Some have come to see and acknowledge the great difference between the demands of the Mosaic Law for blessing and cursing and that of the Pauline grace gospel that includes our forgiveness of sins.

Very few Christians and born-again preacher/teachers have seen or acknowledge that the system of ‘conditional forgiveness’ of the Old Testament under “the Law” was carried on by Jesus in the so called Gospels. In fact Jesus of Nazareth spoke and strengthened “the Law” in many ways during His ministry which was unto Israel alone (see Matt 15:24, cf. Romans 15:8). Didn’t Jesus say this?

“Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: 28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” (Matthew 5:27-28)

The four gospels and the other non-Pauline writings of the New Testament that were written by the Apostles James, John, and Peter, also belong to Israel alone. In fact all the books from Hebrews to Revelation can and should be considered Hebrew epistles. How can I say this; well, consider Jesus’ instruction to the Twelve Apostles.

“These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: 6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (Matthew 10:5-6)

Consider the following Scriptures to see what forgiveness required during the four gospels in which Jesus was “the minister of the circumcision (Israel)” (Rom 15:8).

Matthew 6:12 And (God will) forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. <CONDITIONAL

Matthew 6:14-15 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, (then) your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Matthew 18:34-35 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. 35So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

Mark 11:25-26 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. 26But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

Luke 6:37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:

 Luke 17:3-4 Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. 4And 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.

(NOTE: Applying the term ‘New Testament’ to the four synoptic gospels is an inaccuracy since the ‘New Testament’ could not yet be in force until “the death of the testator (Christ).” (cf. Heb 9:16-17). We know Jesus did not die until the end of the so-called gospels. Therefore these four books we traditionally call “the gospels” are actually a continuation of what Paul calls “Time Past,” under “the Law.”)

Note carefully from the above verses that our heavenly Father does in fact extend ‘forgiveness of sins’ to the people of Israel, but… only when forgiveness is ‘first’ extended to others (cf. Luke 6:37).

Similarly, an Israelite was to forgive an offending Israelite only IF that person first repents (see Luke 17:3-4). So, the order for forgiveness in that case then is 1) Offense committed, 2) Confrontation and rebuke of the offender, 3) Repentance by the offender, 4) Forgiveness is only then extended by the victim to the offender.

All these examples are clearly at odds with Paul’s “Gospel of grace the grace of God,” (Acts 20:24) under which we live today. None of these conditional requirements for forgiveness applies to the members of “the body of Christ” today. So let’s see what Paul actually says about forgiveness today under God’s grace.

You perhaps should note that by these teachings Jesus are actually addressing ‘forgiveness’ as it will apply during the Messianic Millennial Kingdom on earth, which was long promised to Israel according to OT prophecy concerning Israel (Luke 1:70, Acts 3:21, Rev 5:10). From a couple of passages in Scripture it’s clear that there will still be sin on the earth during the Millennial Kingdom under “the rod” with which Jesus shall reign. One example may be seen in the Parable of the Sheep and Goats where living survivors of the Tribulation are escorted directly into the Kingdom still in their natural sin-natured human bodies. (Matt. 25:34). Jesus will reign in all wisdom and perfect justice, with a rod of iron. “And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God” (Revelation 19:15).

In Ezekiel 42:13 an angel shows Ezekiel the rooms in the Temple of the Millennial Kingdom where the priests will eat the meat from the holy offerings in the Temple. In Eze.46:13 he describes daily burnt offering for the sins of the people. And in Isaiah 65:20 there’s mention of death occurring during the Millennium. Only Sin-free people can be immortal and that time will come in the eternal kingdom.

The deceased kingdom believers of the Old Testament and Tribulation will have been resurrected in the first resurrection, in their eternal spirit-bodies. They will be housed and dwell in the city of the New Jerusalem where there will be no sin, nothing impure can ever enter the city of our great God. (cf. Rev. 21:27).

“Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. 2  Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.” (Psalm 48:1-2)

As true Americans celebrate their liberty under our constitution, true Christians today should rejoice in the great liberty they now have “in Christ.”

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage (to “the Law” of Sin and death).” (Galatians 5:1)

Our Lord said: “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” and “If the Son, therefore, shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:32, 36). Likewise the Apostle Paul declares that, by God’s gracious forgiveness, believers in Christ have been made “free from sin” and they have become “servants to God,” who deals with us in grace (Rom. 6:22).

It’s strange that so many sincere religious people actually wish to be in bondage to Israel’s Mosaic Law, which can only judge and condemn them for their sins. It offers no power to live righteously. Peter called “the law”: “a yoke… which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear” (Acts 15:10). In that Acts 15 meeting Peter was saying Israel’s “Law” should not be applied to the Gentiles. Paul called “the Law” “the handwriting of decrees, that was against us, which was contrary to us” (Col. 2:14). Paul called it “the ministration of death” and “the ministration of condemnation” (2 Cor. 3:7, 9).

Paul challenged those who “desired” to be under the law:

“Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?” (Gal. 4:21).

“For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written. Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them” (Gal. 3:10).

Thank God, “Christ hath Redeemed Us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us” (Gal. 3:13). Man always responds better to grace than to “the law.”

Paul tells us “the law” was “added because of transgressions” (Gal. 3:19). “By the law is the knowledge of sin” (Rom. 3:20). But Christ died for our sins and now true believers serve God out of gratitude for His love and care. Hence Rom. 6:14 says: “Sin shall not have dominion over you, for ye are not under the law but under grace.”