I read a devotion from Oswald Chambers today that reminded me of a different way to explain something. When it comes to salvation and forgiveness, it’s very popular for people to believe that God forgives us because He is kind and loving. I’ve heard people say that a loving God would not send people to hell and I respond with the old standby, “He doesn’t send anyone there, they choose to go themselves.”
But I have a different way for you to look at it. God is kind and loving, but He is also fair and just. And there is a penalty for sin. The penalty of sin is death. God would rather that you not have to face those consequences, but He is fair and just and it wouldn’t be right to just ignore your sin. And just when it seemed that God had “painted Himself into a corner”, He did something amazing. Because He is kind and loving, He came to earth in the form of a man – Jesus. And because He is kind and loving, He went to the cross to pay the penalty for sin and then He rose from the dead defeating death on behalf of we who believe that and accept His forgiveness under those terms. He will only forgive under those terms. Those are His terms and there is no negotiating. There is/are not enough prayer, not enough good works, not enough sorrow, and not enough fasting to make Him change His mind about the penalty of sin.
So he doesn’t forgive you because He is kind and loving. He forgives you because He is fair and just and the debt has been paid. Let me say this again: He does not forgive you because He is kind and loving! Jesus did go to the cross because God is kind and loving. However, your sins are able to be forgiven because Christ went to the cross to pay the penalty of sin, making it fair and just for God to forgive you. Or you can choose to settle the debt on your own – for the wages of sin is death.
God doesn’t forgive you because He’s kind and loving. He forgives you because the consequences were paid on the cross, making it fair and just to forgive you if you accept and believe this. And He did that because He’s kind and loving.
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