Forgiveness

 •  2 min. read  •  grade level: 7
 
Part Two
Forgiveness Is an Act of Pure Grace Upon the Part of God
We are entirely without resources; we are sold under sin, and we have no strength to do any single good thing whereby we can merit favor from God. On the contrary, every day and hour of our lives we add to the debt of sin. Yet whatever the debt of our sins may be, there is with God abounding grace to forgive it. Our Lord tells us of "two debtors; the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty, and when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both;" at the same time showing us that the sinner, who has the greatest sense of sin, has the greatest sense of the grace which forgives sin.
Forgiveness being the act of God, and His own pure grace to sinners, we inquire: What is the hindrance to the sinner receiving the knowledge of forgiveness of sins?
Pride of heart, which refuses to believe his real state, his utter sinfulness and helplessness, is a great hindrance. Pride sends man to the tread mill of his own doings; and there Satan drives the helpless worker to despair, as the taskmaskers lashed the Israelites of old, crying to them, when they could not make bricks without straw, "Ye be idle! ye be idle!”
Brick making did not bring the Israelites out of the house of bondage, neither will works bring a sinner out of his sins. Grace brought Israel into liberty, and grace frees the soul. Seeking to obtain forgiveness by our doings, is spiritual slavery. God will not be in debt to any man. Listen to what He says: "To him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.”
"But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." Rom. 4:4, 5.
Works and Grace Cannot Be Mixed
One drop of the poison of man's works let fall into a vessel full of God's grace, deprives grace of its character. God will not allow man to spoil His gracious act of forgiveness by any mixture of works, for: "If by grace, then is it no more works; otherwise grace is no more grace." Rom. 11:4, 5.
(To be continued)