Christ the Forgiver
A 10 or 11 year old boy peddles hard, head down, trying to get his awkward burden home on his bike. Passing a parked car he wobbles and gets too close. You see the package hit the side mirror and hear the breaking glass as the frame dangles from the car door. The boy almost falls off his bike and you see tears form… what will he do? I can still feel that sinking feeling. Yep, I had a decision to make. With fear and trembling I rang the doorbell and confessed to the man that answered the door. What followed was a lesson straight from the Lord.
Long ago, Psalm 32:1 eloquently expressed my experience. “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered” (ESV). David faced a much more serious problem—rebellion against God. He discovered that hiding his sin only destroyed him (vv. 3-4), but confession brought relief, forgiveness, and joy (vv. 5, 11). He concluded that everyone needed to turn to God for God’s faithful love and forgiveness through faith (vv. 6-10).
That unknown neighbor let me show him the damage and explain what had happened before giving me those wonderful words, “Don’t worry about it.” He did not even make me pay for the damage! Of course, David’s forgiveness had to wait for the final payment on the cross by Jesus to cover his sin, but God graciously gave him the response to his faith, “Don’t worry about it” and he experienced the joy of the Lord (v. 11).
Jesus came to offer forgiveness freely, even asking his father to forgive those who killed him (Luke 23:34) because that is what he came to do—pay with his life “for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matt. 26:26-28).
John Soden - Chairman of the Elders
Additional Resources:
Mighty to Save - Hillsong Worship
At the Cross
