Unlimited Atonement & Forgiveness

Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but I tell you as many as seventy-seven times.” Matthew 18:22 

To Peter, it seemed like he suggested being magnanimous beyond all measure. If someone sins against us in the same way and seeks forgiveness once again, perhaps we could see our way to forgiving them up to seven times. After all, first century rabbis taught that God required us to forgive people up to three times ( as God had pronounced His forgiveness three times to nations like Tyre, Edom, Moab, and Ammon through the prophet Amos). Therefore, humanly speaking, seven times was quite generous, more than twice what the current rabbinical law required. 

Peter’s jaw must have dropped when Jesus responded, “Not seven times but seventy-seven times.” This verse may also be translated as seven times seventy, a whopping 490 times. It makes you wonder if Peter’s mind raced to how someone would even keep track of seventy-seven times or, even more so, of four hundred and ninety times. But that is exactly Jesus’ point. You don’t keep track. You don’t keep tally marks of the petty sins that others commit against you. If you do, you are not truly forgiving. 

Consider this. What if God forgave us of the same offense only three times? Or even, what if God forgave us only four hundred and ninety times? Wouldn’t we have long ago exhausted all of His mercy? Wouldn’t our sins then still remain? Wouldn’t Hell then be our forever home? 

But the blood of Christ does not cover just three sins. Atonement does not just cover up four hundred and ninety of our sins. Christ’s blood is the atoning sacrifice for all sins committed for all times for all people. Covered in His blood, no sin remains visible. We have complete forgiveness by the Father.. though our sins are beyond counting. 

This central truth of unlimited atonement and unlimited forgiveness compels us to be forgiving towards others. When we look at the depth of our own transgressions forgiven by God and the insignificance of how a brother or sister in Christ has offended us, when can, and will, be forgiving three times, seven times, seventy-seven times, four hundred and ninety times, and beyond. When an unbeliever sins against us, we can be forgiving because we can understand that they act in ignorance of God’s word. 

So let us forgive as we have been forgiven. Let us not keep score. But let us truly forgive. May God give us patience when we are offended. Blessings, 

Frank Van Brocklin 

Principal, Immanuel Lutheran School 

News Notes for our school: 

❖ The School Board met on Tuesday, September 12, to discuss matters concerning the school including the movement of the school towards accreditation and school choice. ❖ School pictures will be taken on Tuesday, September 19.

❖ On September 21, we will have our first quarterly school assembly. On that day, there will also be early release with public school bus service provided. It will also be the day of our faculty meeting. 

❖ September 22 marks the midterm of our first quarter. 

❖ Students will have the opportunity to participate in a cross country meet on September 23. 

❖ Our next congregational opportunity to hear about school choice will take place at noon on September 24.