God’s great and beautiful forgiveness
Many people believe that forgiveness demands that we release people from guilt unconditionally. In the Bible, forgiveness means voluntary and loving forgiveness of debt. Jesus’ death on the cross has given us forgiveness, not only for our past sins, but also for the present and future.
What we need to do is to come to him with a humble heart, “confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (John 1:9).
God’s forgiveness is…
Once for all.
The moment we believe in Christ as Savior, we are freed from God’s punishment.
God by His own authority has freed us from all charges. “Christ did not sin, but for our good, God put our sins on Him. Thus we are reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Does this mean that we are no longer responsible for all the wrong deeds we have done? God’s forgiveness does not mean that there will be no consequences for our actions (Galatians 6:7). When we do wrong things, make mistakes and hurt people, we still have to face the consequences.
Perfect and Ultimate
“Blessed are those whose sins are forgiven and whose sins are wiped away. Blessed are those whose sins are not imputed to God.” (Romans 4:7-8)
Our sins are forgiven, removed and not counted again forever.
God’s forgiveness is perfect and final. We don’t have to worry about being confronted again with all our sins. We will not face punishment for our own sins.
When we accept God’s forgiveness, He takes our failures and guilt and places them all on Christ. We will no longer face punishment for our own sins.
The price of forgiveness
There is a high price demanded from both parties involved in the forgiveness process, both from God who forgives us and us as humans who receive forgiveness.
The price of God’s forgiveness for mankind is – He punished His Son for our sins. The just was tortured and killed for the unjust (1 Peter 3:18). He Himself has no sin, because He is perfect! But in His perfection, He chooses to bear our failures, egoism, guilt and shame. After His crucifixion was completed, God accepted Jesus’ death as sufficient payment for our sins (John 19:30).
Three days later, Christ rose bodily from the dead. By the miracle of resurrection he showed heaven’s acceptance of his sacrifice. He also showed a new life with God, which is a forgiven life that is a truth for anyone who believes in Him.
That is why we should reflect and remember the death of Jesus through the holy communion. The communion bread reminds us of Jesus’ body and the communion water reminds us of His blood that has flowed on the cross. “He bore our sins in His own body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live for righteousness. His wounds have healed you.” (1 Peter 2:24).
The price that humanity must pay – For those of us who are offended or hurt, the price is to let go of grudges, cancel debts and try to restore relationships with others who have repented. For the offenders, the price is to admit the mistake humbly and repent and not hide the act. We must admit it, taking full responsibility for the act and the consequences of the act, pleading for God’s mercy with a broken heart and receiving God’s mercy with thanksgiving.
Although the price of forgiveness is high for us, it is worth it because the joy in restoration and freedom is also gained after the relationship is restored.
May the joys of Easter fill our hearts with gladness.
Gary P Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
