Luke 17:3 Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. 4 And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.
This passage of scripture lays out for us the terms and conditions of forgiveness, not only between ourselves and our fellowmen, but also between us and God. The word "Rebuke" as used in the passage must be understood correctly, for it does not refer to any sharp criticisms or other inflammatory, condemnatory speech that destroys, instead of building up. When any wrongs are committed, then we are to seek for reconciliation in the spirit of meekness, not by avoiding the mention of sin, but showing where the wrong was done, and taking the initiative in peaceful resolution, according to the measure of grace that God has dealt each one of us.
But true repentance can never take place if a person is not willing to acknowledge guilt, for the act of forgiving is based on the premise that sin has occurred, and therefore, if we are not willing to confess and forsake our sins, then pardon can never be granted, for then it will not appear to be warranted, if we view ourselves as being guiltless. Furthermore, the forgiveness that God offers us is predicated on the fact that we have all sinned and come short of His glory, and in order for His grace towards us to be applied directly, we must admit wrong-doing wherever this is the case. Let's read:
1st John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
In the current accusations leveled against Bill Cosby, in which he admits to having drugged several women in order to have sexual intercourse with them, he confesses that he did indeed give them the stated drugs, but he is quick to add that he did not do anything "Wrong" and as such he thinks himself guiltless. This is not the true spirit of repentance as is outlined in our passage for today, because the very fact that he admits to cheating on his wife on numerous occasions, makes him guilty of sin, regardless of whether the intimate interactions with other women was consensual or not.
In other words, if a husband is enticed by another woman to have an affair by mutual consent, and if his current wife is not bothered by it, he is still guilty of sin, and can never find pardon and peace if confession and true repentance does not take place. In addition to this the Bible speaks decidedly on illicit, consensual sex. Let's read:
Proverbs 1:10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.
Being willing to take full responsibility for one's actions, without seeking to blame others or circumstances for sin, in addition to being willing to bear the consequences of those actions, is what constitutes true repentance. If we are only willing to confess our sins when our backs are put against a wall, or only when we are cornered by the news media or the national enquirer with no way out, then it becomes much more difficult for forgiveness to be administered, for the fact that there was initial and ongoing resistance to our admission of guilt. Thus, whenever we realize we have done something wrong, we should be quick to confess and admit sin for what it is, not making any excuses or searching for any loopholes to justify a wrong course of action, but instead hurrying to the throne of grace, where we would find mercy, and grace to help in time of need.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which encourages us to make the most of God's forgiveness, and whenever these issues arise between ourselves and others, let us take the initiative in pursuing reconciliation, for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God and man. Let's read:
James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. 19 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; 20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word. God bless!