The Meaning and Blessing of Forgiveness
Sep 10, 2009
Concerning God's forgiveness of sin, Francis Turretin writes that it “consists only in this- that the guilty person is freed by the Judge from the actual punishment due to him, not however immediately from all vitiosity (depravity-J.F.). “…not by a removal of its corruption, but by a taking away of the guilt and a giving away of the punishment,” (Justification, p. 57).
In other words, even though there is no more condemnation (Rom. 8:1), the Scriptures do not say that there is no longer nothing condemnable or worthy of condemnation in believers. For as long as we live, sin remains in us. Thus, there is always something condemnable.
But (!) the Good News of the gospel is that on account of the interceding grace of the Judge our sin no longer actually condemns us! The justified believer has peace with God (Rom. 5:1). Since there is no condemnation, no punishment for sin remains because condemnation is the devoting to punishment (p. 59).
And so we find that the Scriptures use synonymous phrases to teach the same thing concerning God’s forgiveness such as: ‘covering’ (Ps. 32:1)… “not imputing” (Ps. 31:2)… “not remembering” (Jer. 31:34)… by a “blotting out” (Pss. 51:1; 103:12; Acts 3:19; Col. 2:14)… “casting of them behind His back” and “throwing them into the sea” (Mic. 7:19)… “purging” (Heb. 1:3; 9:14)… “turning away” of “His face” (Ps. 51:9)… “putting away” (2 Sam. 12:13; p. 56).
Praise God for such a gospel blessing! "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace..." (Eph. 1:7)!
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