Forgiveness and Fell

Forgiveness and Fellowship
by Sylvester Hassell

THE GOSPEL MESSENGER

J. R. RESPESS, Editor.
- - - W. M. MITCHELL, Assoc. Editor



Forgiveness and Fellowship

August 1891

All errors in doctrine and discipline seem to me to arise from a defective and exclusive attention to one class, and inattention to another class of scriptures. 'All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.' ----2 Tim 3:16,17. And if there is one lesson more than another that I would fervently desire, by the aid of the Divine Spirit, to impress upon the minds and hearts of my brethren, is that they 'search the scriptures,' and 'compare spiritual things with spiritual' (John 5:39, 1 Cor. 2:13,) in regard both to every doctrine that they believe, and every point of discipline that they practice. If any part of the scriptures had not been important and necessary for us to read and consider, it would not have been given originally by the Great Head of the Church, nor preserved by His providential care from generation to generation. I cannot say too often that especially in reference to spiritual and eternal realities, every person who has an 'honest heart,' 'in whose spirit there is no guile,' (Luke 8:15; Psalm 32:2; John 1:47,) wishes to know and to teach 'the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth;' and in every case where there is, on our part, a willful ignorance, or suppression, or misrepresentation of the truth, such a course is an infallible proof of the existence of deceit or guile in our hearts --- of some worldly or selfish motive --- of which every true child of God, who has thus erred; will feel the burden, and from which he will earnestly seek deliverance. In the solemn light of eternity, which reveals the fleeting and shadowy nature of all worldly things, we do not wish to be deceived ourselves, nor to be instrumental in deceiving others. 'All things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do,' (Heb. 4:13,) who 'will bring every work into judgement, with every secret thing" whether it be good, or whether it be evil.' (Eccl. 7:14.) 'The truth of the Lord endureth forever;' (Psalm 117:2,) the great principles of His government are, like Himself, eternal and unchangeable; they were true – thousands of years before we were born, and will be true thousands of years after we are dead and forgotten. 'Woe to him that striveth with his maker!' that 'fighteth against God' – Isa. 45:9, Acts 5:39. Such a contest, if continued, can result only in the destruction of the proud and foolish creature. May the Lord, in His great mercy, deliver us from such a course and such an end.
DIVINE FORGIVENESS.--- Forever blessed be the gracious name of Israel"s God, who, even when He God His holy law, proclaimed Himself, 'The lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.'---Exod. 34:4-9. If He should be strict to mark iniquity, not one of our sinful race would be able to stand (Psalm exxx. 3.); for before Him 'every mouth is stopped, and all the world is guilty.' --- Romans 3:19. And yet the word and the Spirit of God teach everyone of His children that without two things there never would have been any manifestation of His forgiveness to them, and those two things are the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ (Lev. 4:20; Dan. 9:24; Rom. 5:11; Eph. 1:7; Heb 2:17) and that heartfelt repentance and confession for our sins which He always gives us before He grants us a sense of His pardoning love .---Lev. 16:21-22; 1 Kings 8:33-34; 2 Chron. 7:14; Psalm 32:5; 51:1-3; 130:3-4; Prov. 28:13; Isa. 55:7; Zech. 7:10-14; 8:1; Luke 15:18-20; 24:47; Acts 3:19; 5:31; 1 John 1:9. In Jer. 31:33-34, the holy law of God is written in our hearts, and thus make a part of our inward natures, and we have that knowledge of the Holy One of Israel which is life eternal, and thus cannot but hate and confess and forsake our sins; and it is after this operation of the Holy Spirit that the Lord says, 'I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sins no more.' The parable of the prodigal son forms no exception to the invariable order in the kingdom of grace; the father in that parable represents God, and he knew ( for He knows all things, and is Himself the fountain of every spiritual blessing) that His poor wayward son was coming back to Him with a reverent, penitent, and confessing spirit (Luke 15:17-19) before He ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him (verse 20). As for that elder son in that parable, it is perfectly evident that he cared nothing for the misery or repentance or confession of his younger brother; that he did not wish his father to receive him back on any terms; that he had no real love, but only hatred and contempt for the erring one.
Upon repentance, confession and forsaking of their sins, every true child of God is heartily rejoiced to forgive, re-admit into the church, and receive into full fellowship any erring brother or sister.
