The Apostle Paul wrote: "We… are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake" (2 Cor. 4:11). There is much that we all do for our own sake, for the sake of our children, our loved ones or others, but the real test of the believer's love for the Lord is what he does "for Jesus' sake."

Under the dispensation "of Law." which continued even during Jesus' earthy ministry to Israel (Matt 5:18), our Lord told His disciples that to be forgiven they must FIRST forgive:

"Forgive, and (then) ye shall be forgiven" (Luke 6:37)

"but IF ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses (sins)" (Matt. 6:15).

"But now," is a term used often by Paul in order to introduce or draw significant contrasts. Here below we see the significant contrasts between the basis of life and forgiveness for believers today living under the "gospel of the grace of God"… versus the basis of life and forgiveness for Israel under "the Law" that Jesus spoke of.

"BUT NOW we are discharged from the Law and have terminated all intercourse with it, having died to what once restrained and held us captive. So now we serve not under [obedience to] the old code of written regulations (law), but [under obedience to the promptings] of the Spirit in newness [of life]." (Romans 7:6 (AMPLIFIED BIBLE)

Now, under "the dispensation of the grace of God" (Eph 3:2), the Lord, through Paul, exhorts all grace believers to forgive one another for a different motive... we are to forgive "AS God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you" (Ephesians 4:32). We don't earn forgiveness of the Lord, His forgiveness is now extended to us is "freely."

"And become useful and helpful and kind to one another, tenderhearted (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another [readily and Freely], as God in Christ (already) forgave you." (Ephesians 4:32 (AMP)

"Be gentle and forbearing with one another and, if one has a difference (a grievance or complaint) against another, readily pardoning each other; even as the Lord has [Freely] forgiven you, so must you also [forgive]." (Colossians 3:13 (AMP)

Thus the difference between Jesus' words spoken to the "lost sheep of the house of Israel," to whom Jesus exclusively came and addressed (Matt 15:24), and the words of Paul as "the Apostle to the Gentiles" (Rom 11:13), the predominantly Gentile "the body of Christ," are tremendous. The motive for forgiving is remarkably different.

1.      Under Israel's "Law," before the cross and Paul's "revelation of the mystery," if you would be forgiven, you must FIRST forgive. Thankfully, Christ's cross brought the "end of the law… to everyone who believes" (Romans 10:4).

2.      So now, under Paul's "gospel of the grace of God," we as believers have already been graciously and "freely" forgiven "for Christ's sake." Thus, in the light of being "freely forgiven already," we are to be tenderhearted and forgiving toward others (Eph 4:32).