You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you. (NIV) Psalm 86:5
The nature of God is to forgive sins. God was even ready to forgive us while we were still His enemy (Romans 5:10). . .even before we were ready to ask for or receive His forgiveness! God does not forgive us because we deserve it, but rather, He forgives out of His mercy and grace.
When God forgives us, He forgives us completely –
“. . .he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” (NIV) Psalm 103:10-12
When God forgives us, He covers our sin, He blots it out and no longer deals with us according to our sin –
Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. (NIV) Psalm 32:1
. . .he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. (NIV) Psalm 103:10
When God forgives us, He no longer charges the guilt of our sin to our account –
. . .that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. (NIV) 2 Corinthians 5:19.
When God forgives us, He removes our sin from us, and from His presence. And incredibly, He promises not to remember it against us any longer –
Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back. (NIV) Isaiah 38:17
God’s forgiveness cost us nothing! But, it came at a very great cost to God – the life of His Son. God promises to never withhold forgiveness from you when you confess your sins in a sincere manner (1 John 1:9). With such undeserved forgiveness from God, how can you ever withhold forgiveness from another?