DIVINE FELLOWSHIP.---With all those who have been redeemed by the blood of His son, and quickened and sanctified by the power of His Holy Spirit, and who lovingly walk in the way of His holy commandments, God dwells in living and loving fellowship.---Exod. 29:45-46, Lev. 26:3-13; Jer. 31:31-34; Ezek. 11:20; 36:25-28; Zech. 8:7-8; John 14:15-23; 2 Cor 6:14-18; 1 John 1:3, 5, 6. But if even the redeemed and regenerated children of God walk in disobedience to His commandments, their sins separate between Him and them, and hide His face from them; and if, while they thus walk in darkness, they say they have fellowship with Him, they lie and do not speak the truth---Deut. 32:19-20; Isa. 59:2, Psalm 51:9,12; Hab. 1:3; 2 Cor. 6:14-18; 1 John 1:5-10. God is light and in Him is no darkness at all; and unless that Holy light dwells in the heart, and shines in the life of His child, the latter will not realize the fellowship of his Heavenly Father, who will never compromise His holy character, and stain His glory by showing the slightest fellowship for sin.
HUMAN FORGIVENESS.---Forgiveness is ceasing to feel anger, and ceasing to seek revenge or requital for wrong done one. All human beings are sinful creatures; and we are required, in the Scriptures, as we hope for Christ"s sake to be forgiven our sins by our Creator, even so to forgive from our hearts, not only our offending brethren, but also our enemies, whether they repent and confess their wrongs to us or not---to leave vengeance to the Lord---to love our enemies, to bless them that curse us, to do good to them that hate us, to pray for them that despitefully use and persecute us---not to return evil for evil, and thus be overcome with evil, but to overcome evil with good.---Matt. 5:43-48; 6:12, 14,14; 18:21, 22, 35; Eph. 6:31-32; Col. 3:13; James 2:13; Rom. 7:14, 19-21; 1 Pet. 3:8-9. In Luke 17:3-4, Christ says to us, 'If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him;' but in the passages just quoted, no mention is made of our brother"s repentance, and still we are commanded to forgive him from our hearts, even seventy time seven times---that is unceasingly—for true charity never faileth.---1 Cor. 13:8. Without the possession of this genuine love and mercy for our fellow creatures, all our profession of religion is sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal---an empty delusion.---1 Cor. 13:1; 1 John 2:9-11; 3:11-22, 4:7-21.
HUMAN FELLOWSHIP.---Gospel fellowship is the mutual interest and delightful intercourse of saints in the truths, blessings, ordinances, and duties of the gospel---the loving union and communion of the children of God with one another in spiritual; things which they together receive and enjoy with one mind and heart. It is nor merely that natural
love and kindness., forbearance, and forgiveness which all men should have for one another, but it is that spiritual principle that divine harmony of renewed souls with one another in the belief, enjoyment, and obedience of the gospel, which no power but the Holy Spirit can produce. It is simply impossible for gospel fellowship to exist between one who is and another who is not manifestly a child of God, or between an obedient and a disobedient child of God. Such fellowship may be professed, but it is a vain mockery. Those who are regenerated and influence by the Spirit of God cannot fellowship with 'the unfruitful works of darkness' (Eph. 5:11); cannot partake sincerely of the Lord"s supper with 'any man called a brother, who is a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner.'--- 1 Cor. 5:8,11. It is only by ' walking in the light that we have fellowship one with another.'---1 John 1:7. It was only by 'continuing steadfastly in the apostle"s doctrine' (including both their declarations and their precepts), that the primitive believers in Judea continued in 'fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.'---Acts 2:42. Righteousness can have no fellowship with unrighteousness, not light with darkness, nor Christ with Belial.'---2 Cor. 6:14-16. The faithful children of God bear, in this respect as well as others, the image of their Father, who hides His face from His disobedient people, in jealousy for His glory, and in love to them---not to destroy them, but to save them. In loving sorrow, we are to 'withdraw from every brother that walketh disorderly.'---2 Thess. 3:6. When we disobey this injunction of His apostle, we dishonor God, corrupt the church, and injure the offending brother. Gospel discipline is neither malice nor Pharisaism. Paul"s first epistle to the Corinthians contains more instructions in regard to discipline than any part of the New Testament, and yet it also contains, in perfect consistency the glorious thirteenth chapter on Charity, of Love. Faithful discipline is true, and not false charity. Without proper government, the church would degenerate into the world, and families, schools, states, the universe itself, would be reduced to primeval chaos. Faithful gospel discipline has always been a characteristic mark of the true Church of Christ; and its absence has been a mark of the Anti-Christ.
The wisdom that is from above has no respect to the persons of men, and is without partiality.---James 2:1-9; 3:17; Jude 16. It uses the same discipline towards church members who are learned, exalted, and wealthy, as those who are ignorant, lowly, and poor, and thus proves its heavenly origin.---Deut. 10:17; 2 Sam 14:14; Matt. 23:16; mark 7:14.
May the God of Israel mercifully deliver us from that evil spirit of idolatry, of self, and man, and the world., which, when it reigns, always confuses and divides His people, and breaks the fellowship of the churches of the saints.---1 Cor. 14:33; Eph. 4:1-6. SYLVESTER HASSELL.


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