The Gospel is Important: God and Forgiveness

By: Kevin Jones

For·give/fər-ˈgāv/verb

1. to cease to feel resentment against (an offender)
2. to give up resentment of or claim to requital for
3. to grant relief from payment of

Mirriam-Webster

In the Bible the Greek word, aphiemi, is translated to “forgiveness.” What it means in a literal sense is “to let go.” I don’t know about you, but I have struggled with both asking for and granting forgiveness, both to myself and others. I’m not glad about this, it’s just an honest admission. However, I do not think I am alone in dealing with this difficulty. 

Have you ever needed forgiveness? If you’re breathing, the answer is yes. At times, we need forgiveness from a spouse, colleague, stranger, student in our Sunday School class, or our children. We need forgiveness when we have offended someone, wronged someone, or damaged a relationship, whether it be intentional or not. The more interactions we have with others, the more likely we are to need forgiveness.  

One mark of a believer is asking for and granting forgiveness. We should ask for forgiveness as hastily as we sin against others and God. As humans, this is unfortunately a frequent occurrence. We must also remember that any offense against another person is an offense toward God. Too often we tend to lean more heavily toward one or the other. What I mean is, we forget about God when we sin against others. We ask for their forgiveness but forget to do the same towards God. On the other hand, we ask God for forgiveness but then neglect to go to the person. We must ask forgiveness from both God and man. We must think horizontally and vertically. Some people forgive sometimes; God forgives people all the time, but only when we ask. That is what makes the gospel so amazing and God so loving. 

God is loving. God is also just and righteous. Because of this, He must provide punishment for sin. There is no clearer explanation of the punishment of sins than Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Ultimately, every human who has ever lived needs forgiveness from God. And He is all too happy to forgive us. His forgiveness is the gospel. Ephesians 1:4 reveals that God chose those He would save before the foundation of the world and that he prepared a way for them to be one with Him. A significant part of this preparation was planning how people would be saved—through the death and resurrection of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. Forgiveness is a gift from God. Accept the gift of forgiveness. Just because forgiveness is free for us does not mean it didn’t come at a great cost. Our forgiveness cost Jesus his life. 

Augustine proclaimed, “God has promised forgiveness to your repentance, but He has not promised tomorrow to your procrastination.” Today is a good day to repent and be forgiven. Today is great day to accept the gospel. We know it is difficult to live in community with people who hold a grudge or feel anger towards us. Can you imagine what the wrath of God will be like for those not forgiven of sin? The Bible tells us there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth for eternity. Now, can you image God not punishing you for your sins? The Bible tells us in Psalm 30:5, “For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor, a lifetime” (CSB). For those who are forgiven, eternity will consist of perfect joy and peace and the total absence of tears and pain. Most importantly, it will mean living forever in the presence of God. I imagine God literally letting go of our sins. In letting go of the sins, they must land somewhere. Where do our sins land? Willing, they land on the body of Jesus Christ. The beauty of the gospel is that we were given the opportunity to receive forgiveness even though we do not deserve it.

As we consider the lengths God has gone through to make forgiveness possible, what should be our response? First, we should quickly ask for and grant forgiveness to the people we interact with. Second, we should quickly ask God for forgiveness because as we sin against others, we sin against Him. Third, Jesus, through His blood shed on the cross, makes forgiveness from God possible. And finally, remember forgiveness is good news. If there is no forgiveness, there is no way we spend eternity with God. God forgives. Accept His forgiveness through faith in Jesus’ gospel.

Kevin M. Jones serves as the Dean of the School of Education and Social Work at Cedarville University. He also serves as the Managing Editor for The Gospel Project with Lifeway. He is a lay pastor at St John’s Missionary Baptist Church in Springfield, Ohio. He began his career as a first-grade teacher and has taught in various K–12 and post-secondary settings. Some of his recent publications are a chapter in, “Growing With One Another: Social and Emotional Learning in Christian Perspectives”, “Jesse Owens: A Life in American History”, and “Perspectives on Family Ministry, Second Edition”. He and his high school sweetheart, Demica, have three children: Kennedi, Kevin Jr, and Karsynn.