The Simplicity of Forgiveness

I have drafted many writings regarding faith, hope, and charity—more commonly known as love, yet I feel compelled this morning to write on the simplicity of forgiveness.

 

I believe, in part, the misgiving or hesitation in being converted to Christianity is the misunderstanding of what is needed to become joint heirs with Jesus Christ—children of God. 

 

The first realization of understanding should be awareness that no person under heaven can change the status of their inherited nature, which is the sin-nature of Adam and Eve.  It was because of their refusal to obey God, in the beginning, that sin entered a perfect world.  This disobedience caused all of humanity, generation to generation, to suffer the repercussions of their negative response in obeying God.

 

This plague-like nature is like the DNA of a human body, but is associated with the spirit that dwells within the body.  This sin nature reflects the spiritual gene pool, as it were, of our disobedient heritage of ancestry.

 

(Romans 3:23), “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

 

The word ‘all’ in the scripture above is quite specific.  It includes you and me.  We are as guilty, by proxy, as Adam and Eve when they ate the fruit of the tree that was in the midst of the Garden of Eden that God had instructed them not to partake.

 

We are cursed with this same disobedient spirit.  We want our way; we are self-centered, and we don’t like people telling us what to do.  If you don’t believe it, just look at any child.  They are self-centered; wanting their own way, while rebelling against the word, “No!”  It is this nature that I am talking about.

 

As these little ones grow toward adulthood, there comes a time of accountability; at what age I don’t know, but God does.  It is when we become accountable for our actions and deeds.  At this point we need a Savior to forgive us of our wrongdoings—sin.

 

There is a great chasm that separates the human race from God; it is sin.  God is on the side where righteousness abides, whereas, humanity is on the opposite side; bound by rebellion and headstrong self-will.

The second realization is to grasp and recognize that it is literally impossible for any person to span this chasm, even though their status in life may be high ranking and they have important people in their repertoire of friends.  Mankind cannot cross this gulf with manmade bridges of good works, self-righteousness, being a good person, doing pittance, or having religiosity.  All are meager attempts to get to God.

The third and most important realization is the fact that there is only one means of spanning the abyss between God and us.  It is the cross of Calvary.  God’s Son, Jesus, was nailed to this cross with His hands outstretched horizontally.  He is beckoning all of humanity to come to God by way of the cross and to stop their fruitless methodologies of trying to get to heaven on their own. 
  

Jesus desires that every man, woman, boy and girl take hold of His nailed pierced hand and give their life to Him.  There is no other way to God except through Jesus.

 (John 14:6), “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me.’ ”

 

Jesus was beaten to within an inch of His life, spit upon, hung on a cross, died, and rose from the dead on the third day for our sins.  Because He lives we can live also.  We need only to simply ask God to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from unrighteousness, in the name of Jesus. 

When we do this, God wipes the slate clean.  It is as if we had never sinned.  He sees us through the precious blood that His Son shed on the cross for our redemption.  Forgiveness becomes certainty and the new birth a newly found reality.

 

The simplicity of forgiveness is the ease, straightforwardness, and effortlessness that it takes when receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior.  God made salvation easy for us.  Jesus took our place and paid the price for sin, thus, making salvation achievable through His death and resurrection.  He gave His life that we might live and be transformed from the curse of sin to a child of God.

 

(John 3:16-18), “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”  vs.17 “God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”  vs.18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

 

(Isaiah 35:8), “A highway shall be there, and a road, and it shall be called the Highway of Holiness.  The unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for others, whoever walks the road, although a fool, shall not go astray.”

 

I believe the Highway of Holiness is the cross of Calvary.  It is the only way to heaven where God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit reside.

 

Written by,

Papa Boyd