True Forgiveness

Article for November 23, 2025, last Sunday in the church year.

Colossians 1:13–14 13He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Do we understand true repentance, true forgiveness, true redemption, and true salvation?  To some they take these words seriously, to others they are not sure, and to others they are not ready to listen.  These are the true times that we should all listen, we should all pay attention to what is going on around us, and that we should all understand the words of our Lord.

Why repent?  How do we accomplish true repentance.  Repentance comes easily when you truly love God.  You love your parents and when you do wrong you are ashamed to go to your parents because they will get angry with you, and you know they will be hurt because you did wrong.  Well, God is your Father in heaven.  God’s heart gets broken whenever we sin, and even more broken when we do not recognize that we broke His heart. So then, do you care?

Repentance is feeling ashamed that we sinned, and being ashamed is an admittance to our sin.  Being ashamed is knowing we need to turn ourselves around and work towards pleasing the God whom we love.  He is the God who created us and gives us our needs.  And most importantly He, being God, loves us and is trying to save us every day because He loves us.

Malachi 3:16 16Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before Him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed His name.

Do you fear God?  One who fears God will at first fear that God will not forgive them.  In fearing God, one should go to God’s word to find that He is a forgiving God to those who love Him.  (Exodus 20:5-6).  We then should fear that we may have broken God’s heart because He is one who loves us.  There are many things about God that many do not know.  Do you know that He is a God of grace and mercy?  There is certainly a difference between the knowing of God and knowing God, which we can through His word.

God is not this angry God that some think He is in the Old Testament.  God does get angry like any parent would when their children misbehave.  God has always been a God to give redemption.  One would know this by studying the Old Testament.  Redemption is to rescue and recover.  God is always trying to recover and rescue those things He has created.  God gave us a heart and a mind.  Our heart should be for Him who created us, and our mind should be one to want to know our creator and His love for us. 

I fear always that I do not fear and love God enough.  Though I know that I cannot love God to gain my salvation; I cannot fear God enough for my salvation; I cannot do enough good works or have enough faith to gain my salvation.  So, I count on the grace and mercy of God through the death and resurrection of my Lord and savior Jesus Christ.  This is the one who listens to our prayers and our sharing of His word that He did indeed put us in His book of remembrance when He forgave us from the cross.

Indeed, let us esteem His name and give all glory to our Lord and Savior for He died for our sins.  All glory to Jesus Christ who came to save the imperfect sinners that we are.  Why would anyone not want to believe in a God of grace, mercy, forgiveness, and love? Sing loud, sing praises and thanksgiving to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Malachi 3:17 17“They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him.

God calls us His treasured possessions!  He, our God, will spare us like a father sparing His son who serves his father.  Looking at this statement from the view of the Heavenly Father to His Son, Jesus Christ who served the Father through His Crucifixion.  For Jesus did not sin against His Father. 

Now look at this statement through the Father of the prodigal son, (that is us), who plundered his father’s inheritance given to Him. (Luke 15:11-32). Though the prodigal son sinned against his father and came back with a repenting heart, the father not only spared his son but welcomed him into his home again.  And the son lost nothing of his father’s love for him. 

This is the book of remembrance that all who return to God with repenting hearts should not lose their place in God’s heart.  That we are accepted back in the heart of God and that He has even given us a place to live forever.

Malachi 3:18 18Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.”

Our world has tried to confuse what is right and what is wicked by saying what is wicked is right, and what is right is wicked.  Our world wants to justify its sinful ways by telling you sin is the new right.  God’s word warns us of this deception.  God pleads with us not to fall for these lies.  God forgets sin, but He wants to remember us through the gift of eternal life.

When we who fear the Lord are placed in the book of remembrance we are gifted with eternal life through the grace of God.  We will again know what true righteousness is and what true wickedness is.  There will be no deceptions in heaven.  This will be a day of glory for God and all who fear and love Him as we will live truly in the righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Colossians 1:18–20 18And He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Written by Pastor Curtis A. May