Church bulletin:
Christians rightly revel in the unequivocal forgiveness of God. Psalm 103:12, “As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.” 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” These verses and those of the same ilk are no doubt favourites for many believers.
The word forgive / forgiveness means to leave, forsake, omit or send away. The idea is that our sin is no longer held against us. God has wiped the ledger clean. He has removed or sent away our guilt. Under the Old Covenant this was vividly dramatized with the “scape goat” (Lev 16:6-10). On the Day of Atonement God required two goats to be presented to Him at the door of the tabernacle. Both were ceremonially imputed with the sin of the people. One was sacrificed as a sin offering – without the shedding of blood there is no remission. The other was set free in the wilderness – this pictured the removal of guilt by carrying it away from the people. Of course, these concepts are fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus Christ (Col 2:13-14).
Forgiveness, however, doesn’t mean that we are not held to account for our actions. God may find it necessary to deal with His people in particular ways while at the same time He has also forgiven them. There are numerous examples in the Bible, but perhaps the most obvious is David. Having committed adultery and murder by proxy, David was brought to repentance when Nathan the prophet paid him a visit. 2 Sam 12:13-14, “David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” And Nathan said to David, “The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die. (14) However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die.”
David was sorry for his sin and confessed his sin. He expressed repentance not only before Nathan and God, he committed it to print in Psalms 32 and 51 for all people to read. The Lord “put away” (forgave) David’s sin, yet He deemed that the child born through adultery must die. When the child became ill David pleaded with God, he fasted, and the little boy departed this world just as Nathan had prophesied. The consequences of David’s actions were far reaching. An innocent child died. Rebellion arose from within his household, also prophesied by Nathan. David was never the same again. God loved David no less yet David lost the lustre of earlier years. He became a shadow of his former self. Later in life he is increasingly depicted as impotent in rule, forgetful, frail and no longer commanding the love and respect of the people.
The forgiveness of God won’t necessarily anesthetize us from all pain associated with our sin. God may bring repercussions, some of which remain – broken relationships, financial hardship, public embarrassment, physical injury, loss of career or removal from church position. Sin itself has a way of leaving its mark on us, remembering certain things fills us with shame and regret, other people may bear the brunt of our sins which adds to the grief.
In relation to what I have said, there are two important points to remember –
We should not treat God’s forgiveness in a way that undermines the seriousness of sin. God loved David and forgave David, yet the child still died. David had to live with that and other burdens for the rest of his life.
Praise God there is a time coming when we will be sin free. He will wipe away every tear and never again will we live with the consequences of our failures.