3. God forgives us our sins. He is moved to do this not by our good works or merits. God does not see anything in us which could induce Him to forgive us our trespasses. We deserve nothing but punishment. His free grace alone moves God to forgive us all our sins. Our God is a merciful God. He takes pity on us, His sinful children.—By grace God forgives us our sins, that is, He does not look upon our sins, does not impute them to us, but declares us sinners righteous. In the beautiful parable of our Lord which we find Matt. 18,23 ff., the wicked servant asks his Lord to have patience with him, whom he owed so much. And the kind lord, moved with compassion, loosed the servant from his fetters and forgave him all his debts, which he never would have been able to pay. Thus God, moved with compassion, does not punish us as we have deserved, and declares us free from debt, declares us righteous, or in other words, God justifies us.
4. How can the just and holy God who has threatened to punish all who transgress His commandments forgive sins and declare sinners righteous? He does so for Christ's sake. In Christ we have the forgiveness of sins. "In Christ we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace." Eph. 1,7 Christ fulfilled the Law of God in our stead, He suffered the punishment for our sins, and so made good for us. He has earned full forgiveness for us; for His sake all our sins are forgiven.
5. Who receives forgiveness of sins? We confess that God forgives all sins to me and all believers. It is true, Christ has procured forgiveness for all men—Christ died for every sinner. God, in His grace, offers this forgiveness by the Gospel to all who hear it. We read: "God was in Christ, reconciling the world [all men] unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the Word of Reconciliation." 2 Cor. 5,19. Yet not all receive forgiveness, but only those who believe in Christ and thus accept the forgiveness which Christ has earned for all men. Without faith in Christ there is no forgiveness of sins. We are justified by faith alone.
6. We receive forgiveness of sins, we are justified before God, without the deeds of the Law, by grace alone, for Christ's sake, through faith in our Lord. This is the chief article of our Christian faith. This doctrine is taught only by the Christian Church. It gives all the glory for our salvation to God and affords true comfort to all sinners.
REMEMBER:—
1. God has promised in His Word to forgive us all our sins daily and richly. Come to Him every day and with true penitence, with a contrite heart, ask His forgiveness for Christ's sake. He will graciously grant it.
2. We are justified in the sight of God without the deeds of the Law, by His grace, for Christ's sake, through faith in Him. This is the chief doctrine of the Christian Church and the only one that gives lasting comfort to all sinners.
MEMORIZE:—
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits; who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases. Ps. 103,2.3.
In Christ we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace. Eph. 1,7.