Hi haz,
70 x 7 is the numerical value of the Hebrew word for 'perfect'. You can see from the table below that the number fits other words which are linked to each other, and which, it seems, God wants us to connect in our thinking.
I couldn't post the chart I found, which includes 'my nativity' and 'Bethlehem' (house of bread), but here are four Strong's numbers:
perfect, complete - H8549, flour - H5560, food - H4361, gift - H4976. 1 Corinthians 11:24
With regard to forgiveness, there are a few other verses which help us to understand what God is like.
Luke 11:4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us.
Luke 12:8 Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:
9 But he that denies me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.
10 And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him:
but unto him that blasphemes against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven.
Mark 11:25 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. 26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.
Matthew 18:35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.
Ephesians 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
These verses raise a most interesting question about perspectives and just whose view of an act is to prevail, especially if everyone believes they are doing
only what's 'right'?
And this is where we see God's perspective most fully, in that He took upon Himself the sins of the whole world: that is, He took upon Himself the very real wrongdoing and wrongness of the whole human race.... that He might be
free to forgive
us, because sin's debt was paid by .... Himself. In other words, His example is, that He bore the wrong, in order to regain fellowship with those who would receive Him.
In the same way, we see that even if I 'think' I have 'done' nothing 'wrong', if my attitude and actions are perceived by
another to be blameworthy or offensive in some way, that other person may feel they have an obligation to forgive us, in order to maintain fellowship with God. At the same time, whether I agree with their sense of offendedness or not, in order to maintain fellowship with them, I am to seek their forgiveness as if I had actually wronged them. This is, indeed, an exercise in humility, and in Christlikeness - of having no right to insist upon my own rightness.
All those factors put the emphasis firmly on our hearts' attitudes, and whether what now comes out of our heart is consistent with the new heart and new spirit we say we received, or, we are still operating out of the old heart - Mark 7:21, 22, 23; Matt 15:18, 19, 20.
It's not possible to read the following verses (I believe) without seeing the outworking God expects from a new heart.
Ezekiel 18:29 O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal? 30 Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn [yourselves] from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. {yourselves: or, others}
31 Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dies, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn [yourselves], and live ye.
Ezekiel 36:25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. 26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do [them].
These connections between receiving a new heart and spirit, and, walking in His ways (not our own ways) run all through scripture.
Whether it's 'habitual' or 'imperfect' behavior that condemns people under your doctrine, both I contend with as it goes beyond the gospel of Christ, as evidenced through the circumstances of the thief on the cross.
It concerns me (as you know) that you're keen to make a doctrine about not having to 'do' the works that should come from a new heart, based on the
one instance in the New Testament where the
only way the thief could show that he had changed, was by the attitude manifested in his words, which as we know, proceed from the heart (as well actions proceed from the heart). There are many verses in the NT which declare the kind of attitudes and words expected from Christians, the doing of which declarations of the lips, is the natural expression of
the heart. God knows this, because He made man like this, and then demonstrated it through His own Son; and He seeks now to live through us.
So, I wonder if you've ever considered the other thief? It
sounds as if he believed Jesus could save him, too. (Don't you think?)
Luke 23:39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. 40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. 42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
Why did Jesus save one and not the other?
