The following "Question" was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Panorama City, California, and "Answered" by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed from the tape, GC 70-12, titled "Questions and Answers--Part 40." A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE. Copyright 2001 by John MacArthur Jr., All Rights Reserved.
Question
Jay Adam's new book on forgiveness that came out in 1989 is in the Book Shack [Grace Community Church's book store] . He clearly teaches in accordance with Luke 17:3, “Be on your guard. If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.” He teaches that you have to have a heart always for forgiveness, yet there are many, many fine Christian theologians that take a different point of view, their point of view being that forgiveness is there, it is consummated just in my mind and it doesn’t need to be that the sinner come and ask for forgiveness. Could you clarify this?
Answer
I think that it’s both. I think that I have to forgive in my heart--that takes care of my heart attitude--but until that sinner comes and repents to me, that relationship will never be restored. So it’s a two-dimensional forgiveness. I don’t want to bear a grudge. If you sin against me, I have to forgive you in my heart even as God, for Christ’s sake, has forgiven me. So, I do that willingly. But I will never be able to have a right relationship with you until you come to me and seek the forgiveness that opens up the relationship.
Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "MacArthur’s Questions and
Answers" by:
Tony Capoccia
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