I Believe in the Forgiveness of Sins (Apostles' Creed 11/13)

This article was first published in French at TPSG.

If there’s one thing I’m thankful for as a child of God, it’s the forgiveness of sins. It’s what characterizes the God of the Bible, in contrast to the gods of the Greco-Roman world at the time the Creed was written. Ligon Duncan explains how their world view perceived forgiveness. 

The ancient pagans accused the Christians of immorality in saying that God could forgive murderers and adulterers of their sin. Pagans did not agree with that and attacked and mocked Christians …As far as a pagan was concerned, you either make up for your misdeeds ... or you’re forever guilty. And pagans did not consider forgiveness a virtue ... Only the weak-spirited—the weak-willed—would forgive. We need to realize just how radical the Bible's message is of the forgiveness of sins. It's interesting that in Rufinus’ commentary on The Apostles’ Creed, written in the fifth century, pagans were still attacking Christians for this very reason. So, if in the ancient world, forgiveness was not considered virtuous, then the God of the Bible himself was not admired for his mercy toward sinners. It almost seems that the pagans of that time period preferred their fickle, man-like gods to the God of Scripture, who, according to Psalms 86:5, is …good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon (him).  

The Demand of a Forgiving God

At the heart of this mindset may very well be the fact that if we submit ourselves to a forgiving God, we are required to be forgiving ourselves. For “the forgiveness of sins” has both a horizontal and a vertical aspect to it. By vertical, I mean God’s forgiveness of sinners. And by horizontal, I mean our forgiveness of one another. 

The Vertical Aspect of Forgiveness

Growing up Catholic, in preparation for my First Communion, I was told that I should have faith and not doubt the forgiveness of sins in Christ. But I never had assurance of salvation. Then, later on, I ministered in a Muslim context in which no amount of faithful observance of the Five Pillars of Islam could guarantee my friends forgiveness of sins and entrance into Paradise. I was told that not even their prophet Mohammed had assurance of salvation. Because on judgment day, Allah would weigh their good and bad deeds on a scale and he alone would decide if they’d done enough good to compensate for all the bad. 

The God who Forgives

The forgiveness of sins makes Biblical Christianity different from any other religion in the world. Scripture describes the LORD as a forgiving God (Isa 55:7, Ps 103:10-14). In fact, twice in the book of Hebrews, we read that God remembers our sins no more (He 8:12, 12:17). 

Christ himself cried out from the cross: “Forgive them, they know not what they do.” It’s always sobering to remember that I nailed him there with my sins and my transgressions. I made his death necessary, and as he prayed for the forgiveness of his killers in the most literal sense, he also prayed for those throughout the corridors of time who would participate in his death in a myriad of other forms.

Forgiveness Rich and Free

The story of the sinful woman who anointed Jesus’ feet in Luke 7:36-50 helps us understand the connection between the vertical and the horizontal nature of forgiveness. She had no good works to pay him with. She knew the depths of her sin and she repented and trusted in Christ’s forgiveness. She reminds us that we don’t have anything to bring to Jesus in payment for our sins, either. 

So it is also with the thief on the cross, to whom Jesus promised, “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” He had no works to present to God in exchange for forgiveness. In a sermon preached in 2019, Scottish pastor Alistair Begg pictured the scene at the gates of heaven when the thief arrived: “Why should we let you in?” one angel asked? “Hold on. Let me check with my supervisor?” said another. “How did you get here?” they ask him. “The man on the middle cross said I could come.” And so it is with us! The only reason we have the hope of forgiveness and eternal life is because of the man on the middle cross! Praise God!

The Horizontal Aspect of Forgiveness

The Bible teaches that we must forgive one another. “How many times?” Peter asked. “Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.’” (Mt 18:22) That’s a lot of times (especially when my children must forgive one another!). And Jesus words were not a suggestion, but a command. In fact, the Scriptures indicate that we will not be forgiven of our sins unless we ourselves forgive those who sin against us. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus declared:

 

For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Mt 7:14-15)

 

Now, to be clear, if we are truly children of God, our union with God is not in jeopardy when we are slow to forgive. But our communion with him is. Until we are right with one another on a horizontal level, we can’t expect God to accept our prayers on a vertical level.

Nelson Mandela on Forgiveness

On a very human level, forgiveness is more for our own sake than it is for the offender. Nelson Mandela knew this well. Imprisoned for 27 years in South Africa due to his opposition to the racist apartheid regime, upon his release, he made this famous declaration: 

As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn’t leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I’d still be in prison.

So, as with all of God’s requirements, his command to forgive is not one borne of cruelty or tyranny, but rather one that comes from a fatherly heart of love. He doesn’t want us to be prisoners to bitterness and hatred, but rather to be free to love. 

Corrie Ten Boom on Forgiveness

Corrie Ten Boom, along with her father and sister, resisted the Nazis in the Netherlands during WWII. They hid Jews in their home until they were betrayed, captured, and sent to the concentration camps. Her father and sister perished, but she miraculously survived and went on travel the world with the message of forgiveness made possible in the gospel. At one such meeting, she was greeted after her talk by one of her former S.S. guards. He had since come to know Christ and wanted to thank her for her message of forgiveness. All of a sudden, however, as she was put to the test, she found herself awash not with love but with a desire for vengeance. Here, in her own words, is what happened next:

I breathed a silent prayer. Jesus, I cannot forgive him. Give me your forgiveness. As I took his hand the most incredible thing happened. From my shoulder along my arm and through my hand a current seemed to pass from me to him, while into my heart sprang a love for this stranger that almost overwhelmed me….When he tells us to love our enemies, He gives, along with the command, the love itself

If this kind of forgiveness seems unattainable to you, it does to me, too. But the good news of the Gospel is not only that I’m forgiven and set free, but also that I am filled with Christ’s life to live as he did. This all has serious implications for the Christian life. 

Implications

1.     When we come to understand the depths of our sin and the heights of God’s love in forgiving us, we find freedom and joy in the Gospel. We no longer need to worry about being good enough to earn God’s love and forgiveness, because we never were good enough. Instead, we can enjoy grace and forgiveness as a gift from God. 

2.     Some may be struggling to forgive someone who has deeply wounded them. It’s important to remember that forgiveness is a process, in which one may need to forgive the same person for the same offence multiple times, because the hurt is so deep and the scar so raw. The good news of the Gospel is that the power of Christ is more than sufficient to enable him to forgive the unforgivable.

3.     We must distinguish between forgiveness and reconciliation. Forgiveness is one way. It’s freely given, both by God and by the offended party. Reconciliation, however, is another story. The Bible does not require believers to reconcile with those who sin against them, particularly when they give no indication that they will not continue to harm given the opportunity. No one is obligated to endure ongoing abuse.