The Five Kinds of Forgiveness
In the Bible, how many different kinds of forgiveness which come from God are mentioned? And what is their respective significance?
Answer:
Let us bear in mind this one factor: that the kind of consequence to sin will determine the kind of forgiveness involved. Now the consequences of sins are five in number:
(a) Eternal perdition.
(b) Separation from the people of God. (During the Old Testament days, if an Israelite sinned, he would be cut off from the congregation of the children of Israel. From the New Testament time onward there is also such a word as this: "Put away the wicked man from among yourselves—"1 Cor. 5.13)
(c) Interruption in communion with God.
(d) If sin is not forsaken, there will be chastisement from God.
(e) If sin is not forsaken, it will adversely affect the person who has sinned, in the kingdom to come when the Lord shall reign and deal with such a problem.
(The fourth kind of consequence is chastisement in this age, whereas the fifth kind of consequence is a chastisement in the age to come. The Bible mentions in another context that "it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in that which is to come". "World" here points to the "age". This gives us light on the truth that some sins are forgiven in this age while other sins are forgiven in the age to come.) - The sins not forgiven in the age to come would be for believers, the loss of rewards of reigning with Christ in the millennial kingdom.
Since sins have these five different kinds of consequence, their forgiveness will also be of five different sorts. If there were only three kinds of forgiveness, what would happen to the other two consequences of sins remaining? So many people are confused in this regard, just as those are who think there is but one judgment. If we are not clear on these five different kinds of forgiveness we may sometimes become lost in a puzzle.
What are these five kinds of forgiveness? Let us first list them before attempting to explain each of them one by one.
(a) God’s eternal forgiveness. (This concerns eternal salvation.)
(b) Forgiveness through God’s people. (This concerns the fellowship of God’s children. We may also call this forgiveness as borrowed forgiveness or the forgiveness of the church.)
(c) Forgiveness for the restoring of fellowship. (This concerns one’s communion with God.)
(d) Forgiveness with discipline. (This concerns the way of God with His children.)
(e) Forgiveness in the kingdom. (This concerns the forgiveness during the millennial kingdom.)
