? The forgiveness of God is the best news in the whole Bible! It meets your most basic need as a sinner and establishes your relationship with God forever. Without forgiveness you could never have any lasting joy or peace or hope.
God is the holy and righteous judge of all the earth. And, as the moral governor of all things, He must make sure that all sin is justly punished. This means everyone in the world should be condemned. No one could ever hope to stand before God in their own goodness ? because no one has ever perfectly fulfilled God?s righteous standards.(Psalm 130:3-4,?Psalm 103:1-3)
But God longs to re-establish a loving relationship with His creation. He aches to forgive the sins of the world. But how can He do it?
He cannot ignore sin – that would make Him unjust. And, if He judged sin properly, all would perish. But the good news of God?s forgiveness is that God found a way! He reached down into His own loving and gracious nature and found a way of being both the righteous Judge and the Saviour of the world. (Psalm 103:11-12, Psalm 32:1-2)
The answer lies in the cross. God sent Jesus Christ into the world to live a righteous life and to die a sinner?s death. In the death of Jesus God judged all the sin of the world. That means you no longer have to carry condemnation. This is the forgiveness you receive by believing in Jesus.
Righteous by faith
But the forgiveness of God involves more than a removal of your past sins. It has to do with a positive standing before God. You have been declared righteousby faith. That is what it means to be justified. (Romans 4:3)?(Romans 4:5)?(Romans 5:1)
It is all the work of God?s grace and has absolutely nothing to do with anything you have ever done, or ever could do, to make yourself right with God. His overflowing goodness and kindness to you in Christ means that all your sins are gone forever ? past present and?future! (Isaiah 43:25) (Romans 8:1)
?How could this possibly be?? you ask. The answer lies in understanding what Jesus? death actually achieved for you, as a believer.
Jesus lived the life that you should have lived and died the death you should have died. He lived a righteous life and yet He died as a sinner. He died the death that you should have died so that you could receive the life that you should have lived. Now you stand righteous by faith before the Holy God, as if you had never sinned! (2 Corinthians 5:21)
In Christ, you have been forgiven once for all. God is your Father and you will never stand before Him as Judge. He has removed your condemnation forever!
GOD?S WORDS FOR YOU
If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared.
Psalm 130:3-4
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases
Psalm 103:1-3
For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.
Psalm 103:11-12
Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
?Psalm 32:1-2
Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness
Romans 4:3
I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins.
Isaiah 43:25
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ
Romans 5:1
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
Romans 8:1
But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.?
I John 1:7
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
I John 1:9
If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
I John 2:1-2
Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith
Romans 3:24-25
But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,
Romans 4:5
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
Isaiah 53:6
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
2 Corinthians 5:21
YOUR FAITH DECLARATION
I have been declared righteous, clean and whole in the presence of my Heavenly Father.
I walk in the light of God?s Holy Word and the blood of Jesus, His Son cleanses me from every sin.
The forgiveness that God has given me is total, unconditional and permanent. I will never come into condemnation again, for Christ Himself is my justification.
Jesus died my death that I might live His life. He took my sin that I might share His righteousness. I am ever-loved and totally-accepted by God in Christ Jesus.
No demon, no principality, no power ? not even the devil himself can bring any charge against me!
My unworthiness is forever lost in the infinite sea of God?s love. And now my sole aim is to please the One who saved me and has forgiven me by His grace.
I live in the Spirit of that grace and walk in the forgiveness of God.