Forgiveness

God’s forgiveness is complete. Because God is too pure to approve or tolerate what is evil (Hab.1:13; Ps.5:4-5; et al.), to say that we are God’s beloved children because we are accepted by God in Christ, is to make a gigantic claim that assumes that our sin problem has been totally resolved. It can only mean “total” forgiveness. To see yourself in the promise of Romans 8:1 “there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” is to affirm that your connection with Christ through faith can be nothing less that 100% release from any residual trace of your sin in the files of heaven.

While there may be earthly consequences, we must admit that the cross of Christ has eradicated all eternal traces of your sin that would otherwise alienate you from a perfectly holy God. The transaction which took place on the cross didn’t “help” your problem, it obliterated it! If your trust is in Christ your sin and its condemnation has been forever resolved “once and for all” (Heb.10). When we doubt God’s forgiveness as a complete and finished work we either don’t understand the profound nature of the cross or we underestimate God’s holiness. For the Bible declares that “we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Christ” (Heb.10:10).

If we are made holy by God’s standards through the work of Christ then we are holy, perfectly holy. While our lives are in a process of learning to live holy (i.e., “sanctification”), our account has been cleansed by the transaction on the cross (i.e., justification). So, while you may be tempted to doubt it, fight the temptation and revel in your perfect forgiveness!