- Forgive Sins
Psalm 103:3a
Who forgiveth all thine iniquities;
Forgiveness is the foundation and starting point for all God’s promises, blessings and benefits toward us. When our sins are forgiven God can justly declare us righteous, bring us into His presence, His family, His kingdom, His heaven, protect and provide for us, and answer our prayers. If our sin was not forgiven life could not be lived and hundreds of promises would not be enjoyed. If our sin were not forgiven we would never know God or His Love, for our sins separate us from God. If we regard sin in our heart God cannot hear our prayers. Without forgiveness we could only live in death and misery, condemnation and punishment, despair and isolated abandonment.
But there is forgiveness with God. He forgives all our iniquities. God can rightly, justly, totally, and for all time forgive all sin because Jesus suffered and died as the complete punishment for all sins of all people for all time. Jesus died for the sins of all the people who lived before He entered history. Thus David could say, “He forgives all.” We were personally forgiven once for all time when we were baptized, but we daily and weekly need the refreshing reminder of forgiveness through repentance and faith, through hearing the Gospel, confession and absolution, and partaking of Holy Communion.
Forgiveness from God is also basic to our daily relationships with family, friends, neighbors and other people. Because God has richly forgiven me now I can readily and heartily forgive those who hurt or offend me. “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Forgiveness of one another smooths the rough edges of relationships at all levels, but it is especially necessary within the marriage relationship. Without mutual forgiveness a marriage will not stand firm, nor be fruitful, useful and productive. No two or three or larger groups of sinners can live long together without hurting and offending one another. If offenses are not removed daily, relationships will suffer. We can and will forgive one another and keep relationships healthy because God has first forgiven us everything. Because God has forgiven us so much we can forgive others much or little, as necessary. Thank God for the powerful and wonderful promise of Forgiveness.