In Him we have . . . the forgiveness of sins . . . —Ephesians 1:7
In my humble opinion, forgiveness may be the most difficult thing we are called to do. Maybe it’s just me. It goes against our sense of fairness and justice. “He did that to me.” “He doesn’t deserve my forgiveness.” Holding on to the anger and resentment is so satisfying; even if we realize it’s so destructive. And it’s much more destructive to us than the one we are called to forgive.
Think about God. His sense of justice is perfect and we really DON’T deserve to be forgiven. Yet He forgives. It is crucial that we understand why. 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.
We are blessed to be forgiven and, yes, that’s a really big deal.
Nick
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