For Christ's Sake

"And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." (Ephesians 4: 32 KJV)

"I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake." (I John 2: 12 KJV) Or - "forgiven on account of his name" (NIV).

What does it mean to do something "for another's sake"? To do something for one person "on account of" another person? What does it mean to do a thing for a namesake? Certainly it is intended to give the reason or cause of a thing. Why was this thing done? For whose sake? Or, for the sake of what?

Throughout the Old Testament we find Lord God frequently instructing the people into the "why of things," explaining why he was doing either good or bad to them.

Lord God said to Adam - "cursed is the ground for thy sake" (Genesis 3: 17; 8: 21 KJV).

Here is vicarious punishment, punishment inflicted upon innocent earth, "for the sake of" or "on acount of" the sin of man. Paul alludes to this when he writes:

"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time." (Romans 8: 18-22 NIV)

It was "because of" the sin of Adam that the earth and all creation was "cursed." But, thank God, it is "because of" the "second Adam," the "Lord from heaven," the Lord Jesus Christ, that all creation will be "delivered"! It was vicarious in each case. Cursed "for the sake of" the first Adam and blessed and restored "for the sake of" the second Adam.

"And the LORD appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham's sake." (Genesis 26: 24 KJV)

"And Laban said unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favour in thine eyes, tarry: for I have learned by experience that the LORD hath blessed me for thy sake." (Genesis 30: 27 KJV)

"And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field." (Genesis 39: 5 KJV)

Isaac was favored and eternally blessed, not however "for his own sake," but "for his father Abraham's sake."

Laban, Jacob's employer and future father in law, realized that Lord God was financially blessing him "for the sake of Jacob," because of his presence and employment, and not properly "for his own sake." Laban's blessings were not merited or earned at all. They were given him "free gratis" and done "for the sake of" Jacob, God's chosen. The Lord also blessed the house of Potiphar, the employer of Joseph, after the manner of Laban and Jacob.

It is important to realize from all this how quickly do people "take credit for" all the good that they receive as gifts from the Lord. They think that Lord God is doing things for them "for their own sakes," for some good or merit in them. This highly displeases the Lord, however, and thus he has regularly spoken to men in the manner above, letting them know that good things are done for them, but rarely for their own sakes, strictly speaking.

So, the verse cited at the outset of this study says that sins are "forgiven for Christ's sake," and "for his name sake," and not because of some meritorious deed they think they have done.

"And if a man smite the eye of his servant, or the eye of his maid, that it perish; he shall let him go free for his eye's sake...And if he smite out his manservant's tooth, or his maidservant's tooth; he shall let him go free for his tooth's sake." (Exodus 21: 26, 27 KJV)

So too do Christians, sinners for whom Christ died, "go free" from the bondage and slavery of sin "on behalf of the death of Christ." His loss became freedom from loss for the believer in Jesus, just as the loss of a tooth or eye became the means of freedom for the slave in Israel who lost a tooth or an eye.

"Also the LORD was angry with me for your sakes, saying, Thou also shalt not go in thither." (Deuteronomy 1: 37 & 3: 26 & 4: 21 KJV)

"They angered him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes." (Psalm 106: 32 KJV)

Just as Lord God may bless and favor a person on behalf of another person, so too may Lord God curse and show disfavor to a person on behalf of another person. In the Old Testament it was stated that Lord God "visited the iniquity of the fathers upon the children until the third and fourth generations." (See Exodus 20: 5 & 34: 7 KJV) Certainly this was vicarious punishment.

Vicarious punishment is seen in Genesis, and detailed doctrinally in Romans chapter five; Lord God curses the descendents of Adam for the sin of Adam. We are cursed today "for the sake of" Adam. Lord God is angry with our race all "for the sake of" Adam's transgression.

Thank God that Paul, in the same chapter in Romans, shows how Lord God now blesses men "for the sake of" or "on account of" the great "second" or "last Adam." (See I Corinthians 15) He goes from talking about vicarious punishment in the first Adam to vicarious blessing and salvation in the second Adam.

"And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan's sake?" (II Samuel 9: 1 KJV)

"For I will defend this city, to save it, for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake." (II Kings 19: 34; 20: 6; Isaiah 37: 35 KJV)

Mephibosheth was a crippled descendent of Jonathan. King David greatly elevated this young man, showing him immense kindness and blessings, and all "for his father Jonathan's sake," and for the love that David had for his spiritual brother. So too is every Christian a little Mephibosheth who has been greatly exalted to sit with Christ at his table, as royal kings, and all because of Lord God's love for Christ!

"Nevertheless for thy great mercies' sake thou didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them; for thou art a gracious and merciful God." (Nehemiah 9: 31 KJV)

"Return, O LORD, deliver my soul: oh save me for thy mercies' sake." (Psalm 6: 4 KJV)

"Nevertheless he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known." (Psalm 106: 8 KJV)

"He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake." (Psalm 23: 3 KJV)

"Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness' sake, O LORD." (Psalm 25: 7 KJV)

"For thy name's sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great." (Psalm 25: 11 KJV)

"Quicken me, O LORD, for thy name's sake: for thy righteousness' sake bring my soul out of trouble." (Psalm 143: 11 KJV)

"I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins." (Isaiah 43: 25 KJV)

"O LORD, though our iniquities testify against us, do thou it for thy name's sake: for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against thee." (Jeremiah 14: 7 KJV)

"O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name." (Daniel 9: 19 KJV)

This is how men ought to pray to Lord God. They need to ask God to do things for the sake of his mercy and grace, and on account of his love for his Son Jesus, and because of his great goodness, and not because we think Lord God owes us something.

"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich." (II Corinthians 8: 9 NIV)

"For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name's sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people." (I Samuel 12: 22 KJV)