When last did you think about the Lord’s forgiveness? I am not talking about glancing thoughts, I am talking about deep-on-your-knees-in-your-heart thinking. We speak about it so easily, and freely and without really giving it much thought. We all do or have done, at some time or another. I know I certainly have. But have you ever wondered why it is so easy for us to accept this forgiveness?
Forgiveness is so easy for us to accept, because it cost Jesus the agony of the cross of Calvary…
From today’s reading in My Utmost for His Highest.
| November 20th. | ||
| THE FORGIVENESS OF GOD | ||
| “In whom we have . . . the forgiveness of sins.” Ephesians 1:7
Beware of the pleasant view of the Fatherhood of God – God is so kind and loving that of course He will forgive us. That sentiment has no place whatever in the New Testament. The only ground on which God can forgive us is the tremendous tragedy of the Cross of Christ; to put forgiveness on any other ground is unconscious blasphemy. The only ground on which God can forgive sin and reinstate us in His favour is through the Cross of Christ, and in no other way. Forgiveness, which is so easy for us to accept, cost the agony of Calvary. It is possible to take the forgiveness of sin, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and our sanctification with the simplicity of faith, and to forget at what enormous cost to God it was all made ours. Forgiveness is the divine miracle of grace; it cost God the Cross of Jesus Christ before He could forgive sin and remain a holy God. Never accept a view of the Fatherhood of God if it blots out the Atonement. The revelation of God is that He cannot forgive; He would contradict His nature if He did. The only way we can be forgiven is by being brought back to God by the Atonement. God’s forgiveness is only natural in the supernatural domain. Compared with the miracle of the forgiveness of sin, the experience of sanctification is slight. Sanctification is simply the marvellous expression of the forgiveness of sins in a human life, but the thing that awakens the deepest well of gratitude in a human being is that God has forgiven sin. Paul never got away from this. When once you realize all that it cost God to forgive you, you will be held as in a vice, constrained by the love of God. |
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Since coming to understand something of the depth of that cost, I don’t know if “easy to accept” would be the phrase I’d choose. I see more and more of the truth in the words of Paul Washer when he said that it takes a lot of faith to see ourselves the way the Scripture portrays us, and then actually believe that God loves us as much as He says He does. There’s a reason that Christian was swayed from the Narrow Path up to Mt. Sinai after being helped out of the Swamp of Despond and before coming to the Narrow Gate, with all the arrows being shot at him on approach. Once we see the depth of Grace, it seems that in many instances it is very hard for the flesh to accept it at all, or to actually believe that we have been forgiven. This is not a virtue, however.
Hi Steph,
This reminded me of a Spurgeon sermon I read recently,(#792) entitled: Mary Magdalene.
It very much blessed me and I am sure it will bless anyone who takes time to look it up and read it. It was wonderful to read how she lived in the gratitude of her being forgiven.
Bless you and have a good weekend.
Hi Barbara
I fully understand what you are saying, but I think it is until a person is taken to that place of depth you are speaking of, it slips off a tongue too easily, “I am forgiven” and not give much more thought to it. Until the Lord takes that person in hand, as He obviously is taking you, and shows them the depth of the cost of being able to say it, the reality of it will not be truly comprehended. We will never get to this place by ourself. God has to reveal this to us as He has to reveal every single thing we understand in our hearts about Him..
It is a great joy to hear from you, dear sister.
Bless you
Hi Diane – thank you for your reference – I will definitely look it up.
Her story of her weeping at Jesus’ feet and drying them with her hair, is one of the most beautiful, passages. I too have felt like that before Him, and wept many tears in thankfulness, gratitude and awe that He was able to forgive me and bring me to Him. There are times, as I am sure you yourself know, when no words can be spoken out loud to describe your heart towards the Lord – no words to do any justice, and so tears come and with tears comes our giving of yet another area of ourselves, wholly over to Him. In the death of that part of yourself, His life is raised in it’s place.
Bless you
What a great comfort it is to know that He takes note of every tear we shed that falls from eyes in awe of Him. How Christ must rejoice in you and take pleasure in your tears of thankfulnness towards Him.
This great love He has for us, which has nothing to do with our actions, was decreed by God at the beginning without any input from us on how this great love would be shown!! Amazing. He loves me and you because He decreed He would.
Knowing this… that this great plan of salvation had nothing whatsoever to do with me, but was in totality God’s doing, keeps His love for me and my “deserving” of it very separate, if you know what I mean. Studying God’s love for me had very little to do with finding scriptures on how He was planning to bless me, etc., but everything to do with studying what He did for me on the cross. That is where we stay every moment.
God bless you. Knowing He is smiling on us today-is that not enough to sustain us?
Diane, Rejoicing with you!