“Christians aren’t perfect, they’re forgiven.”
It’s displayed proudly on tee shirts; touted on bumper stickers; preached from the pulpit; and blasted over Fox “news.”
It’s a great sentiment, and comforting to those who’ve adopted it as their mantra. But is it true? Are Christians really forgiven? Well, if you believe Jesus, then the answer is, “Christians are NOT forgiven.”
Jesus’ “biographers” tell us that Jesus spoke of a certain criteria to receiving forgiveness, and that criterion was all about timing. According to Jesus, forgiveness is not about being forgiven, it’s about FORGIVING!
In Matthew 6:14-16, Jesus’ biographer reports:
“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
Luke 6:37 repeats this assertion:
“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”
Jesus discussed forgiveness with Peter, who wanted to know how many times he would have to repeat this process:
“Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.””
So it turns out that the bumper sticker is wrong. As is so often the case with Jesus theology, the very thing you’re asking from God is the very thing you need to give to others first.
Right now Christians are angrier than they’ve ever been. Life is desperate for them. There’s a foreign-born Muslim in the White House who wants to take away their right to worship god. Gays are destroying the sanctity of marriage and forcing Christians to marry their pets. Liberals are attempting to install Sharia law over the Constitution of the United States. Women are taking control of their vaginas. Atheists and agnostics are thinking out loud.
So the Christians are fighting back. They’re retaliating, secure in the knowledge that even if they do hurt someone, God will forgive them.
Only Jesus says otherwise.
This isn’t a call for acceptance either. Jesus isn’t asking anyone to accept those they don’t agree with. Jesus is saying—flat out—you’re not forgiven UNTIL you forgive. This means that somehow, those who seek forgiveness from God must first find a way to place themselves in a position where forgiveness can blossom. This “place” is a place of FORGIVING first… which can only be done through humility, compassion, sincerity.
In the same sermon, Jesus told his audience:
“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.”
Pay close attention to the wording here: If your brother or sister has something against YOU. How people feel about you is YOUR problem, not theirs. The onus is on the Christian, not the other way around.
His message is hard-core, but the sentiment is simple:
- Do you want forgiveness? Then you must make peace with the foreign-born Muslim in the White House.
- Do you want forgiveness? Then you’re going to have to find a way to make the gay community love you. Until they do, you will not be forgiven.
- Do you want forgiveness? Then you’re going to have to forgive the liberals… seventy times seven as Jesus told Peter.
Somehow Christians need to leave their offerings, their ideology, maybe even their “Christianity” at the altar and make peace with the very people making their lives so miserable… if they truly want to be forgiven. But not to worry, that ideology will still be there when you get back. You might even find that once you’ve made peace with your “enemies,” you don’t need that ideology anymore, and you can finally sacrifice it.
The bumper sticker should read: “Christians aren’t forgiven… until they’re FORGIVING!”
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