Three Things To Know About God Series

SPIRITUAL GROWTH ENHANCERS

REF NO: 020

OPENING PASSAGE: Psalm 86:5, NIV: You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you.

TOPIC: THREE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT GOD

Do you call to God? How often do you speak with Him on daily basis? In today's passage, the psalmist shares pearls with us about three thought-provoking and profound truths in his encounter with God about His character. He has unveiled the Almighty to us as "Forgiving, Good and Loving" and we are going to take some time to study these attributes about God's nature.

I. HE IS FORGIVING

The root of “forgive” is the Latin word “perdonare,” meaning “to give completely, without reservation.” That “perdonare” is also the source of our English “pardon.” According to Wikipedia, A pardon is a government decision to allow a person to be relieved of some or all of the legal consequences resulting from a criminal conviction.

Webster's Dictionary:

a. The excusing of an offence without exacting a penalty

b. An official warrant of remission of penalty (a royal pardon later released him from a death sentence)

c. Excuse or forgiveness for a fault, offence, or discourtesy

e. To absolve from the consequences of a fault or crime

f. To allow (an offence) to pass without punishment: FORGIVE

According to Collins Dictionary, If someone who has been found guilty of a crime is pardoned, they are officially allowed to go free and are not punished.

The Cambridge Dictionary sums it all, "If someone who has committed a crime is pardoned, that person is officially forgiven and their punishment is stopped:"

According to biblical research: two main words in the Old Testament for “forgiveness,” and they’re usually translated in the semantic range or cluster of “pardon” / “pardoned” / “forgive” / “forgiveness” / “forgiven” / “forgiving.” Together they form a mega-theme in the Hebrew Bible. The two words are nasa and salah.

The word nasa means “the taking away, forgiveness or pardon of sin, iniquity, and transgression.” So characteristic is this action of taking away sin that it is listed as one of God’s attributes (e.g., Exod 34:7; Num 14:18, Mic 7:18).

Sin can be forgiven and forgotten by God because it is “taken up and carried away.”

Isaiah 43:25, KJV: I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.

Hebrews 8:12, GNB: I will forgive their sins and will no longer remember their wrongs.”

So why do you still dwell in the past of your sins? Why do you still remember and talk about your sins when God does not remember it anymore? Why do you still think about the circumstances of your past when the Almighty only thinks about your future to give you an expectant end?

Why do you still live in the regret of what you did in the past when in a matter of fact the Almighty is not counting it against you? When He does not even remember and His only concentration and focus is to get you a better future? Nobody can accuse you because of your sins.

Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him.

The LORD said to Satan, “The LORD rebuke you, Satan! The LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?”

3 Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel.

The angel said to those who were standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes.” Then he said to Joshua, “See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put fine garments on you.” Zechariah 3:1-4, NIV

Beloved nobody can accuse you of your sins. See not even the devil has the right to accuse you or talk about your sins. When the devil reminds you of your sins, remind him of his defeat at Golgotha, on the cross at Calvary.

Nobody have the right to discuss the circumstances of your past. It is Christ that died. It is God that showeth mercy and it is He that forgives. Who are you that judges another man's servant? When Satan tells you about your sins, tell him about his eternal fate in the lake of fire. When he reminds you of your past, remind him of the blood of Jesus. Tell him that the blood of Jesus is against him.

Both the Old and New Testament verses encourages us to a genuine repentance, because there is forgiveness with God, and shows the freeness of Divine mercy. When God forgives, he forgets. It is not for any thing in us, but for his mercies' sake, His name's sake, His promise' sake; and more especially for his Son's sake.