Dr. Archibald Hart, Helping Children Survive Divorce, referred to "the fine print of Scripture." (page 41.) We have all heard that expression; we have been admonished to read the fine print before signing a document. It is an old advertising tactic of directing your eyes to the appealing parts of the deal with larger print, and writing the more objectionable parts in smaller print that you can barely see. This practice is not illegal since the advertiser disclosed all the terms of the agreement, but it is unethical because he tried to hide the parts that he knew would not be acceptable.

Some examples are: 1) Car manufactures advertise interest charges as low as 0.9%. However, the fine print adds that this applies only if you pay off the car in 24 months! 2) Department store credit cards have their annual interest rates hidden in the fine print. The first six months may be as low as 4%, but afterwards the rate is 24.9%! 3) The military offers free college education to new applicants. The fine prints says that you must commit for ten years of service or pay back the cost of your education. 4) A medical insurance agreement briefly outlines your coverage in bold print and then for the next seven pages list your exclusions in smaller print. 5) In the marriage ceremony, preachers have the couple to repeat, "For richer, for poorer; for better, for worse; in sickness and in health." The fine print may be the words: worse, poorer, sickness.

Does the Bible do this? What is "the fine print" in what God offers? Is there a catch to the Good News? Are there things that preachers are not fully disclosing? I want to tell you what the fine print is in the Gospel story of redemption.

One of the most encouraging doctrines presented in the Bible is the readiness of God to forgive fallen man. It is presented clearly, frequently, and powerfully. Every page of the Bible shines with its brilliance and beauty.

Jonah did not want to preach to the wicked Ninevites because he said that he knew God would be gracious to them. "O Lord, was not this my saying when I was yet in my country? Therefore, I fled before unto Tarshish for I knew that thou art a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness and repentest thee of the evil." (Jonah 4:2.) Even Nahum who followed Jonah with his prophecy against Nineveh wrote, "The Lord is slow to anger and great in power and will not at all acquit the wicked." (Nahum 1:3.)

The prophet Hosea describes God as the innocent husband offended by a wayward wife. Yet, he is willing to accept her back. One of the key statements in this book expressing the forgiveness of God toward Israel is this: "I will heal their backsliding; I will love them freely; for mine anger is turned away from him." (Hosea 14:4.)

Jesus once said that all manner of sin and blasphemy spoken against him would be forgiven. (Matt. 12:31-32.) He showed this while dying on the cross. One of those seven sayings from Calvary is: "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34.)

The young prodigal sought tearfully the forgiveness of his father (God) saying, "I have sinned against heaven and before thee. And I am no more worthy to be called thy son. Make me as one of thy hired servants." (Luke 15:18-19.) His father did not allow him to get all this that he had rehearsed said before he interrupted with a call to his servants, "Bring forth the best robe and put it on him and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet; and bring the fatted calf and kill it. Let us eat and be merry. For this my son was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found. And they began to be merry." (15:21-23.)

Those who were guilty of putting Jesus to death asked the apostles, What shall we do? "Then Peter said unto them, Repent and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." (Acts 2:38.) Even those who yelled, Crucify Him, crucify Him, may find God’s forgiveness?? Yes. Even Saul of Tarsus who laid waste the church of God?? Yes. (1 Tim. 1:15-17.)

So, what is the catch? What is the fine print? There is some fine print. It is repeated in several places in the Bible. If you want the forgiveness of God, You must forgive one another.

"And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." (Matt. 6:12.) This is the only part of the prayer that Jesus commented on after he taught it to his disciples. This is what he said. "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." (6:14-15.) If we refuse to forgive others, we burn the bridge over which we must pass if we desire the forgiveness of God. This is the fine print made clear. Jesus did not hide it in a biblical footnote. It is there for everyone to see and understand.

Peter once asked the Lord how often should we forgive our brother. Till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times, but until seventy times seven. Then he told a parable about a servant who owed his master ten thousand talents. When he asked for mercy, he was freely forgiven. But afterwards, he went out and found someone who owed him only an hundred pence. When the man could not pay, he pressed charges against him and had him thrown into prison. When his master heard what he had done, he called him and said, "O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt because thou desiredst me. Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?" Jesus concluded the parable with this clear statement---"So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if you from your hearts forgive not everyone his brother their trespasses." (Matt. 18:21-35.)

