๐— ๐—ฎ๐˜๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ๐˜„ ๐Ÿญ๐Ÿด:๐Ÿฏ๐Ÿฐ Explained – The Master Handing Over To Torturers

Matthew 18:34

๐— ๐—ฎ๐˜๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ๐˜„ ๐Ÿญ๐Ÿด:๐Ÿฏ๐Ÿฐ Explained – The Master Handing Over To Torturers

๐Ÿ“– โ€œAnd his master, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he would repay all that was owed him.
35 My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.โ€
Perhaps youโ€™ve read this and were taught this is a threat from God ๐Ÿ˜ณ โ€” that if you donโ€™t forgive someone, God will change His mind, withdraw His forgiveness, and you could somehow lose your salvation and face eternal punishment.
Letโ€™s unpack whatโ€™s really going on in Matthew 18 ๐Ÿ‘‡
In verse 21, Peter asks Jesus how many times he should forgive someone who sins against him. Jesus responds, essentially, โ€œDonโ€™t stop.โ€ Keep forgiving. โ™พ๏ธ
Heโ€™s not calling us to be doormats. Heโ€™s revealing what Godโ€™s forgiveness looks like. The forgiveness we have in Christ is not limited or conditional. No amount of sin causes God to suddenly stop forgiving His children. โค๏ธ
Jesus then tells a parable to illustrate what forgiveness in the kingdom of heaven looks like (pre-cross โœ๏ธโžก๏ธ).
A king forgives a servant who owes him an enormous debt ๐Ÿ’ฐ โ€” a debt he could never repay. That reflects us. All have sinned. The wages of sin is death. We owed what we could never pay. And the King forgave completely. ๐Ÿ™Œ
Important: this is a parable. Itโ€™s not describing a born-again believer losing salvation. Itโ€™s an illustration about forgiveness.
But then the forgiven servant refuses to forgive someone who owes him a much smaller debt. The king is angered by this hypocrisy and hands him over to the torturers.
The point? God calls us to extend the same kind of forgiveness we have received. Not partially. Not reluctantly. But freely. ๐Ÿคโค๏ธ
The โ€œtorturersโ€ symbolize judgment. Jesus is describing forgiveness under the law. Under the law, if you do not forgive others, you will not be forgiven. That was the standard. โš–๏ธ
But remember โ€” Jesus has not yet gone to the cross at this point. The new covenant had not yet been enacted. Hebrews 9:17 tells us a covenant takes effect after the death of the one who made it.
Yes, verse 35 sounds severe. And it is. But after the cross, you never again see forgiveness taught as a threat to believers. โŒ
After the cross, the message shifts. โœ๏ธโœจ
Ephesians 4:32 says, โ€œForgiving one another, just as God in Christ has forgiven you.โ€
Now the motivation is different. We forgive because we have already been forgiven. Not to earn it โ€” but because we possess it. ๐Ÿ’›
Colossians 3:13 says, โ€œForgive as the Lord forgave you.โ€
No threats. No reversal. Just a call to reflect what weโ€™ve received.
So how has God forgiven us? Completely. Permanently. He remembers our sins no more. ๐Ÿ•Š๏ธ If thatโ€™s the standard, then our forgiveness flows from security โ€” not fear.
Before the cross, the law showed us what we deserve. After the cross, grace shows us what Jesus accomplished.
What we could not accomplish through effort, He accomplished through grace. ๐Ÿ™Œโœ๏ธ
Matthew 18 highlights forgiveness under the law. The New Testament letters show forgiveness under grace โ€” secured, finished, and freely passed on.
Hope that helps clarify things โค๏ธ

Author: Mike Cynar

Mike Cynar was raised in a church setting where he frequently noticed that many attendees would eventually drift away. The church labeled these individuals as ‘back sliders’ or ‘fake Christians’ just looking for ‘fire insurance’. However, Mike realized the issue was rarely with these individuals but instead with the church’s message itself. The teachings heavily emphasized behavior improvement and one’s flaws, with only a fleeting mention of one’s identity in Christ. It felt as though every sermon was tailored to the church of Corinth, who as we know or committing sins that even unbelievers don’t partake in. This trend was noticeable not just in one denomination, but across Baptist, Catholic, Pentecostal, and many other churches. Upon understanding the true essence of the gospel – that our righteousness comes from Jesus’ actions, not our own – Mike was inspired to liberate believers from lifeless sermons and reconnect them with the genuine teachings of Jesus. He believes that one can nurture a vibrant and growing bond with Jesus, unhindered by rigid religious practices. And thus, “Jesus Without Religion” was born.

It turns out that it is grace that leads to repentance. And if our heart is to get others to walk in the Spirit and live a godly life, then the best approach is not a beat down sermon, but rather to remind other that it is only when we understand our true identity in Christ that we will live it out. Yes, it’s true, if you’re convinced that God thinks you’re a dirty sinner, you will ultimately continue a lifestyle that mirrors that view, but if you truly believe that even on your worst day, you are called holy, sanctified, justified, and will be presented blameless in the end, well, it turns out this is the secret to living out on the outside what has been worked in to the inside.

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