The Relationship Between Forgiveness and Judgment in Christianity

The concept of forgiveness is intricately linked with judgment in Christianity, as both are rooted in the understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. According to Easton's Bible Dictionary, forgiveness is "one of the constituent parts of justification" and involves God absolving the sinner from the condemnation of the law due to the work of Christ ^[1]. This understanding is grounded in biblical passages such as Romans 5:16, which contrasts the judgment that came through Adam's sin with the free gift of justification that comes through Christ ^[3].

The act of forgiveness is seen as a sovereign act of God, where He pardons sins freely, readily, and abundantly ^[4]. This pardon is not merely a remission of penalty but is part of a broader concept of justification, which includes being declared righteous before God. As Jamieson, Fausset & Brown note on Romans 3:26, God's justification of the believer is a paradox that is resolved through the propitiation provided by Christ's blood, demonstrating both God's justice in punishing sin and His mercy in pardoning it ^[9].

The relationship between forgiveness and judgment is further illuminated by Jesus' teachings. In Matthew 6:12, Jesus instructs his followers to pray for forgiveness as they have forgiven others, highlighting the reciprocal nature of forgiveness ^[10]. The Tyndale House commentary on this verse suggests that forgiving others reflects a repentant heart and is a condition for receiving God's forgiveness ^[11]. This is reinforced by Jesus' statement in John 20:23, where He gives His disciples the authority to forgive sins, indicating that their forgiveness is tied to their willingness to forgive others ^[5].

The final judgment is a critical aspect of Christian eschatology, where Jesus Christ is the judge. According to Easton's Bible Dictionary, this judgment is "the sentence that will be passed on our actions at the last day" (Matthew 25; Romans 14:10, 11; 2 Corinthians 5:10) ^[2]. The criterion for judgment includes how individuals have treated others, as illustrated in Matthew 25:31-46, where the righteous are distinguished from the wicked based on their actions towards the least of Christ's brethren.

Different Christian traditions interpret the relationship between forgiveness and judgment with some nuances. For instance, John Gill's commentary on Romans 5:16 emphasizes the contrast between the condemnation resulting from Adam's sin and the justification that comes through Christ, highlighting the gracious nature of God's forgiveness ^[8]. Similarly, Adam Clarke's commentary on Luke 6:37 underscores the importance of not judging others unmercifully and being merciful, as this reflects God's character and is a condition for receiving His mercy ^[7].

The biblical narrative also portrays God as a just judge who will not pervert justice (Genesis 18:25) ^[6]. This understanding is echoed in the writings of the Psalmist and the prophets, who affirm that God's judgment will ultimately return to righteousness ^[12]. The writer of Hebrews quotes Jeremiah, emphasizing God's merciful forgiveness as a key aspect of the new covenant, where God remembers their sins no more ^[13].

