"For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." Colossians 1:13-14
Do we think of God as a "kind, old, forgiving gentlemen", perhaps like a grandfather? While it might be comforting to consider Him as someone looking for any reason to forgive us, that's not the God of the Bible.
We are forgiven for one reason only - Jesus suffered and died to pay the penalty for our sins. Without His sacrifice, forgiveness by God would not be possible. (Romans 3:21-26) While it is true that God's love for us was the motivation behind sending His Son as a sacrifice, (John 3:16) it was Christ's obedience that enabled God's plan to succeed. (Matthew 26:38-39) (John 17:4, 19:30)
We must never be deceived into believing God's love for us means that we're lovely. On the contrary, without the blood of Jesus Christ cleansing us of sin we are but filthy rags. (Job 15:16, Psalm 14:3, Psalm 53:3, Isaiah 64:6) Jesus alone saves us from eternal payment for our iniquity. Praise His holy name!
Onward Christian soldiers!
Bob Benson
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from My Utmost For His Highest. . .
November 20
The Forgiveness of God
In Him we have . . . the forgiveness of sins . . . —Ephesians 1:7
Beware of the pleasant view of the fatherhood of God: God is so kind and loving that of course He will forgive us. That thought, based solely on emotion, cannot be found anywhere in the New Testament. The only basis on which God can forgive us is the tremendous tragedy of the Cross of Christ. To base our forgiveness on any other ground is unconscious blasphemy. The only ground on which God can forgive our sin and reinstate us to His favor is through the Cross of Christ. There is no other way! Forgiveness, which is so easy for us to accept, cost the agony at Calvary. We should never take the forgiveness of sin, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and our sanctification in simple faith, and then forget the enormous cost to God that made all of this ours.
Forgiveness is the divine miracle of grace. The cost to God was the Cross of Christ. To forgive sin, while remaining a holy God, this price had to be paid. Never accept a view of the fatherhood of God if it blots out the atonement. The revealed truth of God is that without the atonement He cannot forgive—He would contradict His nature if He did. The only way we can be forgiven is by being brought back to God through the atonement of the Cross. God’s forgiveness is possible only in the supernatural realm.
Compared with the miracle of the forgiveness of sin, the experience of sanctification is small. Sanctification is simply the wonderful expression or evidence of the forgiveness of sins in a human life. But the thing that awakens the deepest fountain of gratitude in a human being is that God has forgiven his sin. Paul never got away from this. Once you realize all that it cost God to forgive you, you will be held as in a vise, constrained by the love of God.
Amen!
"If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me." Matthew 16:24
