Chapter 131—The Gift of Pardon
Thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger,
and of great kindness, and forsookest them not.
Nehemiah 9:17
.
Justice demands that sin be not merely pardoned, but the death penalty
must be executed. God, in the gift of His only-begotten Son, met both these
requirements. By dying in man’s stead, Christ exhausted the penalty and
provided a pardon.
God requires that we confess our sins, and humble our hearts before
Him; but at the same time we should have confidence in Him as a tender
Father, who will not forsake those who put their trust in Him.... God does
not give us up because of our sins. We may make mistakes, and grieve His
Spirit; but when we repent, and come to Him with contrite hearts, He will
not turn us away. There are hindrances to be removed. Wrong feelings have
been cherished, and there have been pride, self-sufficiency, impatience, and
murmurings. All these separate us from God. Sins must be confessed; there
must be a deeper work of grace in the heart....
We must learn in the school of Christ. Nothing but His righteousness
can entitle us to one of the blessings of the covenant of grace.... We look
to self, as though we had power to save ourselves; but Jesus died for us
because we are helpless to do this. In Him is our hope, our justification, our
righteousness....
Jesus is our only Saviour; and although millions who need to be healed
will reject His offered mercy, not one who trusts in His merits will be left to
perish....
You may see that you are sinful and undone; but it is just on this account
that you need a Saviour. If you have sins to confess, lose no time. These
moments are golden. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (
1 John 1:9
).
Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness will be filled; for Jesus has
promised it. Precious Saviour! His arms are open to receive us, and His great
heart of love is waiting to bless us.
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