In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses. —Ephesians 1:7–8
In his devotional, My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers reminds us that the cross of Christ is at the crux of forgiveness. There’s no forgiveness possible apart from the cross—and the cross is no trifling matter.
It is shallow nonsense to say that God forgives us because He is love. . . . The love of God means Calvary—nothing less; the love of God is spelt on the Cross, and nowhere else. The only ground on which God can forgive me is the Cross of my Lord.1
We somehow have the idea that God has forgiven us purely out of His kindness, just because He wanted to. Forgiveness is what we sort of expect from a God who wouldn’t mind going out of His way to be nice to us. But it makes a huge difference when we realize the ground on which our forgiveness was procured. If we’re to forgive others as God has forgiven us, we need to understand how He forgave us. Calvary required an agony we cannot fully comprehend.
1 Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest—November 19.
Make it Personal
Have you ever been guilty of taking God’s forgiveness for granted? Today, reflect on what it meant for Christ to forgive your sins.