Made Like His Brothers

God is holy, just, and righteous. God also regularly forgives sin throughout the Bible. Is that a contradiction? Some say God can't forgive sin and remain just unless He punishes that sin somewhere else first. Others say God is love, and love keeps no record of wrongs, so God must forgive everyone out of His nature. I think both of these answers get the Bible wrong. In this episode, we start a new series exploring what the Bible actually says about God's forgiveness.

In this episode:

- Why forgiveness isn't a side issue — how Jesus ties our forgiveness of others to God's forgiveness of us

- The "vicarious punishment" view: forgiveness as God punishing someone or something else instead of you

- The "unilateral forgiveness" view: forgiveness as something God simply does, unconditionally, with no response required

- Where both views come from philosophically, and why I don't think the Bible is teaching either a fully retributive justice or a therapeutic forgiveness

- A roadmap for this series: God's character, what He asks of sinners, the Levitical sacrificial system, and how Jesus' death and resurrection relate to forgiveness in the New Testament

Passages mentioned: Isaiah 55:7; Matthew 6:12; Luke 11:4; Matthew 18:32-35; Mark 11:25; Ephesians 4:30-32; Romans 3:25-26; Psalm 130

ABOUT MADE LIKE HIS BROTHERS

Made Like His Brothers is a podcast and YouTube channel exploring Jesus, the true God and true Man, and his rescue of humanity from sin, death, and the devil. It's for anyone who wants to know God better, and who finds tension between the theology they inherited and what they read in Scripture. Expect biblical theology that reads Scripture in its own ancient context, follows the story of the Bible from beginning to end, and centers on Christ and His incarnation.

WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/PkaVX4_TpvM

Music: "Royalty Free Music" by NastelBom via Pixabay.

Paul Washer's Full Sermon, "The Gospel is Only Good News for a Needy Man": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BR0ZVZItT2E

Scripture quotations are from the Lexham English Bible (LEB). Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.

Scripture quotations are also from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations are also taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.

I finished seminary, then spent the next two years afraid to read my Bible. In this first episode, I tell you what changed, and how I approach the Bible now: as one story centered on Jesus, who came to rescue us from sin, death, and the devil.

In this episode:

- Why seminary left me with questions I didn't know existed

- The passage in Isaiah 59 that changed how I read Scripture

- Why I read the Bible as one story, not a collection of separate ones

- Three commitments for how we'll read Scripture on this show

- Matthew 12: what it looks like when a contradiction means we've misunderstood something

- Where the name "Made Like His Brothers" comes from (Hebrews 2:14-18)

Passages mentioned: Isaiah 59:13, 16-17; Isaiah 61; John 5:39, 46; John 10:35; Matthew 12:22-29; Colossians 2:13-15; Hebrews 2:14-18; [final exhortation passage]

ABOUT THE SHOW

Made Like His Brothers is a podcast exploring Jesus, the true God and true Man, and his rescue of humanity from sin, death, and the devil. It's for laypeople and pastors who want to know God better, and who have questions about contradictions in the theology they inherited. Expect biblical theology that reads Scripture in its own ancient context, follows the story of the Bible from beginning to end, and centers on Christ.

WHAT'S COMING

An ongoing series tracing big themes through Scripture, plus topical episodes and responses to your questions.

YOUR QUESTIONS

What question, contradiction, or mystery have you been wrestling with, or afraid to wrestle with, when it comes to God or the Bible? Send it to me at [email protected], or on the YouTube channel. I'm keeping track of them as possible future topics.

WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/-M4ZGn7CxKs

Music: "Royalty Free Music" by NastelBom via Pixabay.

Scripture quotations are from the Lexham English Bible (LEB). Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.

Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.

Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.