From You Comes Forgiveness

Michael E. Wood
February 7, 2011

In continuation of reading “The Lord’s Prayer” by Thomas Watson, a number of statements stood out in relation to the forgiveness of sins.

1. “God counts it His glory to display free grace in its most brilliant colours.”

2. “Man’s sin in comparison of God’s mercy is but a spark to the ocean; and who would doubt whether a spark could be quenched in an ocean?”

3. “Think with yourselves how great a mercy it is: it is one of the richest jewels in the cabinet of the new covenant.”

4. “David’s sin was forgiven soon as he repented. 2 Samuel 12:13. But David did not feel the comfort of it at once, as appears by the penitential Psalm composed afterwards. ‘Make me to hear joy;’ and ‘Cast me not away from Thy presence.’ Psalm 51:8, 11. It is one thing to be pardoned and another to feel it.”

5. “As it is said of the apostles when Christ first appeared to them, ‘They believed not for joy, and wondered,’ (Luke 24:41), so the soul may be so stricken with admiration that the wonder of pardon staggers its faith.”

6. “Our comfort consists in the knowledge of forgiveness…There is a jubilee in the soul when we are able to read our pardon. To the witness of conscience God adds the witness of His Spirit; and in the mouth of these two witnesses our joy is confirmed.

7. “The Lord only by His Word must judge whether we are pardoned or not… we are such as The Word of God pronounces to be clean.”

And thus, upon pondering these statements, and thinking of other believers who may need these words of encouragement as well, the following came to mind.

We thank You for the Word of grace
By which you now declare;
That from You comes forgiveness
For the sins which brought despair.

And by the witness of Your Spirit
Our conscience is made clean--
To focus Soli on Jesus Christ
On Whom alone we lean.

How precious is the blood of Christ
By which You now bestow
Sure mercies to encourage us
And more Your glory know.

For as we view the panoply
Of all the scenes of time,
There’s nothing greater or more worth
Your glory, so sublime!

Oh Father, as You now see fit,
Your kingdom to increase,
Oh strengthen by Your Spirit
Through this temp’ral life on lease,

For all we have we owe to You,
Oh Christ within the veil,
And more; Oh fill our praise to Thee,
Til with You where You dwell.

Then clothed by You in wonder
And the robes of purest white,
To see You in Your glory
And the splendor of Your light.