“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 forever 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.”1
Forgiveness is essential to our Christian walk. Without forgiveness we are not forgiven for those areas we refuse to forgive, and the consequence is we are no longer in fellowship with Christ Jesus. I know that sounds rough, but it is necessary for all who claim to be followers of Christ Jesus that there is nothing that is unforgiven in your life (past, present and what is to come). None of us can claim at any time in our lifetime that what we have had happen to us or happened to our loved ones is greater than what has happened to Christ Jesus or what happened to the Apostles after Pentecost—none of us. If Jesus was able to ask the Father to forgive those who hung Him on the cross, who are we to think we are better than Jesus? And if God forgave us all our transgressions who are we to question God’s prerogative? And this forgiveness is not about forgiving (in words alone), this forgiveness is about cleansing the heart of hate and vengeance. Forgiveness is about truly forgiving the offender and yourself at the same time. Forgiveness is about forgiving yourself every time you believe you have offended God by committing something you consider a sin or when you actually do violate God’s commands:
“The moral character of a man’s actions is determined by the moral state of his heart. The disposition to sin, or the habit of the soul that leads to the sinful act, is itself also sin (Rom. 6:12–17; Gal. 5:17; James 1:14, 15).” 2
Lets look at a few scriptures beyond the ones referenced in the above text:
(Psalm 65:1–3 NIV): “Praise awaits b you, our God, in Zion; to you our vows will be fulfilled. You who answer prayer, to you all people will come. When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave c our transgressions.”
(Psalm 86:1–7 NIV): “Hear me, Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. Guard my life, for I am faithful to you; save your servant who trusts in you. You are my God; 3have mercy on me, Lord, for I call to you all day long. Bring joy to your servant, Lord, for I put my trust in you. You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you. Hear my prayer, Lord; listen to my cry for mercy. When I am in distress, I call to you, because you answer me.”
(Isaiah 1: 16–18 NIV): “Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong. Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow. Come now, let us settle the matter, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”
(Ezekiel 36:24–36 NIV) For the Jewish followers of Yeshua: “For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”
God is faithful in that He Cleanses us of all our sins (transgressions) because of Christ Jesus, not because of us, and this is the point in forgiveness: God in His mercy has already forgiven us because of what Jesus did for the entire cosmos. Believers do not need to feel guilty when sin enters no matter if they are committed knowingly or unknowingly. We do not have to feel guilty or not worthy to receive God’s forgiveness, especially since He has already done so through Jesus. We are to be free of guilt, self-pity, and unworthiness. We are to forgive others and ourselves equally. We are not to harbor resentment towards one another, or those outside the community of believers. We are to turn over all our burdens onto Christ Jesus: “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you (1 Peter 5:6–7 NIV).” “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light (Matthew 11:28–50 NIV).”
Be free of guilt and shame my friends. Jesus has taken all that upon himself, we do not need to carry any of it along our journey. Forgive so you are forgiven. “Then Peter came and said to Him, ‘Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.’ (Matthew 18:22 NIV).“
(John 8:36 NIV) “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
Be free! Sholom.
Mike
10 December 2021
Christian Underground Journal
- Easton, M. G. (1893). In Illustrated Bible Dictionary and Treasury of Biblical History, Biography, Geography, Doctrine, and Literature (p. 265). New York: Harper & Brothers. ↩︎
- Easton, M. G. (1893). In Illustrated Bible Dictionary and Treasury of Biblical History, Biography, Geography, Doctrine, and Literature (p. 632). New York: Harper & Brothers. ↩︎
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