Experiencing God's Forgiveness
During World War II Hans Rookmaaker became active in the Dutch Resistance. Eventually he was captured by the Germans and sent to a Nazi concentration camp, where he began to read the Bible.
As he studied God's Word, he discovered for himself that at the heart of God is the desire to forgive our sins. He gladly committed his life to Christ and reveled in his newfound joy and freedom to please and serve the Lord.
When Rookmaaker was released from prison at the end of the war, he immediately joined a church. But instead of fellowshiping with the free, he was surprised to find many Christians still in bondage to sin. They were not experiencing God's forgiveness.
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On the other hand, a character in a play by Voltaire died muttering, "God will forgive - that's His job." Forgiveness cannot be presupposed like that, but God never meant for us to live in bondage to sin, either.
The Bible teaches that confession is prerequisite to God's forgiveness, whether for initial salvation or daily fellowship. This confession involves repentance and, when necessary, restitution.
Confession without repentance constitutes fraud. In Proverbs 28:13 we read, "He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy."
Confession sometimes involves restitution (Exodus 22:1-15). Usually this is the forgotten aspect of confession. But if our sin deprived someone of something that was rightfully his (whether goods or money or an honest amount of work), we must not only apologize to the offended person but also seek to repay him as soon as possible.
The beauty of Scripture is its good news that God freely forgives those who properly confess their sins. Manasseh was one of the most wicked men to serve as king of Judah. He overturned Hezekiah's reforms and served false gods with more zeal than the nations whom God had destroyed (2 Chronicles 33:1-9). But after being captured by the Assyrians, Manasseh greatly humbled himself before the Lord - and God forgave him!
If God could forgive such a wicked king who humbled himself, surely He will forgive us when we truly confess our sins and repent. Confession is humbling, but "if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). Learn this verse and claim it - often.
Here is another good verse to add to your Scripture memorization list: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more" (Hebrews 10:17). How remarkable it is that the omniscient God promises not only to forgive our sins, but also to forget them forever!
