God's Forgiveness

Rembrandt, The Return of the Prodigal Son

But while the son was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. -Luke 15:20b, CSB

The parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) is a vivid illustration of the forgiveness God the Father extends to wayward humanity. Not fully explained is the cost at which such forgiveness is made possible. But, in the father’s compassion filled gaze and running gait, in his embrace and kiss we start to grasp the manner of God’s forgiveness. It is not extended begrudgingly or with hesitancy. It is not extended based on our past or present or future sins. It is extended based on a love that is demonstrated in this, while we were sinners Christ died for us. The implications of this kind of forgiveness come home over time because there are too many to grab onto at any one moment. Understand I am not saying here that we don’t have God’s forgiveness in full. We certainly do. That is a fact of the redemptive work of Jesus on the cross. Our justification, reconciliation and salvation are not fickle. But, our experience of these realities is to be present, growing and ever deepening. As we journey onward with Christ, one of the telltale signs of a fresh experience of forgiveness is the praise that fills our hearts and overflows on our lips. Another indicator of this forgiveness being understood and applied to our lives is in how we forgive others (the message this coming Sunday!). Conversely, I think there are some ways for us to notice if we are not experiencing the forgiveness of God. For instance, when we let sin stay in our lives unconfessed and undealt with, that will short-circuit our experience of God’s forgiveness. The difficulty often comes in recognizing when the experience of God’s forgiveness is waning. My observation is that when I am overly focused on people “getting what they deserve” and feeling cheated I am probably starting to lose my grip on the forgiveness God has granted me. Maybe you have some other warning lights that let you know that it is time to come back to this bedrock reality of our faith: God forgiving us. If so, it is my prayer that messages like Sunday’s will be moments of God waking you up all over again to this marvel: You are forgiven!