A God Who Forgives

He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities.  For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy to those who fear him; As far as the east is from the west, so far he has removed our transgressions from us.  As a father pities his children, so the LORD pities those who fear Him.  For he knows our frame, He remembers that we are dust.
Psalm 103: 10-14

At times I grow tired of hearing it.  God punishes the sinner!  Then, I myself backslide into sin once again and I'm reminded of my savior dying on that cross.  Jesus bled, and died, so that I might have freedom from that very sin I am afraid of my Lord punishing me for.  We've heard it preached from pulpits for ages, God despises sinners.  In the very same breath, these padres preach the forgiveness of a loving God.  Although I acknowledge that I sin, I steadfastly REFUSE to believe that my Lord, my savior, condems me for something he has already shed his very blood to forgive me for!  The disconnect, I believe, is not in the reality of a loving God but in the teachinngs of man.  The scriptures are filled with verse upon verse of Gods loving forgiveness and grace for his children.

But God demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8 NKJV

That doesn't sound like a revenge minded God to me at all.  Why would a God who knows that I am nothing but dust, a sinner, continue to cradle me in his arms?  I'll tell you why, because GOD IS LOVE.  The very fact that, while I was still a sinner, that he would even think of sending his beloved son to die for me should bear testament to his love for me!  Far from being a God who accuses, this is a God who forgives.  That cross of Jesus bears witness to the love God has shown to all of us.  God isn't simply waiting for me to mess up only to condem me.  That debt was paid in full at the cross.  Once we start believing in our hearts that our loving God is a God condemnation and not of grace and mercy, we draw closer to invalidating what Christ did for us.
I heard a radio sermon the other morning talking about the love God has for all of his children.  I was drawn in once again.  I guess this preacher just couldn't help himself, because in mid sermon he did a complete 180, shouting about how God hates sin and sinners and of how unworthy we are.  I'd heard enough.  The gospel of our loving God is not a gospel of condemnation, but of love and forgiveness.  I guess that truth doesn't fill too many churches though.

~Scott~