From a divine standpoint there are three great consequences of sin:
Its eternal consequences.
Consequences relating to our practical enjoyment of fellowship with God.
Governmental consequences.
In connection with these three consequences of sin there are three aspects of forgiveness brought before us in Scripture, which we shall first simply name, and then, in dependence upon the Lord, seek to bring before the reader in greater detail.
The first we shall call Eternal, or Redemption forgiveness.
The second, Restorative forgiveness.
The third, Governmental forgiveness.
At the very start of our Christian course we get the first. Indeed Scripture does not contemplate such a thing as a believer without the forgiveness of his sins in this aspect of it. He receives it as a repentant sinner, trusting in Him whose precious blood in its changeless efficacy has accomplished for us eternal redemption. This is why we have called it Eternal, or Redemption forgiveness.
The second is that which the Christian needs whenever he grieves the Holy Spirit by an allowance of evil. It is the forgiveness of a child who knows his relationship with the Father, but who has, for a time, lost the enjoyment of it through sin.
The third relates to the ways of God with His people here below. The term “government,” in this connection, may at first sound unfamiliar to some; but our prayer is that the reader may not only be able to grasp the meaning of the term, but that its deep significance may, by the Holy Ghost, be brought to his soul in power.