FORGIVENESS by Jesus
FORGIVENESS
The act of excusing or pardoning another in spite of his or her slights, shortcomings, and errors. As a theological term, forgiveness refers to God's pardon of the sins of human beings.
No other religious book except the Bible teaches that God completely forgives sin <Ps. 51:1,9; Is. 38:17; Heb. 10:17
In the writing of King Hezekiah in the 38 chapter of Isaiah verses 16-19.
16 Lord, by such things men live; and my spirit finds life in them too. You restored me to health and let me live.
17 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.
18 For the grave cannot praise you, death cannot sing your praise; those who go down to the pit cannot hope for your faithfulness.
(NIV)
. The initiative comes from Him John 3:16
16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (NIV)
Col. 2:13
13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, (NIV)
It is because He is ready to forgive. He is a God of grace and pardon Neh. 9:17; Dan. 9:9.
God is always ready to forgive man of the sins that man commits. You remember the case of the lost son recorded in the gospel of Luke 15:11-32. We see in that passage that inspite of the leaving and the spending of wealth the son being not entitled to, God still was eagerly awaiting his return. He forgave him.
Sin deserves divine punishment because it is a violation of God's holy character. We must take the forgiving nature of God to be something of a push over. God takes no foolishness from man. The Wrath of God will come against those who have a desire to do wrong and to those who approve of it. Look if you will at what Romans chapter one says.
32 Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
(NIV)
(Gen. 2:17; Rom. 1:18-32; 1 Pet. 1:16), but His pardon is gracious; Rom. 5:8. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (NIV)
In order for God to forgive sin, two conditions are necessary. A life must be taken as a substitute for that of the sinner Lev. 17:11,14; Heb. 9:22, and the sinner must come to God's sacrifice in a spirit of repentance and faith.
Acts 10:43
43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."
(NIV)
We know that on the cross Jesus as recorded by Luke. In the twenty third chapter and thirty-fourth verse. Here Jesus states;
34 Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. (NIV)
We farther know that the whole event of Jesus going to the cross and dying was that man could be forgiven. The question could be asked. Did he forgive everyone? The answer is yes. Is everyone forgiven? The answer is no. Well from the surface that sound like one speaking with a double tongue. No it is not. The forgiveness of Jesus is not a blanket. In order to receive forgiveness we must believe in him. Again look at Acts 10:43
43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."
(NIV)
Forgiveness in the New Testament is directly linked to Christ Acts 5:31; Col. 1:14, His sacrificial death on the cross <Rom. 4:24>, and His resurrection <2 Cor. 5:15>. He was the morally perfect sacrifice <Rom. 8:3>, the final and ultimate fulfillment of all Old Testament sacrifices <Heb. 9:11-10:18>. Since He bore the law's death penalty against sinners <Gal. 3:10-13>, those who trust in His sacrifice are freed from that penalty. By faith sinners are forgiven--" justified" in Paul's terminology <Rom. 3:28; Gal. 3:8-9>. Those who are forgiven sin's penalty also die to its controlling power in their lives <Rom. 6:1-23>.
Christ's resurrection was more than proof of His deity or innocence; it was related in a special way to His forgiveness. Christ's resurrection was an act by which God wiped out the false charges against Him; it was God's declaration of the perfect righteousness of His Son, the Second Adam, and of His acceptance of Christ's sacrifice <1 Tim. 3:16>. Because He has been acquitted and declared righteous, this is also true for those whom He represents. Thus, Christ's resurrection was a necessary condition for the forgiveness of man's sins <1 Cor. 15:12-28>. To be forgiven is to be identified with Christ in His crucifixion and resurrection.
Christ has the authority to forgive sins <Matt. 1:21; Heb. 9:11-10:18>. This forgiveness is an essential part of the gospel message <Acts 2:38; 5:31>. But blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (attributing to Satan a deed done by Jesus through the power of God's Spirit) is an unpardonable sin <Mark 3:28-29>-- not because God cannot or will not forgive such a sin but because such a hard-hearted person has put himself beyond the possibility of repentance and faith.
God's forgiveness of us demands that we forgive others, because grace brings reponsibility and obligation <Matt. 18:23-35; Luke 6:37>. Jesus placed no limits on the extent to which Christians are to forgive their fellowmen <Matt. 18:22,35; Luke 17:4>. A forgiving spirit shows that one is a true follower of Christ <Matt. 5:43-48; Mark 11:25>.