Isaiah 43:25,26, “I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for Mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. Put Me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified.”
Notice that God says in Isaiah 43:25 that He wants to blot out our
transgressions “for Mine own sake.” God loves us so much that He sent His
only begotten Son into the world to die for our sins at Calvary. John
3:16,17, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting
life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that
the world through Him might be saved.” It is interesting that the Bible
says God wants to forgive our sins for His own sake. Here is a wonderful
quote from the mighty man of God, Dr. Jack Hyles, concerning why God wants
to blot out our sins for His own sake:
“When man sinned, he was separated from God. God wanted that fellowship restored, but He could not do so unless His justice was satisfied. God's mercy said that He wanted to forgive man, but God's justice said that man could not be forgiven unless a suitable sacrifice was found. Christ offered Himself as that sacrifice, which means that the sacrifice of Christ as the as the Lamb of God was the only way that God could be merciful and just. It was the only way that God, within His righteousness, holiness and justice could receive man back to Himself. Since God wanted man's fellowship more than more than man wants God's fellowship, then Christ first died FOR GOD. It is often said that Christ died for us, but the main thing was that Christ died FOR GOD in order that God could accept us back, for Christ and Christ alone satisfied the righteous and holy demands of God!”
SOURCE: Dr. Jack Hyles, MEET THE HOLY SPIRIT; chapter 29, 'The Holy Spirit, Our Seal'
Amen! God desires to fellowship with humanity, but first we must acknowledge our guilt of sin and come to God for forgiveness by way of Calvary through Christ Jesus. It is Jesus' precious blood sacrifice that makes salvation possible for mankind. Jesus paid a debt that He did not owe, because we owed a debt that we could not pay. Praise God for His mercy and provision through Christ Jesus! 1st Peter 1:18,19, "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." Hebrews 9:12,24, "Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us."
In Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel, Les Miserables, Jean Valjean serves nineteen years in prison for stealing a loaf of bread. After his release, the bitter ex-prisoner comes to the home of a kind bishop, who serves Valjean a meal using his best silver and gives him a bed for the night. That evening, Valjean steals the bishop’s silver and is caught. Brought to the bishop by the police, he expects the worst, only to hear the bishop say, “I gave them to him. And Jean, you forgot to take the candlesticks.” A shocked Valjean is brought to true repentance by the bishop’s extraordinary kindness. How many people would be willing to trade their silver plates and candlesticks for the joy of seeing a broken life restored?
God wants to save the vilest sinner. The entire reason why Jesus came into the world was to die for sinners. Luke 19:10, "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." Isaiah 1:18, "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." There is no depth of sin, nor scars of iniquity, so great but that God in His mercy cannot forgive. The blood of Jesus can wash away the darkest of sins. Colossians 1:14, "In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins."
Isaiah 1:18 and Isaiah 45:26 so wonderfully read, "Let us reason together, saith the Lord" and "let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified." God wants to pardon our iniquities, our sins, our faults, our shortcomings, if we'll only come to Him by way of the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ for forgiveness and cleansing. God wants to forgive us more than we want to be forgiven.
As Dr. Hyles so eloquently stated:
“Since God wanted man's fellowship more than man wants God's fellowship, then Christ first died FOR GOD.”
SOURCE: Dr. Jack Hyles, from his excellent book, MEET THE HOLY SPIRIT, chapter 29, The Holy Spirit, Our Seal
Jesus died primary so God could forgive mankind and once again have restored fellowship with man. Amen! Eternal life is a free gift, paid for by Jesus' work of redemption. Salvation is receiving, not giving. Revelation 22:17, "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."
