Christian Living

The forgiveness controversy

Back in 1999, I preached a series on the subject of forgiveness. Many folks in our congregation had never heard the approach I took. A number commented that they heard Christian leaders on the radio or in magazines take the opposite position during the weekdays between my sermons.

The world and much of evangelicalism believe that we should forgive unconditionally. Secular psychologists and popular preachers have formed an alliance that intimidates many of us from even considering the alternatives. Yet many Bible teachers believe that forgiveness is conditioned upon repentance. I am in the latter group.

Bible-believing Christians agree that we are to forgive others as God forgives us. If you believe God forgives unconditionally, this would logically lead you to Universalism, the belief that everyone is saved; no one is under the wrath of God because God’s wrath is not directed toward those who are forgiven. If God forgives unconditionally, then none are unforgiven. Most evangelicals recognize that multitudes are lost, yet many say that God forgives unconditionally. Do you see the contradiction here?

In Time of Temptation: His Sufficiency
Kevin T. Bauder

How came I here? A thousand times
I purposed that I would not tread
This wayward road—a thousand times
Turned I my feet in shame and dread,
Bethought me of Thy gracious smile
And cast me on Thy healing skill.
And yet, for each retreating mile,
A dozen, not against my will,
But hardly halting, onward drawn
Strode I, and further down and down,
Until my steps were well nigh gone.
What merit I, if not Thy frown?
For fear of that, I faithless fled,
And sought the darkness, where Thy face,
Now hid, might no more strike with dread.
Yet from Thee hid, I find no trace
Of peace or joy or gentleness.
Untrusting, trembling, terrified,
I cannot know Thy faithfulness.
If from the sun one turns to hide
One cannot know the joy of light;
Thus, if I should despise thy grace,
I must abide in graceless night.

Have you ever wondered if there is more to the Christian life than your “relatively safe” life in the United States? Is your soul restless to impact the world in a greater fashion? Gary Haugen delivers a challenge to lay people and pastors alike in this powerful but short treatment of Christian social justice.

Addressed primarily to lay people in the church, the author uses numerous real-life incidents to illustrate the need to overcome fear, help readers begin to see the needs in the world, and argue that rescuing souls from physical slavery is a prerequisite to rescuing souls from eternal slavery. Finally, he challenges Christians leading a “comfortable” life to make the choice to be brave rather than safe. One major weakness of the book is the author’s view that “social justice” is a prerequisite to evangelism. In reality, he argues that freedom from physical bondage affords an opportunity to communicate the gospel to oppressed people. This view is generally accurate; however, the definition of “social justice” varies widely and his point can be easily misunderstood (see below for more discussion of this).

Rather than offering a theological treatise, Haugen relates a series of real life incidents from history and modern times. Interspersed with these illustrations are brief discussions of Bible verses that demonstrate God’s desire for justice and the need for Christians to communicate God’s love to the world in both words and action.