Is Forgiveness Unconditional?

Chris Brauns’ article on forgiveness is one of the best and most helpful I have come across. It has helped me to understand the conflict I had with unconditional forgiveness and to see the origin of this error.

Unconditional forgiveness is man’s attempt to be like the god of the Arminians, who forgives all without condition leaving it up to the sinner to accept his forgiveness. In the Gospel repentance and forgiveness are linked together…

“The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.” [Acts 5:30-32]

Aren't Christians supposed to love one another and show kindness to all men? How is it that you can be so insulting to the Christians who hold to Arminian doctrine?

Augustine and the Protestant Reformers stood against the doctrines of man’s free will in salvation first introduced as the Pelagian heresy. The Protestant churches have in most part abandoned Augustinianism and the Reformed doctrines of grace for the more modern versions of Pelagianism known as Arminianism. The total depravity of man and his total dependence on the sovereign God for mercy in salvation is exchanged for man’s free will and man’s cooperation in grace.

The Arminian gospel says that Christ’s atonement covered the sins of all men. Therefore, it is implied that they are forgiven, and their salvation is dependent on their acceptance of the forgiveness.

What is not made clear is that in the Gospel forgiveness of sins is offered to all men, but actual forgiveness is effectual only to those who repent and believe the good news.

Mr. WWM, again we are against the doctrines that are against the Gospel. I think there is a clear association of the false doctrine of unconditional forgiveness with the doctrines of Arminianism. We can offer forgiveness, but there can be no actual forgiveness until there is a corresponding repentance.

published writings amount to over 5 million Latin words. Many of his writings do not appear on your blog-roll. You may do well to read more on what Augustine had to say about free will.

BTW, we have yet to have a funeral. Many problems with the system in New York.

‘Test all things; hold fast to what is good.’

As I have done, so the RCs and neoProtestants pick and choose what they believe from Augustine. The question is what standard is used to determine the truth?

Let me ask you some deeper questions…

Can any man, who brings anything of himself to the cross except a plea for mercy, be a Christian in the Biblical sense? “Son of David, have mercy on me” was the plea of the blind man when Jesus came near to him. He is a picture of all who come to Christ by faith. Does the blind man think of himself as free or a slave? Who is it that frees the captives?

Will the churches hear the words of Christ in John 8? “If the Son makes you free, then you are free indeed.” Otherwise we are all slaves to sin with no escape. This is what Paul means to be dead in sin. If justification is all of grace, then we have nothing to offer. To say otherwise exalts ourselves and diminishes the finished work of Christ.