Sources

Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Forgiveness of sin — One of the constituent parts of justification. In pardoning sin, God absolves the sinner from the condemnation of the law, and that on account of the work of Christ, i.e., he removes the guilt of sin, or the sinner's actual liability to eternal wrath on account of it. All sins are forgiven freely (Acts 5:31; 13:38; 1 John 1:6-9). The sinner is by this act of grace for ever freed from the guilt and penalty of his sins. This is the peculiar prerogative of God (Ps. 130:4; Mark 2:5). It is offered to all in the gospel. (See [219]JUSTIFICATION.)”
Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Judgment, The final — The sentence that will be passed on our actions at the last day (Matt. 25; Rom. 14:10, 11; 2 Cor. 5:10; 2 Thess. 1:7-10). The judge is Jesus Christ, as mediator. All judgment is committed to him (Acts 17:31; John 5:22, 27; Rev. 1:7). "It pertains to him as mediator to complete and publicly manifest the salvation of his people and the overthrow of his enemies, together with the glorious righteousness of his work in both respects." The persons to be judged are, (1) the whole race of Adam without a single exception (Matt. 25:31-46; 1 Cor. 15:51, 52”
Romans “The gift is not as through one who sinned: for the judgment came by one to condemnation, but the free gift came of many trespasses to justification. -- Romans 5:16”
Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Pardon — The forgiveness of sins granted freely (Isa. 43:25), readily (Neh. 9:17; Ps. 86:5), abundantly (Isa. 55:7; Rom. 5:20). Pardon is an act of a sovereign, in pure sovereignty, granting simply a remission of the penalty due to sin, but securing neither honour nor reward to the pardoned. Justification (q.v.), on the other hand, is the act of a judge, and not of a sovereign, and includes pardon and, at the same time, a title to all the rewards and blessings promised in the covenant of life.”
John “John 20:23 (BSB) — If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld.””
Genesis “Be it far from you to do things like that, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be like the wicked. May that be far from you. Shouldn’t the Judge of all the earth do right?” -- Genesis 18:25”
Luke (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Luke 6:37: Judge not - See on Mat 7:1 (note). "How great is the goodness of God, in being so willing to put our judgment into our own hands as to engage himself not to enter into judgment with us, provided we do not usurp the right which belongs solely to him in reference to others!" Condemn not - "Mercy will ever incline us not to condemn those unmercifully whose faults are certain and visible; to lessen, conceal, and excuse them as much as we can without prejudice to truth and justice; and to be far from aggravating, divulging, or even desiring them to be punished." Forgive - ”
Romans (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Romans 5:16: And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift,.... The apostle goes on with the dissimilitude between the effects of Adam's sin, and Christ's righteousness: for the judgment was by one to condemnation; by "judgment" is meant, not the judgment of God, or the judiciary sentence pronounced by God on Adam and his posterity for sin; but the guilt of the one man's sin, which is imputed to all men to condemnation, on account of which the sentence of condemnation passed on all men; the law transgressed, became a ministration of condemnation to them: but the free gi”
Romans (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Romans 3:26: To declare . . . at this time--now for the first time, under the Gospel. his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus--Glorious paradox! "Just in punishing," and "merciful in pardoning," men can understand; but "just in justifying the guilty," startles them. But the propitiation through faith in Christ's blood resolves the paradox and harmonizes the discordant elements. For in that "God hath made Him to be sin for us who knew no sin," justice has full satisfaction; and in that "we are made the righteousne”
Matthew (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Matthew 6:12: And forgive us our debts--A vitally important view of sin, this--as an offense against God demanding reparation to His dishonored claims upon our absolute subjection. As the debtor in the creditor's hand, so is the sinner in the hands of God. This idea of sin had indeed come up before in this discourse--in the warning to agree with our adversary quickly, in case of sentence being passed upon us, adjudging us to payment of the last farthing, and to imprisonment till then (Mat 5:25-26). And it comes up once and again in our Lord's subsequent teaching--a”
Matthew (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Matthew 6:12: 6:12 as we have forgiven (see also 6:14-15; 18:21-35): Forgiving others is a reflection of a repentant, regenerate heart, which makes our own forgiveness possible. Those who have experienced God’s forgiveness will forgive. Jesus implies that those who are unwilling to forgive have not perceived God’s mercy, and perhaps have never truly repented.”
Psalms (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Psalms 94:15: But judgment shall return unto righteousness,.... Which may be understood either of the judgment and righteousness of God, which seemed to be parted, and stand at a distance from each other; his conduct and government of the world from his justice; the righteous being persecuted and afflicted, and wicked men suffered to prosper; which sometimes makes it difficult to reconcile the judgment of God, or his government of the world, to his justice; see Jer 12:1, but as this has been made manifest in the destruction of the Jews, and in the downfall of Rome Pagan, the first”
Hebrews (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Hebrews 8:12: For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness,.... That is, sin; for all unrighteousness is sin, being contrary to the justice of God, and his righteous law: and the phrase is expressive of God's forgiveness of it, which is a very considerable article of the covenant of grace; mercy is the spring and original of pardon; it is what God delights in, and therefore he pardons freely; it is large and abundant, and hence he pardons fully; and this lays a foundation for hope in sensible sinners: and the way and means, in and by which God pardons, is the propitiatory sacri”

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