-35)
The warning to those already saved is clear, that is, we must forgive all who sin against us to remain saved. That is the way it is. Stephen forgave those who were killing him before he died (Acts 7:59,60)! That truth about God's forgiveness is not a works salvation or legalism. It is Jesus' teaching. He has the words of eternal life (John 6:68).
Forgive to be forgiven after getting born again or be made responsible again for your once forgiven huge sin debt. That proves this is a salvation issue and nothing less! Don't allow anyone to mislead you about God's forgiveness. That is God's eternal truth about God's forgiveness after initial salvation.
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Skull And Crossbones Awards For False Prophets And False Teachers
Eternal Security - Doctrine of Demons
Separating The Sheep and Goats
Evangelical Outreach Alphabetical Map
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