When we consider God’s perspective on forgiveness, He defines it as blotting out the impurity of sin or the dent of sin on our lives. To be forgiven by God is to be cleansed from the record of wrongdoing, such that we now have a clean slate. This is beautifully captured in the book of Isaiah 1:18:
“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
From Atonement to Remission
It is important to understand the shift in how sin is handled between the Old and New Testaments. In the Old Testament, there was atonement for sin, which was the covering of sins with the blood of animals offered at the altar. However, in the New Testament, we have the remission of sins, which is the blotting out or the clearing off of our record of sins.
This transition is possible because, while God hates sin, He provided a Savior. As recorded in St. Matthew 1:21:
“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”
The Three-Fold Saving Work of Jesus
The salvation from sin that Jesus offers is threefold:
1. To restore your relationship with God. This restoration is as though the memory of your sins is blotted out of God’s memory, as if He forgets your wrongdoings. This fulfills the promise in Hebrews 8:12:
“For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.”
2. To purge our conscience of the guilt of sin. This allows us to approach God in all confidence. This is explained in 1 John 3:19-21:
“And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.”
3. To rid the enemy of evidence. This work removes the evidence used to hold against us to afflict or oppress us. Colossians 2:13-15 describes this victory:
“And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”
All these dimensions of Christ’s redemptive work are made possible by the instrumentality of the blood of
Jesus. Revelation 1:5-6 declares:
“And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”
How to Receive This Forgiveness
To partake of this forgiveness, one must first believe in their heart that Jesus died for their sins, was buried, and rose again the third day for their justification. This is the path to being saved from eternal damnation. As Peter preached in The Acts 3:19:
“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.”
The message is clear: God is light, and in Him is no darkness. 1 John 1:5-10 details the necessity of walking in the light and confessing our need for Him:
“This then is the message which we have heard of him and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not know the truth; but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”
Forgiveness for the Believer in Christ
For those who are already in Christ, we must understand the ministry of Jesus as our advocate or mediator. Jesus has paid a once-for-all sacrifice with His blood that continually advocates our approval before God.
Consequently, we are perpetually in a state of “forgiven” in Christ. God no longer holds our sins against us
in the sense of disqualifying us from sonship and fellowship, though He still corrects us when we sin.
1 John 2:1-2 and 1 John 2:12 reassure us of this:
“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”
“I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake.”
In Christ, it is not your office to “ask” for forgiveness; rather, it is in the office of the High Priest, Jesus, to advocate for our forgiveness, which He already did once and for all with His blood. When we err, we must remember we were forgiven even before we erred.
Addressing Sin in the Christian Life
If a Christian falls into sin, they should address it as soon as possible. You should confess it in the context of apologizing and receiving the forgiveness or remission that has already been given in Christ before you were even born.
One major reason to address sin through confession is for the sake of your conscience. This ensures your conscience remains confident in approaching God’s presence without guilt and does not become hardened to living in hidden sin.
Finally, we must be mindful not to fall into the deceitfulness of sin or become complacent because of God’s forgiveness. We should seek to walk in the Spirit and stop yielding to the flesh. God is helping us in Jesus’ name.
Finding the Balance: Forgiveness and Healthy Boundaries
How many of us can relate to a scenario where you feel someone is taking your continuous forgiveness for granted?. It can be deeply painful and frustrating when others continue to hurt you despite your repeated efforts to forgive them. In these moments, we must acknowledge that our patience and forbearance have limitations as humans.
While it is true that Jesus commanded us to forgive “seventy times seven” times in a single day, we must understand how to navigate the tension between that command and the reality of toxic situations.
The Command to Release
To begin the journey of healing, we must first reflect on our hearts and identify the people who have hurt us or are currently hurting us. This process starts by understanding the magnitude of the grace and mercy of God towards us. Once identified, we should decide to forgive them and not hold their wrongdoings against them in our hearts any longer.
A powerful way to do this is to verbally commit to it by saying: ” [Name], I forgive you and release you in my heart; I will no longer be bitter towards you”. This release must come sincerely from the heart.
The Advantages of Forgiveness
Walking in forgiveness is not just for the benefit of the offender; it provides numerous advantages for the believer: 1. Physical and Emotional Healing: It helps you avoid certain illnesses and can even facilitate healing. As the sources note from Proverbs 17:22: > “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.” 2. Divine Justice: It gives room for God to either avenge the wrong or lead the person to repentance. This aligns with Romans 12:19: > “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”
Creating Healthy Boundaries
Forgiving someone does not mean you must remain a victim of their behavior. Having forgiven them, the next essential stage is to create healthy boundaries. For instance, you cannot continue giving money to someone who is scamming you.
Forgiveness does not require you to remain in an environment of toxicity. There is a significant difference between godly love and “enduring toxicity for no eternal cost”. You should not keep exposing yourself to incidents that damage your self-esteem, happiness, or even lead to the loss of life and property. It is okay to keep your distance where necessary, provided it is not done out of a heart of bitterness.
The Test of Genuine Love
Living at peace with everyone is a high calling, but the scriptures provide a clear framework in Romans 12:17-21:
“Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord. On the contrary: ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.’ In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. ‘Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
This is where genuine love is tested. For example, a relative who has committed abuse should be removed from that environment, even if they are family. A period of distance—sometimes a very long time—may be necessary for personal healing before it is ever right to reach out again.
Walking in Wisdom and Discernment
There is great wisdom in walking in love. We must be discerning about the situations we face. While God can use hardships to build us, we must also know when to: * Resist the devil working through people rather than just enduring it. * Flee from people before they destroy you. * Recognize that God’s primary way of training is through His word, though enduring hardship for the gospel can yield eternal rewards.
Ultimately, self-punishment has nothing to do with forgiveness or the love of God. By releasing bitterness and establishing wise boundaries, we overcome evil with good while protecting the life and peace God has given us.
