Today, we continue with our adventure of forgiveness, and as we continue, it seems important to remind ourselves that forgiveness has everything to do with love; God’s love in particular…
From the very beginning, God loved Mankind. He created a beautiful environment for us, He breathed His own life into us and He gave us dominion over the earth. Yet as we know, something happened; Adam and Eve rebelled against God and from that point forward they were at odds with Him. In the fullness of time, God sent His Son Jesus to repair that relationship that had been so badly damaged by rebellion in the Garden. God’s love was so great; He was willing for His only Son to die for the redemption of humanity
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. John 13:1
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. 2 Thessalonians 2:13
With this sampling of verses it becomes clear that God loved us first, before humanity had any cause to love God.
God loves us in spite of everything
In spite of everything that had happened between humanity and God, God continues to love us. He loves us in good times and in bad, even when we are having all kinds of problems, God still loves us, for His love cannot be shaken.
No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. John 16:27
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
“For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35-39
And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 1 John 4:16
God showed us His love
God didn’t just sit back and pine for us, he didn’t just bemoan the fact that we rebelled, and He did something about it: He sent His Son to redeem Mankind, in spite of everything that had happened.
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 1 John 3:16
This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 1 John 4:9-10
Isn’t this interesting? God loved us, and then He made a loving response to the situation the separated Him from us, He took extreme measures to forgive us. Yes indeed, there is a strong relationship between love and forgiveness!
I guess everybody has their own point of view, but from where I’m sitting, this is pretty amazing stuff!
Life Project Blog 
“I guess everybody has their own point of view,” Of course they do. But I’m thinking you did a good job of articulation God’s point of view, and that is the one that counts.
How I wish people would come to understand what you just said. All folks ever carp about is how this awful God is packing people off to Hell..He doesn’t love us they cry. You just put the nails in the coffin of that mindset…but why don’t people get it? That’s a rhetorical question, but the way. I know why they don’t get it, it’s because they don’t want to get it.
Thanks for this post, Don. I suspect that at some point today, I will draw on what you wrote as I talk with somebody; just what I needed so thanks.
Yeah, they don’t want to… and that is so sad! Thanks Wally
I wonder if, when we immerse ourselves in love, “forgiveness” becomes the wrong word. That love in its truest form transcends “forgiveness” – that forgiveness becomes irrelevant. But that we “need” a way of “transcending ourselves”
Because if love does not need – not even forgiveness – then maybe the action applies only applies to the one who “cannot love” (themselves or another) in the moment. In the sense you write here – maybe God has gone beyond (our understanding of) forgiveness – and never left love. But through forgiveness made it possible for us to love ourselves (and Him) again.
(struggling with words here … your post triggered something much deeper than I have thought with this word “forgiveness” – and finding those thoughts circling the wagons right now)
Thank you Mr M!!
Hmm… There are many things that run deeper than we have the words to express, and this is one of them. It scares me a little, but I think I followed that 🙂
Ultimately, God forgives us in proportion to how we forgive others. Every day we ask for forgiveness, but would we be willing to forgive the same person who offended us every day?
Well now… isn’t that an interesting question!? A question we all need to grapple with I’d say; thanks for asking it
I agree that it is pretty amazing, Don.
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I really believe we have only an inkling of understanding of how deep and high and wide His love is. I don’t think it is conditional or proportional at all. His capacity for love is – overwhelming. He is the ocean and we are adrift in His love, which includes grace, mercy, forgiveness, joy and peace. None of those things have anything to do with our behavior. We cannot earn it or lose it. He gives because of His own character – because we are His beloved children.
You’ve said it all, Susan!