Why God Forgives
I know this sounds harsh, but God doesn't need us. We like to romanticize the Christian faith. We like to believe that God just wanted on big ole family and so He came to the idea to create us and form us... But we had to go and blow it and so God came and dealt with it. Why? Because He didn't want anything taking us away from Him. He's just that enamored with humanity.
To say such things is completely wrong.
God created us because God creates. He saves us because He saves. He redeems because He redeems. He does this because of Who He is, not because of who we are! If you don't believe me, look at what He told His people several times:
Deuteronomy 7:7–8 (NLT) “The LORD did not set his heart on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations! 8 Rather, it was simply that the LORD loves you, and he was keeping the oath he had sworn to your ancestors. That is why the LORD rescued you with such a strong hand from your slavery and from the oppressive hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt.
1 Corinthians 1:26–28 (ESV) For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are,
So why does God forgive us? The Psalmist got it right...
Psalm 79:8–9 (ESV) Do not remember against us our former iniquities; let your compassion come speedily to meet us, for we are brought very low. 9 Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name; deliver us, and atone for our sins, for your name’s sake!
For HIS NAME'S SAKE. His glory is brought forth in forgiving. His compassion is glorified and magnified by our being justified!
Psalm 79 is an exilic Psalm. Jerusalem has been demolished and lays in ruins. The ancient world perceived the fall of a nation's capital to be the weakness of that nation's "god." But this was not true in Israel's case. God handed them over and after they fell He continued to be very much God in Babylon and Persia even behind the scenes through Esther, Nehemiah, Daniel and others. This God is THE God.
But as Asaph longs for the return of God's people... it is not for their sake. It is for His sake. And He will do this. In time, Jerusalem will be rebuilt and the temple restored and Israel a nation once more. Why? Because this is what God does.
So when we are forgiven, we need to remember what it was for in the first place. It wasn't about us, it was for HIS glory. He sets us free and redeems and we are the happy beneficiaries.
This also means of course, that we don't have to keep wondering if we are forgiven! If it's not based on us and we don't earn it but rather for His glory, then we stand confident it is done for HIS sake. He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us of all unrighteousness. It's HIS story, not ours. So we praise Him for being Him, and making us who we are by grace.
Amen.
To say such things is completely wrong.
God created us because God creates. He saves us because He saves. He redeems because He redeems. He does this because of Who He is, not because of who we are! If you don't believe me, look at what He told His people several times:
Deuteronomy 7:7–8 (NLT) “The LORD did not set his heart on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations! 8 Rather, it was simply that the LORD loves you, and he was keeping the oath he had sworn to your ancestors. That is why the LORD rescued you with such a strong hand from your slavery and from the oppressive hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt.
1 Corinthians 1:26–28 (ESV) For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are,
Psalm 79:8–9 (ESV) Do not remember against us our former iniquities; let your compassion come speedily to meet us, for we are brought very low. 9 Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name; deliver us, and atone for our sins, for your name’s sake!
For HIS NAME'S SAKE. His glory is brought forth in forgiving. His compassion is glorified and magnified by our being justified!
Psalm 79 is an exilic Psalm. Jerusalem has been demolished and lays in ruins. The ancient world perceived the fall of a nation's capital to be the weakness of that nation's "god." But this was not true in Israel's case. God handed them over and after they fell He continued to be very much God in Babylon and Persia even behind the scenes through Esther, Nehemiah, Daniel and others. This God is THE God.
But as Asaph longs for the return of God's people... it is not for their sake. It is for His sake. And He will do this. In time, Jerusalem will be rebuilt and the temple restored and Israel a nation once more. Why? Because this is what God does.
So when we are forgiven, we need to remember what it was for in the first place. It wasn't about us, it was for HIS glory. He sets us free and redeems and we are the happy beneficiaries.
This also means of course, that we don't have to keep wondering if we are forgiven! If it's not based on us and we don't earn it but rather for His glory, then we stand confident it is done for HIS sake. He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us of all unrighteousness. It's HIS story, not ours. So we praise Him for being Him, and making us who we are by grace.
Amen.
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