In the first part of this study, we left off talking about God’s forgiveness. Now, we will continue by discussing what that truly means, because when God forgives us, His forgiveness is complete in ways that are important to understand.
When we realize the depth of God’s forgiveness, it frees us from the burden of feeling unworthy of God’s love and acceptance. It also enables us to forgive others, which is something that we are required to do. So let’s get started!
Forgiven and Forgotten: A Clean Slate
God not only forgives us, but He also chooses to no longer remember our sins. He doesn’t want to remember them anymore. Take a look for yourself:
I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.
Look up the phrase ‘blotteth out,’ H4229 in the Strong’s. It means to erase; to utterly wipe away or obliterate. So, when you repent and ask God to forgive you, it’s erased! Think about that, He doesn’t even remember that sin anymore. Our Heavenly Father is so good to us.
As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
A straight line that’s going in opposite directions will never meet. When we repent, our sins are removed from us forever.
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;
When we stand before God at the Great White Throne Judgement, the sins we repented for are gone. There is no judgement for them because they don’t even exist anymore.
What an incredible promise from God. That’s why it’s important to sincerely repent; confess your sins to Father and ask for His forgiveness every day. Let’s look up the word repent in the Strong’s:
From G3326 and G3539; to think differently or afterwards, that is, reconsider (morally to feel compunction): – repent.
So, repenting is more than just saying, “I’m sorry.” It means to think differently and reconsider our ways. True repentance is choosing to behave differently and trying our best to obey God. Thankfully He doesn’t expect us to be perfect, and we shouldn’t expect it from ourselves either, because it’s never going to happen in these flesh bodies.
And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
Let me ask you a question: have you ever wanted to forget something you’ve done, but someone just keeps bringing it up? How does it make you feel? I can’t help but wonder if God feels the same way when we remind Him of our sins that He already forgave. If God Himself chooses not to think about our sins, we probably shouldn’t continue to remind Him.
God Pardons Abundantly
God is patient, compassionate, and merciful towards us. He forgives us abundantly, choosing not to hold our sins against us. Instead, He gives us a fresh start each time we sincerely repent and ask Him for forgiveness.
Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
Forsake, H5800 in the Strong’s, means to leave or depart from. So, Paul is saying that we need to leave our old thoughts and ways behind, and return to God. We can go to our Heavenly Father in prayer and just talk to Him any time we want. It doesn’t have to be some fancy prayer. It can be as simple as “Father, I’m so sorry. Forgive me, Lord, and help me do better to live according to your will. Thank you for your forgiveness, God; I love you.” Can you imagine how much that means to Him? He wants us to talk to Him from our heart. He wants our kindness, faithfulness, and love. (Mark 12:30, also read Hosea 6:6 and look up the word mercy).
Yes, we all sin and sometimes end up on the wrong path. But when we return to God, He will always show mercy (deep love, compassion) for us and abundantly pardon (forgive) us.
Understanding God’s complete forgiveness enables us show the same compassion, mercy, and forgiveness to others.
Forgive Others, Including Yourself
Forgiving those who have betrayed our trust or hurt us in other ways can be tough, but God leaves no wiggle-room on this: If we want to be forgiven for our sins, we must forgive others for theirs. Let’s turn to God’s Word and see what He says. This is Jesus speaking to His disciples:
For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
Matthew 6:15
But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
See what I mean? These verses (among others) make it clear that forgiveness isn’t a choice. We must forgive to be forgiven, and only God makes this possible. If you’re having a difficult time forgiving others, talk to our Father about it. Ask Him to help you sincerely forgive those who have wronged you.
Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times
Matthew 18:22
Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
Jesus is not saying to keep count of how many times we forgive someone and stop at 490. He’s telling us that our forgiveness should be limitless. As often as our brothers or sisters-in-Christ repent, we must forgive them.
Keep in mind what it means to genuinely repent, though. If someone doesn’t truly change their behavior, we may need to separate ourselves from them. We’re told in Romans 12:18 to get along with everyone, if it’s possible. Sometimes it’s not possible, and that’s okay. We are not obligated to put up with being abused or taken advantage of. We can forgive them in our own hearts and move on with our lives.
And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
Mark 11:26
But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.
It’s impossible to forgive others while harboring anger and resentment towards them. Ask God to help you let go of those feelings and enable you to show the same compassion and mercy that He gives us.
Here’s some homework for you that I found really helpful: study ‘The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant’ in Matthew 18:21-35. Think about how to apply its principles to your own life.
Forgive Yourself
It’s easy to feel guilty for past sins, or the habitual behaviors that we continue to struggle with, but as you’ve seen in the verses we’ve studied today, God doesn’t hold these sins against us anymore. So, go live your life in peace, realizing that none of us are perfect.
Always do the best you can and avoid making promises to God that you may not keep. Instead of promising that you’ll never repeat a specific behavior, talk to God and let Him know that you want to change, but you’re having a difficult time with it. We never have to hold back with our Heavenly Father. He knows everything about us, including every thought we’ve ever had and every behavior we’re struggling with. And guess what? Despite all of our shortcomings, He loves us anyway!
Coming Up
God’s Word speaks a lot about temptation, probably because it’s the first step leading to sin. In Part 3 of this study, we’ll take an in-depth look at temptation: what it is, where it comes from, and how God instructs us to overcome it. We’ll also examine the ways Jesus faced temptation so that we can learn from His example. Finally, we’ll discuss practical steps to help you achieve the victory over any habitual sins you may be struggling with.
