FORGIVENESS before God! This is the need of all people in the world. Is it possible? Can we be assured of it in this life? The Holy Bible tells us that if we recognize that we cannot earn forgiveness, we are able to receive it as a gift from God, like the Prophet Abraham received the ram for his sacrifice.

Forgiveness from God is free, but not cheap. And it is never a free license to sin. As the Prophet David said, "the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love." (Zabur, Psalm 147:11) Unfailing love here means forgiveness. Accepting God's full forgiveness leads to a life that is full of reverence and obedience to God. When God forgives us, he also puts his life within us. God's word says, "it is God that works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose." (Injil, Philippians 2:23)

Let me tell you a true experience I've had. I grew up on a farm. When I was a young boy, my father and his cousin were cutting the crops in the field and putting them into a silo, where the crops would be preserved. This would be used to feed the cattle during the winter months. On the top of the silo was a pointed, steel rod. It was used to protect the silo from being damaged by lightning. Usually my father had the pointed tip covered. However, the wind had blown this covering off. My father knew it was uncovered but hadn't taken the time to cover it. His cousin was on top of the silo. Being in a hurry, he didn't see the pointed tip of the rod. The rod pierced his eye, causing him to loose all use of that eye.

My father encouraged his cousin to file a lawsuit. But he refused to sue my father. He was not going to sue his own cousin, much less a fellow Christian. Finally, my father filed a lawsuit against himself, so that his cousin's expenses would be covered.

Some may say that my father should have had his eye put out. He knew of the danger but was negligent. He was guilty, but because he was allowed to keep his eye, he has been able to work hard and be a blessing to this cousin and many others. If he had had his eye put out as the strict justice in some countries allows, he would not have been able to do this.

This is a beautiful picture of forgiveness. My father was forgiven. He was allowed to keep his eye. Because love carried the burden justice required, my father has been able to help him and many others. This came about because his cousin chose to forgive, bear the injury, and return love.

God, too, has forgiven us. We don't deserve it, but what benefit would it be for God not to forgive us. Without God's forgiveness, every human being would spend eternity apart from God. When we receive God's forgiveness, we are given a new lease on life. We are given his life, the very life of God.

Receiving God's forgiveness is done by thanking him for it. This is a sobering thought. When we come to believe this message of forgiveness, our lives are changed. We are not tortured physically or mentally because of our sins. We don't have to cut our bodies or do penance as some people do. We don't need to brow beat ourselves as many people do. We don't need to spend time and energy trying to deny our sin as most people do. We are released of this and allowed to serve God with our whole being. This releases praise, obedience and more thankfulness to God. Let me remind you of God's Word given to the Prophet David, "the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love." (Zabur, Psalm 147:11)

So how does this forgiveness come? This is a very important question. After all, a cheque written on an empty bank account is no good at all. So what has God done to back up this offer of forgiveness? We know that God's Word says, "The soul who sins is the one who will die." (Anbia, Ezekiel 18:20a) (This is not just referring to physical death, but a death of eternal separation from God.) We also know that God said to Abraham, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about." (Taurat, Genesis 22:2) Some people are quick to point out God's principle in Ezekiel, and deny that anyone could bear the punishment of another man's sin. But they aren't willing to acknowledge the finality of the command that God gave to Abraham. The question is, "How will anyone live under these stiff commands of God?" When Abraham was ready to sacrifice his son, the LORD stopped him and said, " 'Do not lay a hand on the boy. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.' Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place 'The LORD Will Provide.' And to this day it is said, 'On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.' " (Taurat, Genesis 22:12-14) God himself and his Prophet Abraham have testified to the provision of an acceptable substitute. Abraham's son was saved. A lamb was provided, just as Abraham had prophecied. (Taurat, Genesis 22:8) Because a substitute was given, Abraham continued to believe that God would provide one of his descendants to bless the whole world, as he had promised. (Taurat, Genesis 17:19; 22:15-18)

Did God "ignore" his own command and allow Abraham's son to live? Yes, he did. But only because an acceptable substitute was given. What substitute would God allow so he could "ignore" his own principle in Ezekiel, "The soul who sins is the one who will die."? (Anbia, Ezekiel 18:20a)

The Prophet John the Baptist answered this question while pointing to Jesus Christ when he said, " 'Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!' " (Injil, John 1:29) The Lord Jesus Christ gave his very life to take away your sin and mine. Will you receive him as the sacrifice for your sins? Where our own attempts to change our lives have failed, God's forgiveness does not fail. It is his "unfailing love."

The message of forgiveness in this booklet is not just a message that we, as Christians, have been taught. It is what we have experienced to be real in our own lives. It is the message of peace with God.

By believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, I have forgiveness of sins. But faith that is just intellectual is not faith at all. My faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is not only trusting that his sacrifice has forgiven my sin, but results in experiencing the spiritual life of his Holy Spirit within me. As I submit to the Holy Spirit in my life I do things that please God, not just man. Repenting means that I realize that sin displeases God and causes separation from him and I desire to sin no more. Faith is repenting of my sin. It is also repenting of my attitude about the nature and origin of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is no longer calling him just a man, but the specially anointed prophet of God who has anointed me with God's love, peace and forgiveness. When I have confidence in these things I am happy to live my life in agreement with these beliefs. This is true salvation and true forgiveness which puts us on the right path, God's path.

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