Daniel 9:9-10 – To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him;
It is interesting to think about forgiveness from the Lord. Today we usually think that we need forgiveness from other people not the Lord. Certainly our actions impact others, but if we cause them harm, why do we seek forgiveness from them? What does God have to do with it?
Remember when you were a child in your parents’ home or in the classroom. Whose rules were you supposed to follow? Did you have a strict moral code of your own or was one forced upon you by a greater authority? Anyone who has watched little children would admit that they know no rules. Left to their own, children will act selfishly and lash out at others who dare touch their favorite toy. No, children (like adults) need law from a higher authority, and there is no greater authority than the Lord our God.
You may forgive me for hurting you, and I should forgive you likewise. However, we can only forgive the slights against us. It is not our authority that is disobeyed in the end. We answer to God the Father and His Christ, the Judge of the quick and the dead (2 Timothy 4:1). We need forgiveness, and only through Christ do we receive the absolute and eternal forgiveness we need.
Only Christ has the authority and the righteousness to achieve forgiveness for our sins. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8-9).
Confess with me brothers and sisters. Confess and enjoy the cleansing grace of God. Amen.