Definition
The Christian doctrine of forgiveness is that God has lifted the sentence of condemnation upon Christians for their sins through the death of Christ on their behalf and no longer counts them as guilty.
Summary
The Christian doctrine of forgiveness is that God has lifted the sentence of condemnation upon Christians for their sins through the death of Christ on their behalf and no longer counts them as guilty. Forgiveness is necessary both because God is just and because all humans are guilty with sin. Rather than simply ignoring the guilt of sin, God the judge became the one who was judged for the guilt of men; the guilt was punished justly, but the guilty received forgiveness instead of punishment. God did not unfairly or abusively punish his Son, but Christ submitted to his Father’s will joyfully and willingly. This forgiveness provides the center of the Christian proclamation in the world and should lead all those who have received it to rejoice and praise God for his mercy and grace.
“Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity.” These opening words of Psalm 32 capture a theme central to Scripture: the forgiveness of sins is a supreme blessing of God for his people. The psalmist marveled that God “does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities” (Ps. 103:10). Among the first of the “spiritual blessing[s] in the heavenly places” Paul mentions is “the forgiveness of our trespasses” (Eph. 1:3, 7).
Because “forgiveness” is a familiar term in the English language, we might assume everyone knows what it means. But in fact, philosophers and theologians have long debated what forgiveness really is and what it requires. And when we consider the idea that God forgives sin, it raises challenging theological issues that touch upon matters at the heart of Christian faith and life.
This article will address three topics in succession: first, some important theological background for understanding forgiveness; second, how Scripture presents the gift of forgiveness through Christ’s work, received by faith; finally, how the good news of forgiveness shapes the church’s ministry and the Christian’s devotion to God.
Theological Background
At least two topics are crucial background for understanding forgiveness. First, because God is the one who forgives, we need to appreciate who God is. And second, because sin is what God forgives, we need to reflect on humanity’s guilt before the Lord. These two themes are intimately related.
Who is God? One of the things Scripture most emphasizes about God is his justice. God “is not partial and takes no bribes,” but “executes justice for the fatherless and the widow” (Deut. 10:17–18). He “will render to a man according to his work” (Ps. 62:12). When Abraham asked God, “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” (Gen. 18:25), the implied answer is clear: Absolutely! Scripture also emphasizes that God is merciful. When God made all his goodness pass before Moses, he declared, “I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy” (Exod. 33:19). He is “merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love” (Ps. 103:8). As we consider below, both God’s justice and his mercy are foundational for the doctrine of forgiveness.
Also foundational is the reality of human guilt. Many people in the world call certain deeds “wrong” or “immoral,” but when Christians speak of “sin,” they imply that God is the one they’ve ultimately offended. David may have grievously wronged Bathsheba and Uriah (2 Sam. 11), but he still confessed, “Against you [God], you only, have I sinned” (Ps. 51:4). To sin against God renders a person guilty. This is a legal or judicial idea. To be guilty is to stand condemned under God’s just judgment. Because all are sinners, all are “accountable to God” (Rom. 3:19). Adam’s first sin provoked God’s “judgment” which “brought condemnation” for the human race (Rom. 5:16). Since God is just, as considered above, it makes sense that sin brings us under his judgment.
Forgiveness, then, is also legal or judicial. It means that God lifts his sentence of condemnation for our sins and no longer holds us guilty for them. We stand in need of forgiveness because God is just, and we have hope of forgiveness because God is merciful.
The Forgiveness of Sin - The Gospel Coalition.
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J.