In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus instructs His disciples to petition, “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matt 6:12). Following the prayer, He clarifies the principle: “For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father … Continue reading Judicial and Familial Forgiveness with God
Tag: Confession of sin
Two Kinds of Forgiveness with God
In our relationship with God, there are two kinds of forgiveness. One is judicial and the other is parental. Judicial forgiveness is the forgiveness we receive from God when we stand before Him as the Judge of all humanity. This forgiveness occurs at the moment of faith in Christ, where “everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins” (Acts 10:43; cf. Eph 1:7; Col 1:14). This is a one-and-done event that is never repeated, as we are “forgiven us all our transgressions” (Col 2:13). Parental forgiveness is the ongoing forgiveness we receive from God as our Father and is repeated many times throughout a believer’s life. Judicial forgiveness brings us into a right relationship with Him at the moment of faith in Christ. Parental forgiveness restores our fellowship with Him.
Restoring Fellowship with God
God’s grace compels me to pursue righteousness and good works (Tit 2:11-14). But since I still have a sinful nature and live in a fallen world with temptation all around, I occasionally fall into sin. When I sin, I agree with God that I have done wrong and I confess it to Him seeking His forgiveness. When I sin against others and wrongly hurt them, I confess my sin to them and ask for their forgiveness. Because my sin hurts others (and their sin hurts me), there is a need for love, patience, humility, and ongoing forgiveness among the saints.