Forgiveness

Through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you (Acts 13:38).

What is so special about Christianity? What does it offer that makes it so different from every other world religion? Why should you embrace a relationship with Jesus?

It’s all about forgiveness. Christianity brings a lot of good things to the table, but chief among them is the blessing of forgiveness. Now I’ll grant you that forgiveness is not found exclusively among Christians. All over the world there are people who try very hard to forgive others when they have been wronged. But what’s their motive in offering forgiveness? Do they forgive on a quid pro quo basis? For example, does a husband forgive his wife for having an affair, knowing that he’ll need forgiveness when she finds out about his mistress? Or do they offer forgiveness because it will help them out when they die? Do they show kindness to others in this life, hoping to reduce the bad effects of entering the next life with too much negative spiritual energy? Either way, such forgiveness is ultimately self-serving.

The forgiveness of Christ is completely different. The forgiveness offered by God’s Son is an expression of His unselfish love for us. Jesus doesn’t benefit from forgiving us—in fact, bringing us the offer of mercy cost Him terribly as He suffered on the cross and died. Jesus endured agony beyond our conception for one reason only—He wanted to forgive us. He suffered the divine punishment you and I and everyone else deserves for being selfish and unloving, suffered so that you can escape the consequences of your wrongdoing just by saying, "Jesus, have mercy on me, a sinner."

Jesus demands nothing in exchange for His mercy. We don’t have to make right everything we’ve messed up. We don’t have to perform a certain number of good deeds to earn admission into heaven. All Jesus asks is that we cling to Him alone as most important in our lives. When we do this, He fills our hearts with His forgiving love, and that love spills out onto the people who surround us. Guided by Jesus, we begin to offer mercy unselfishly; like Him, we start forgiving others just because love moves us to.

Forgiveness: it comes to us from God through the cross of Christ. That forgiveness is what frees hearts from the burden of guilt and fills them instead with hope and joy. Forgiveness—it’s what Christianity is all about.