This is it; this is the fine print. Do you desire the forgiveness of God? It is freely offered with this condition---go and forgive others who sin against you. If you think forgiveness is easy, wait until someone hurts you. Everyone thinks grace and forgiveness are beautiful concepts, until you have to practice them. (C. S. Lewis.)

Our offenses against God hurt him as well. Just as the Lord vicariously suffered for our forgiveness, we vicariously suffer when we forgive others. We must willingly accept the hurt in order to forgive another.

There is another "catch" to this whole issue of forgiveness. When someone offends us and we forgive them, we do not expect them to keep on doing the same offensive things. That was the point of Peter’s question to the Lord. How often should we forgive? Seven times? Luke’s account adds: "Take heed to yourselves; if thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him. If he repents, forgive him. 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." (Luke 17:3-4.)

The Lord also requires us to repent. Peter preached, "Repent and be baptized everyone of you." (Acts 2:38.) The universal command to everyone everywhere is, Repent! "And the times of this ignorance God winked at, but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent, because he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world. . . ." (Acts 17:30-31.) "For godly sorrow works repentance to salvation not to be repented of, but the sorrow of the world works death." (2 Cor. 7:10.) Ezekiel cried out to Israel, "As I live saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?" (Ezek. 33:11.)

Repentance means a change of mind; a decision that one makes to turn from sin because there is godly sorrow present. However, we should not think that repentance means that we will never commit any further transgressions. The story in Luke 17 refers to the man coming seven times in one day and asking for forgiveness. The point is that we may continue to wrestle with certain sins. The fact that we have an ongoing battle with sin does not mean that we have not repented. Paul had changed his mind about sin---all sin. He wrote, "To will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not." (Rom. 7:18.) The problem was not that Paul was not serious enough or genuine in his desire to do right; the problem was the flesh and its weakness.

There is no such thing as perfect repentance. C. S. Lewis wrote that the man who needs to repent the most has the least strength to do it. What is necessary is a genuine change of heart. David wrote, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise." (Psalm 51:17.) Jesus preached, "Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matt. 5:3.)

I have found that people fret a lot about what wrongs that they have committed and whether God will forgive them. We should not focus our thoughts on whether we can correct the past. Paul could not bring to life again the Christians that he persecuted unto death. David could not raise Urriah from the dead to life again. We often cannot undo the past. We should be thankful that God does not require that of sinners. What is required is a broken heart. Am I sorrowful that I have done God and others so much wrong? Jesus said to the sin-laden woman, "Neither do I condemn thee; go and sin no more." (John 8:11.) This is the "fine print" of Scripture. But it is not in a footnote on the last page, it is found throughout the Bible.

One of the greatest doctrines and truths of the Bible is called correctly "substitutionary atonement." It simply means that Jesus took our place on the cross as punishment for sin. "God made him to be sin for us." (2 Cor. 5:21.) "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God." (1 Peter 3:18.) It is illustrated by Barabbas going free the day Jesus went to the cross. Barabbas was guilty; Jesus was innocent. The innocent one was substituted for the guilty.

The Law said, The soul that sins, it shall die. The Gospel said, The innocent will die for the guilty. Laws of countries today will not allow an innocent person to be punished for the guilty. Laws do not have such a category as substitutionary atonement. But the Gospel does.

This sounds too good. What is the "fine print" or the "catch?" The fine print is found in the same passages. The fine print is if Jesus bears my sins, do I want to wear his righteousness?? Is this something that I really want---to be clothed with his righteousness?

"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (2 Cor. 5:21.) "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins should live unto righteousness, by whose stripes ye are healed." (1 Pet. 2:24.) "Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness." (Rom. 4:3.)

We sing a song that expresses a fervent desire to be like Jesus. It is, O To Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer. Justification means that by grace through faith God counts the believer as being clothed with the righteousness of Jesus. Sanctification is the process by which we are changed more and more into his likeness. This is the fine print or the "rub," if you please, in the Good News. Do we really want to be like Jesus??

Some preachers may be guilty of hiding the requirements or what requires of us. Others may be guilty of making the requirements the whole Gospel. We need the whole truth. God is merciful and gracious. The fine print is not deceiving. Nothing is hidden. Even when we bring it all out in the open, it is still Good News and a gracious gift from God to save us. What could be fairer than to expect us to be forgiving when we have been forgiven of such a greater debt? What else should be expected of us than to turn from the ugliness of sin? Is it such a burden to be clothed with the righteousness of Jesus?? Hardly.