The Grace of God’s Forgiveness

Scripture:  I John 1:9-10 – If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

Once we have sinned against God, it often leaves as impression in our minds that is hard
to erase in our own strength and reasoning.  Suppression of the knowledge that we have
sinned does not give peace, nor does it erase the pain of remembering the times we have
sinned against the commands and expectations of God.  It is not just that fear that
comes upon us, but the overwhelming pain of regret and remorse for sinning against so
great a demonstrated love for us by God.

The expanse and depth of the Grace of God’s Forgiveness is seen when we consider the
magnitude of a verse like I John 1:9, “If we confess our sins to God, He is faithful and just to
forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness”.   Our guarantee of His Grace to
forgive us is not only that He is faithful, but He is just, in that He has committed Himself to a
standard of justice that decrees His complete satisfaction by what His Son Jesus did for us
in relationship to our sins.  Our confession is only an admission that God honors because of
the complete cleansing efficacy of the blood of Jesus Christ (I John 1:7).

The Grace of His Forgiveness must become greater to us than the pain of our
remembrance of sin, so that we can walk again in the freedom of His immediate    
forgiveness and cleansing.  This Grace not only erases the barrier to our fellowship with
God, but it works in us to free our hearts of self-condemnation, guilt, shame, and fear, which
 becomes self-tormenting and a pathway into negative thinking by demons to render us
feeling and accepting that we are not useful and unworthy to live again in the grace and
 freedom of God’s restoring forgiveness.

This Grace of Forgiveness that works in us to heal and restore is referred to by David in
Psalm 51, when he uses words in his appeal to God for forgiveness like, “renew in me a
steadfast spirit”, “create in me a clean heart” and  “restore to me the joy of Your salvation
 and then I will be useful to teach sinners Your ways.” Is this not also the Grace of
Forgiveness that was given to Peter after he sinned against Jesus by denying Him before the
condemning world?  The Lord Jesus, in His forewarning said to Peter, “when you have
returned, go and strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:31,32)?   In another occasion Peter
heard Jesus say, “everyone that confesses me before men I will confess before my
Father, but whoever denies me before men, him I will deny before my Father in heaven
(Matthew 10:32, 33).  Before Peter could return from his shame of denying Jesus, his faith
needed to be restored through the forgiveness extended toward him (John 21).  “Do you
love Me Peter”, (3 times), then “go and feed my lambs”, which is another way of reminding
and exhorting him what he told him before his fall of denying Jesus, “when you have
returned go…”  The grace of Forgiveness is not simply us coming back, but it is accepting
the Lord’s invitation to us to be forgiven and restored to the purposes for which He called
us before He died for us, even before the foundation of the world (Revelation 3:8).

Prayer: Father, I am filled with gratitude down to the depth of my soul for Your willingness
to forgive me for the numerous times that I have thought, acted and spoke in a manner of sin.
(by Pastor Wayne Cockrell)