“Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of His inheritance?…He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.” – Micah 7:18, 19
“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” – Luke 23:34
Forgive who? Who was Jesus praying for? Who was He thinking about? The spiritual or “church” answer is…you and me…right? Absolutely! Amen! I hope these words from the cross have reminded you that your heavenly Father has always loved you and that His forgiveness is available for the asking. This is the wonderful Gospel…Jesus died for my sins and has forgiven me and, if I put my faith in Him, I will not perish (die) but have eternal life…whew!
The past few days we have been meditating on this wonderful…incomprehensible…incredible forgiveness and compassion of our heavenly Father. This is certainly something to be thankful for, but there are a couple other layers when it comes to God’s forgiveness and this simple phrase from the cross.
First, Jesus was asking forgiveness for everyone. God’s compassion and forgiveness is for all the world. Not just you and me. Jesus loved the Jews who mocked Him and the Romans who crucified Him. He loved the disciples who followed Him and those who spit in His face and rejected Him. He loves the religious and the reprobate. He loves the best and the worst the same…and offers the blanket of forgiveness to them all. Wait…wait. Everyone? “I’m not sure I am comfortable with that.” “Certainly there are some that will not be forgiven…some that will get what they deserve…right?” And here is where the trouble can begin for us. We love grace and mercy when it comes our way, but we want judgement and punishment for others.
Truth: Jesus died on the cross for all people
This word from Jesus on the cross reveals a forgiving God that loves without discretion. “Father, forgive them…” “For God so loved the world…that whosoever believes…” Genuine love and compassion does not keep score. God’s love is not measured out according to some “sinfulness rating” and He is not interested in your opinion of who should get it or not. There is no one that God does not love. God loves all and “desires all to be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth.” (1 Timothy 2:4).
Therefore, we need to open our heart to love everyone and, secondly, to be as indiscriminate in our practice of forgiveness. This is the other area we struggle with…forgiving others. The Scriptures tell us that the depth of our experience with God’s forgiveness should be evident in our forgiveness of others.
“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” – Ephesians 4:32
Yes Believer, God has forgiven you! You have been redeemed and set free. Go, therefore this day, and love others. Be slow to anger and quick to forgive. May the blessings of God’s grace and mercy inspire you to share the good news of the love of Jesus with everyone you meet!