This week, we’ve studied how God forgives. While the how is important, why God forgives is perhaps the greatest lesson we need to learn.
For many people, forgiveness helps them get over hurts they’ve suffered. Others view forgiveness primarily, if not solely, as being pardoned from consequences and punishment. These are aspects of forgiveness, but they are not the whole picture.
God forgives us to heal what is broken, primarily the relationship between us and Him. God forgives so that we can be reconciled to Him. God’s forgiveness is relational in nature. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5 that through Christ, God has not counted our trespasses against us but has reconciled us to Himself. How thankful we should be that when God forgives, He does not just let go of anger. He does not just forego vengeance. No, when God forgives, He goes much further than that, and he restores and reconciles us so we can be with Him again.