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The Forgiveness of God

What we said about the love, grace, and kindness of God is all true. It was neither overblown nor oversold. It’s accurate.

But there is more. Imagine the following scene:

A young woman appeared in California Traffic Court charged with excessive speeding. The Judge hears the case, determines her guilt, and sets the fine. Ironically, the Judge is father to the guilty defendant. As her father, he provided the payment and told her to pay the Clerk.

As a judge sworn to uphold the law AND as father to the defendant, he walked a fine line and wonderfully upheld all his responsibilities masterfully.

God, like the judge in the story, balances his holiness and his love for humanity. God is love (1 John 4:16), but he is also holy and just and must uphold the Law. He fulfills the just requirements of the Law by paying the penalty of our sin himself.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

The Good News, the gospel, is that despite our sin and our complete inability to do anything to change it, God has provided the solution. Perhaps equally great news is that we don’t need to do anything to escape the charges but confess our sin and admit our helplessness to change.

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)

The God of the Bible is perfectly loving and wholly just. As Judge, his case against us is airtight. As defendants, we’re right to be concerned. Nevertheless, the plea deal he arranged is exorbitantly merciful and kind. A free gift for us, but his forgiveness cost him his Son, offered freely for our acquittal and release.

Would you be willing to confess?

"… if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9)

It really is that simple. We are saved by faith. Simple belief and trust reconcile us to God.

The forgiveness described so far focuses on our entry into the kingdom of God; how we become sons of God. The same rules apply to our lives after conversion. God’s faithfulness and forgiveness are available to us daily and are inexhaustible as we live our lives.