0319. Forgiveness
Forgiveness
"In Whom we have redemption through His Blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace" (Eph_1:7).
There are many wrong ideas concerning the forgiveness of sins. Many seem to imagine that when God forgives a sinner, He merely "gets sorry," and says: "Never mind, it’s too bad–we’ll let it pass." This conception is all wrong.
1. The only one who can forgive a sin is the one against whom the sin is committed. It would be impossible for me, as an outside party, to forgive John Jones for murdering John Smith. The government in reality cannot forgive a murderer for his crime. The Pardon Board may recommend to the government that a pardon be granted. The murderer, when pardoned, stands free, as far as the law is concerned, but his crime is still upon him. There is only one man that can forgive a murderer, and that is the dead man, who was murdered. The dead man alone could say to the murderer: "That is all right, John, I gladly accept from your hands the blow which killed me, you are not held to account."
If John owed Frank fifty dollars for groceries, Sam could not step up and say "I’ll forgive you that debt you owe Frank." Sam could go to Frank and pay the account in full’; then the grocerman could and would be satisfied.
2. All sin is, primarily, against God. Under David’s orders Uriah was killed. When the enormity of his sin fell upon David, he was utterly broken down. His pleading prayer of acknowledgment is recorded in Psalms 51. In this prayer he said (Psa_51:4), "Against Thee, Thee only have I sinned and done this evil in Thy sight." That God forgave David we are assured. Nathan the Prophet said unto him, "The Lord hath put away thy sin" (2Sa_12:13). David doubtless, was referring to this same forgiveness when in Psa_3:4, he records: "I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and He heard me out of His holy hill."
3. God can forgive sins, because all sin is against God; but God cannot forgive sin by merely getting sorry, and overlooking the sin. God is a just God, and He cannot forgive the guilty, until His justice is satisfied. Justice can only be satisfied by a full and complete punishment for sin. This was accomplished in the Blood of the Cross.
Our Key Verse says, "Through His Blood we have the forgiveness of sins." Jesus Christ, the Holy One, satisfied the offended Law, sustained the righteousness of God and at Calvary’s Cross provided a basis on which God could forgive the sinner.
4. A word of caution is necessary: the unregenerate cannot rightly confess any given sin and ask God’s forgiveness, even though he pleads the Blood of Christ. The unregenerate is wounds and bruises from his head to his feet. He is full of putrefying sores. Of what use then is it for a "son of disobedience" to specialize on any one sin and seek forgiveness, when a multitude of other sins lie heavy upon him? The unregenerate must have forgiveness not from one sin but from all sin when they receive the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour. This forgiveness is based on the Cross.
5. Believers should confess their sins as soon as they are conscious of them. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins" (1Jn_1:9). As far as hell is concerned the believer’s sins stand forgiven. A Christian is saved, from all sins, past and future; but sin, while not disturbing sonship, breaks fellowship, and fellowship can only be restored when the sin is confessed, and the cleansing accomplished. This is all wrought out for us through the Blood of Jesus Christ.
"Five bleeding wounds, He bears,
Received on Calvary;
They pour effectual prayers
And ever plead for me,
‘Forgive him, oh, forgive’ they cry,
‘Nor let the dying sinner die.’"
Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR