ABSOLUTE FORGIVENESS

By his one great sacrifice for sin, the Lord Jesus Christ has forever removed all sin from all his people. He bore our sins in his own body on the tree. He was made to be sin for us. The Lord Jesus Christ, our great Substitute, took the shame, the guilt, and the curse of our sin upon himself, and died under the penalty of God's law and justice for us. Pouring out his life's blood unto death, he "obtained eternal redemption for us." "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree."

Because God has transferred sin from his people to his Son and punished sin in his Son to the full extent of his own infinite justice, he freely forgives us of all sin.

 

GOD'S FORGIVENESS OF OUR SIN AN ACT OF DIVINE JUSTICE. Grace devised the plan of redemption and provided Christ as the all-sufficient Substitute for sinners. But justice, being satisfied by the sacrifice of Christ, cannot exact any penalty whatsoever from those sinners for whom Christ died. God is faithful to his own covenant, faithful to his own law, and faithful to his own righteous character. Therefore, he must in justice forgive all the sin of all the people for whom Christ died. It is written, "He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins."

 

GOD'S FORGIVENESS OF SIN IS A COMPLETE, ABSOLUTE FORGIVENESS. He will never charge any believer with sin. Though we sin a thousand times a day, as we all do, God will not charge his people with sin. Though David commits adultery and murder, God will not charge David with sin. Though Peter denies Christ with an oath, God will not charge Peter with sin. Though you and I commit the most hideous offenses, God will not charge us with sin, if we are in Christ.

 

NO MATTER WHAT SIN WE MAY COMMIT, GOD WILL NOT CHARGE AGAINST US! Our standing and acceptance with God not in ourselves but in Christ our Substitute, who put away our sin. No wonder David exclaimed, "Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin!" (Rom. 4:8).