“Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits -- who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s” (Ps. 103:1-5, NIV).
One of the many benefits we receive from God – He “forgives all your sins…” And we also read in Psalm 32:1, “Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. “
Do we also praise God for forgiving our sins? Do we regard ourselves “blessed” for the forgiveness we received from Him?
God does not only heal, protect, provide, but also forgive. “When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions. Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple” (Ps. 65:3-4).
Do we sense an excellence how the Sovereign God forgave that the psalmist praised Him for it?
Before we answer that question, let’s first realize the value of the forgiveness we received from God. And we can begin to appreciate His forgiveness, if we acknowledge the enormity of our sins.
In the story of the rich young man (Matt. 19:16-24), the man told Jesus that he was able to obey the command of loving his neighbor (verses 18-20). Replied Jesus, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me” (verse 21).
“When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth” (verse 22).
Just like the man, we may think that we have not sinned and perfectly obeyed God in loving our neighbors, or perhaps just committed “lesser” sins. Actually, we are breaking the greatest of all commands – of loving God. We may not have “great wealth,” but we may have “great time,” “great ambition,” “great job,” “great family,” “great friends,” “great opportunity,” “great accomplishment,” “great idea,” “great belief,” “great fame,” even “great church,” etc. – that we value them more than the Great God!
In fact, we need to realize that there is nothing good lives in us, because of our sinful nature, as Paul wrote in Romans 7:18.
Truly, he who has hatred in his heart is just as guilty as the one who killed another person.
Next, we could also appreciate God’s forgiveness, if we realize the gravity of the penalty of our sins.
God’s Word declares in Luke 12:4-5, “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.”
It was my strong belief before that because God is love, He will not allow you to suffer eternally in hell. And the reason that we need to fear Him is He can just “extinguish” both the physical body and soul. But is “killing” the soul and body in hell just like the killing of the body on earth?
If the punishment is just “extinguishment” of the body and soul in hell, why did Jesus said: “If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell” (Matt. 5:29-30)? You could have your whole body in hell – but not your consciousness?
But God is NOT only love.
He is Holy. The loftiness of God in His Holiness warrants the heaviest penalty on those who rebel against Him. If I am a private in the army, for example, I would deserve greater penalty if I spank the Commander-In-Chief than if I just spank a fellow private. An offender of the Sovereign Heavenly “Commander” should be punished not just with “death penalty.” It would be an “insult” to His Holiness!
In God’s Holiness, His Mercy and His Wrath complimented. In His Holiness, His Love and Judgment blended. In His Holiness, His Grace and His Recompense are both exalted.
In His Holiness, He allowed the rebellious Israelites to eat their children and the children to eat their fathers (Ezek. 5:10). He could also allow the unbelievers to be tormented for eternity.
And perhaps, in paying for our sins, Jesus Christ could have just died, minus His suffering – if the sinners would just be “vaporized” in hell (You don’t crucify the lamb as an offering for sin).
Should we not greatly value His forgiveness, if the penalty for our sin is suffering for eternity?
We can now answer the question: Just how the Holy God gave forgiveness?
Consider Matthew 9:1-8. The Son of God knew that the man was paralytic because of sin. So when He forgave him, he was also healed. The man didn’t even ask for forgiveness.
Next, let’s notice the account in John 8:3-11. The woman was caught in adultery and she was brought before Jesus. Under the law of Moses, she deserved to die. Jesus said to the people, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Those who accused the woman went away one by one. Jesus told the woman: “Then neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin." She was not asked first to leave the life of sin. She was first forgiven.
The so-called story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:30-37 is also a beautiful illustration of forgiveness. Jesus related:
"A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. `Look after him,’ he said, `and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"
During those times, Jews avoided the Samaritans. The Jews did not associate with them. Yet, the Samaritan “forgave” the man – instead of avoiding him also, he showed him mercy. God – the true “Good Samaritan” – did not avoid the sinful men, who tried to avoid Him. But in His mercy, in our state as spiritual dead, because of sin, He forgave us and showed His kindness to us.
Finally, consider how the father forgave the son in Luke 15:11-24. After the son squandered all his money and returned to his father, the son told his father, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.”
What was his sin against his father? And at what point of the story that his father showed his forgiveness?
There are those who claimed that he was forgiven, because he returned to his father. And that he sinned, when he squandered his inheritance. Surely, he sinned against God. But what he squandered already belonged to him, not to his father.
But read again verse 12, “The younger one said to his father, `Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.”
In our time, it is acceptable to get the inheritance while the parents are still alive. But during those times, it may not be a normal case. The remark of the son was not only a sign of impatience and “panting for independence,” but it could also sound to the father, “Father, I hope you are now dead, so I could get my inheritance”!
What a dishonorable remark!
Did the father “punish” the son for it, by withholding his inheritance?
No. We are so familiar with the story. He was “forgiven” when the father “divided his property…” The son returned and asked for forgiveness, because he knew he was already forgiven by his father. In like manner, we could be bold to ask for God’s forgiveness for whatever, or how many sins we committed – because we know He already forgave us.
Blessed indeed is the recipient of God’s forgiveness! Those who receive it do not deserve it. Truly, even His forgiveness is given by grace through Jesus Christ.
Are you also praising Him for it?
PRAYER: Our Merciful Father – whose Goodness shines even in the way You bestow Your forgiveness. What privilege and blessing we enjoy as You shower us with Your Kindness. Help more people to experience the grace and joy of Your forgiveness. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.
