Our Forgiving Father

By Dr. Charles F. Stanley, Intouch Magazine, March 2005

"Have you ever confessed a sin to God, done everything you know to make it right, but continued to feel burdened by guilt?  Misconceptions about God's forgiveness can weigh us down with baggage that is not ours to carry.  The question is not what we think about God's forgiveness, but what Scripture actually teaches us.

The parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) provides a true picture of God's forgiving spirit toward His own children--particularly those who have willfully chosen to live in back-slidden rebellion.  First, we see God's motivation for forgiveness.  The Prodigal is portrayed as a wealthy man's younger son, who requested his inheritance early to indulge in immoral living.  After he squandered his father's hard-earned savings, a famine left him destitute.  The boy's crowning indignity was having to slop swine--despised animals in that culture--to survive.  Nearly every choice and detail of his life must have been embarrassing and even repulsive to his family.

Jesus crafted the parable in this way to illustrate that there is nothing about us--no action we can take, no success we can achieve, no vow we can make--that moves God to forgive us of our sin.   His motivation for doing so is found entirely within Himself, based strictly on His abiding, unearned, unconditional divine love for mankind.   That eliminates any possibility of forgiveness being linked to our performance, conduct, or promises.

The parable also revels the method of forgiveness.  Our part is to think properly, accurately, and honestly about our behavior. (v.17)  God's role is illustrated by the father, who "was filled with compassion for . . .his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him" (v 20 NIV).  While the young man attempted to confess his wrongdoing, his father embraced him with lavish love.  Not only that, but he called his neighbors and friends to join the glorious reunion with his irresponsible, foul-smelling, hog-feeding son.    In his own mind, the youth came home to receive forgiveness, but the reality was that his father had already forgiven him.  In the same way, all our sins were forgiven more than 2,000 years ago at the cross; when we receive Jesus as our personal Savior, God applies His complete, unconditional, never-ending forgiveness to us--and he continues to do so patiently, willingly, and joyfully.

In our confession and repentance, we come to the Lord not to receive forgiveness--that was accomplished at Calvary with the shed blood of Jesus--but rather to once again fellowship with Him and delight in each other.  Like the Prodigal's father, God is waiting with open arms, eager to celebrate our return home."