In His Name Devotionals
GOD'S FORGIVENESS
In His Name Devotionals
GOD'S FORGIVENESS
“In Christ we have...forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of (God’s) grace, which He lavished upon us.” (Ephesians 1:7-8 NIV)
On Israel’s Day of Atonement, the high priest selected two goats. One was sacrificed, the other set free. Before releasing the second goat, the high priest symbolically placed the sins of the people on it by laying his hands on its head. This “scapegoat” was then taken a great distance from camp and released—never to return again (Leviticus 16:7-10).
The Greek word translated “forgiveness” in Ephesians 1:7 means “to send away.” It speaks of canceling a debt or granting a pardon. Like the scapegoat, Christ carried away your sins on the cross.
In Christ, God canceled your debts and pardoned your transgressions, and He died so “according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon (you)” (vs. 8). That means you have infinite forgiveness, because God’s grace is infinite. You cannot sin beyond God’s grace, because when sin abounds, grace super-abounds (Romans 5:20).
God delights in lavishing His grace upon you. Such grace is overflowing and cannot be contained. When you obey the Gospel, being born again, you are forgiven for every sin—past, present, and future. As long as you remain as obedient as you can, you will never be condemned by God or separated from Him (Romans 8:1-2, 31-39). When you fail and repent, God doesn’t hold your sins against you. Christ bore them all so that you might know the joy and peace that freedom from sin and guilt brings.
Let the reality of God’s grace fill your heart with joy and assurance. Let the responsibility of glorifying Him fill you with awe and reverence. Let this day be a sacrifice of praise and service to Him.
