THE PURPOSE OF GOD'S FORGIVENESS AND GRACE

The purpose of God's forgiveness is to restore our relationship with Him. Sin breaks our fellowship with God, no matter how small or big our sins are. Every sin is an offensive to God because it is against His holy character. The reason God expelled Adam and Eve after their sin in the Garden of Eden was that He could not tolerate their sin in His presence, regardless of how much He loved them. Thus, in order for God to restore His relationship with Adam and Eve, He provided a way for their sins to be temporary covered by the blood of the animals. It was only after Jesus' blood was shed on the cross that sin could be completely washed away and a relationship with Him could be completely restored. Colossians 1:20 says, "And through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ's blood on the cross." God loves us so much that He sacrificed His Son, Jesus, so that we could have our sins forgiven and restore our relationship with Him.

Our forgiveness came at the cost of our Lord Jesus' life, so it is not something we can take for granted. It is through His grace that He made the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. When we understand the value of the grace of God, it encourages us to live righteously and not to continue to live in sin. God's grace or favor gives us freedom from sin and the freedom to be the person that God wants us to be. We can live for God because we are no longer trapped in our sins. We are now free and alive in our Lord Jesus. Imagine being guilty of a death penalty, and the judge said to us that we are now forgiven and released because someone else paid our death penalty. How would we feel? We will be grateful that we have been given another chance to live, not to continue in the wrong way, but to live in the right way. 

Our relationship with God has been restored through His forgiveness, which is made possible by His grace. God's grace does not encourage us to continue to live in sin; it encourages us to live in righteousness. 

Questions for application: (Think through these questions carefully, meditate on them while answering them, and let the Spirit of God speak to you.) Why is it important not to take the forgiveness of my sins for granted? What does the grace of God encourage me to do? How should I live my life knowing that I have been forgiven of my sins?

Take a moment to write down all your worries today. Then, lift them to God in prayer, surrendering them to His will and trusting in His guidance.

Prayer:

Dear Father in Heaven, I am forgiven of my sins and restored my relationship with you because you paid the ultimate sacrifice for my sins. I praise you for the grace that you have lavished on me. Please help not to take for granted your forgiveness and grace, but to appreciate them by living in a way that pleases you. In your name, Jesus, I pray. Amen.