In whom we have … the forgiveness of sins. – Ephesians 1:7 Beware of the pleasant view of the Fatherhood of God – God is so kind
and loving that of course He will forgive us. That sentiment has no
place whatever in the New Testament. The only ground on which God can
forgive us is the tremendous tragedy of the Cross of Christ; to put
forgiveness on any other ground is unconscious blasphemy. The only
ground on which God can forgive sin and reinstate us in His favour is
through the Cross of Christ, and in no other way. Forgiveness, which
is so easy for us to accept, cost the agony of Calvary. It is
possible to take the forgiveness of sin, the gift of the Holy Ghost,
and our sanctification with the simplicity of faith, and to forget at
what enormous cost to God it was all made ours.Forgiveness is the divine miracle of grace; it cost God the Cross of
Jesus Christ before He could forgive sin and remain a holy God. Never
accept a view of the Fatherhood of God if it blots out the Atonement.
The revelation of God is that He cannot forgive; He would contradict
His nature if He did. The only way we can be forgiven is by being
brought back to God by the Atonement. God’s forgiveness is only
natural in the supernatural domain.Compared with the miracle of the forgiveness of sin, the experience
of sanctification is slight. Sanctification is simply the marvellous
expression of the forgiveness of sins in a human life, but the thing
that awakens the deepest well of gratitude in a human being is that
God has forgiven sin. Paul never got away from this. When once you
realize all that it cost God to forgive you, you will be held as in a
vice, constrained by the love of God.