Nature of God's Forgiveness in Christ
God's forgiveness in Christ is a central aspect of Christian theology, understood as God's act of absolving sinners from the condemnation of the law due to the atoning work of Jesus Christ [1]. This forgiveness removes the guilt of sin and the sinner's liability to eternal wrath [1].
The nature of God's forgiveness is rooted in His divine attributes. God is described as rich in mercy, a perfection of His divine nature [9]. This mercy is not merely a general benevolence but is specifically exercised towards the miseries of His creatures, manifesting as pity, compassion, and grace towards the unworthy [3, 6]. Micah 7:18 states, "Who is a God like you, who pardons iniquity, and passes over the disobedience of the remnant of his heritage? He doesn’t retain his anger forever, because he delights in loving kindness" [2]. Similarly, Numbers 14:18 describes the Lord as "slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression" [4].
Forgiveness is freely offered to all through the gospel [1]. The Easton's Bible Dictionary identifies forgiveness as a constituent part of justification [1]. This act of grace frees the sinner from the guilt and penalty of their sins forever [1]. The Jamieson, Fausset & Brown commentary on Ephesians 4:32 emphasizes that "God in Christ" is how God grants forgiveness, highlighting the cost of His Son's death for this act [8]. John Gill, in his commentary on Acts 13:35, notes that forgiveness of sins through the blood of Christ is a key benefit of Christ's incarnation, death, and resurrection, proclaimed in the gospel [10].
While God's mercy is abundant, His justice is also an unchangeable principle of His nature [3, 5]. The Easton's Bible Dictionary explains that God's justice involves imposing righteous laws and executing them righteously [5]. Therefore, the exercise of mercy towards humanity is made possible through the atoning sacrifice of Christ, which harmonizes with the demands of truth and righteousness [6]. The incarnation, where Christ took on human nature while remaining divine, is crucial to this process [7].
Forgiveness from God requires confession and repentance from humanity [11]. As Adam Clarke notes in his commentary on Hebrews 8:12, those who "with penitent hearts believe on the Lord Jesus receive remission of sins" [12]. This divine forgiveness serves as a model for human interaction, with believers encouraged to forgive one another as God has forgiven them in Christ [8, 13]. The Tyndale House commentary on Psalms 32:5 states that while God's nature is to reconcile and forgive, He requires confession and repentance [11].
Sources
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Forgiveness of sin — One of the constituent parts of justification. In pardoning sin, God absolves the sinner from the condemnation of the law, and that on account of the work of Christ, i.e., he removes the guilt of sin, or the sinner's actual liability to eternal wrath on account of it. All sins are forgiven freely (Acts 5:31; 13:38; 1 John 1:6-9). The sinner is by this act of grace for ever freed from the guilt and penalty of his sins. This is the peculiar prerogative of God (Ps. 130:4; Mark 2:5). It is offered to all in the gospel. (See [219]JUSTIFICATION.)”
- Micah “Who is a God like you, who pardons iniquity, and passes over the disobedience of the remnant of his heritage? He doesn’t retain his anger forever, because he delights in loving kindness. -- Micah 7:18”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Goodness of God — A perfection of his character which he exercises towards his creatures according to their various circumstances and relations (Ps. 145:8, 9; 103:8; 1 John 4:8). Viewed generally, it is benevolence; as exercised with respect to the miseries of his creatures it is mercy, pity, compassion, and in the case of impenitent sinners, long-suffering patience; as exercised in communicating favour on the unworthy it is grace. "Goodness and justice are the several aspects of one unchangeable, infinitely wise, and sovereign moral perfection. God is not sometimes ”
- Numbers “Numbers 14:18 (NASB) — 'The LORD is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generations.'”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Justice of God — That perfection of his nature whereby he is infinitely righteous in himself and in all he does, the righteousness of the divine nature exercised in his moral government. At first God imposes righteous laws on his creatures and executes them righteously. Justice is not an optional product of his will, but an unchangeable principle of his very nature. His legislative justice is his requiring of his rational creatures conformity in all respects to the moral law. His rectoral or distributive justice is his dealing with his accountable creatures according”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Mercy — Compassion for the miserable. Its object is misery. By the atoning sacrifice of Christ a way is open for the exercise of mercy towards the sons of men, in harmony with the demands of truth and righteousness (Gen. 19:19; Ex. 20:6; 34:6, 7; Ps. 85:10; 86:15, 16). In Christ mercy and truth meet together. Mercy is also a Christian grace (Matt. 5:7; 18:33-35).”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Incarnation — That act of grace whereby Christ took our human nature into union with his Divine Person, became man. Christ is both God and man. Human attributes and actions are predicated of him, and he of whom they are predicated is God. A Divine Person was united to a human nature (Acts 20:28; Rom. 8:32; 1 Cor. 2:8; Heb. 2:11-14; 1 Tim. 3:16; Gal. 4:4, etc.). The union is hypostatical, i.e., is personal; the two natures are not mixed or confounded, and it is perpetual.”
- Ephesians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Ephesians 4:32: (Luk 7:42; Col 3:12). even as--God hath shown Himself "kind, tender-hearted, and forgiving to you"; it is but just that you in turn shall be so to your fellow men, who have not erred against you in the degree that you have erred against God (Mat 18:33). God for Christ's sake--rather as Greek, "God in Christ" (Co2 5:19). It is in Christ that God vouchsafes forgiveness to us. It cost God the death of His Son, as man, to forgive us. It costs us nothing to forgive our fellow man. hath forgiven--rather as Greek, "forgave you." God has, once for all”
- Ephesians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Ephesians 2:4: But God, who is rich in mercy,.... Mercy is a perfection of the divine nature, and is essential to God; and may be considered with respect to the objects of it, either as general, extending to all men in a providential way; or as special, reaching only to some in a way of grace; for though mercy is his nature, yet the display and exertion of it towards any object, is the act of his will; and special mercy, with all the blessings and benefits of it, is only exhibited in Christ Jesus: and God is said to be "rich" in it, because he is free and liberal in dispensing it,”
- Acts (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Acts 13:35: Be it known unto you, therefore, men and brethren,.... The apostle having discoursed concerning the incarnation of Christ, his death and resurrection, proceeds to take notice of some particular benefits and blessings of grace arising from thence, which are published and made known to the sons of men in the everlasting Gospel, as were now to the Jews by Paul and Barnabas; such as forgiveness of sins through the blood of Christ, and justification by his righteousness; the former of them is mentioned in this verse, the latter in the next: that through this man is preach”
- Psalms (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Psalms 32:5: 32:5 God has forgiven the guilt and rebellion of 32:1. The Lord’s nature is to reconcile and forgive (78:38; 85:2; 130:4), but he requires confession and repentance.”
- Hebrews (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Hebrews 8:12: I will be merciful to their unrighteousness - In order to be their God, as mentioned under the preceding verse, it is requisite that their iniquity should be pardoned; this is provided for by the immolation of Jesus Christ as the covenant sacrifice. By his blood, redemption has been purchased, and all who with penitent hearts believe on the Lord Jesus receive remission of sins, and God remembers their iniquities no more against them so as to punish them on that account. All spiritual evil against the nature and law of God is represented here under the following ter”
- Ephesians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Ephesians 4:32: 4:32 Forgiving fellow believers is a natural and good response to experiencing God’s forgiving grace in Christ (cp. Col 3:12-13; 1 Jn 4:19).”