There’s hope in forgiveness. Why? Because forgiveness is a new beginning and there’s hope in new beginnings. Levi, the sinful woman, Zacchaeus and countless others had received a new beginning through Jesus showing them mercy and forgiveness—the hope they were given was priceless to them. Forgiveness can indeed usher in a new beginning. It is never too late to make a new beginning with God. He offers us love and forgiveness in Christ.
Forgiveness is the power that can deal with the failures and pain of the past. Forgiving and being forgiven are powerful forces—they set free! We can let go of the pain and take responsibility for the pain we caused. As we humble ourselves in honesty and ask for forgiveness and as we extend kindness to those who ask us for forgiveness, something powerful happens. Forgiveness brings freedom. We let go and no longer hold on to the pain we suffered from and we no longer hold a grudge against those who hurt us. There’s hope in forgiveness. We forgive as we have been forgiven (Ephesians 4:32).
The cross brought God’s forgiveness to humanity. When Jesus died on the cross, He took our sins upon Himself and God is now extending His mercy to us. There is forgiveness in the blood of Christ shed at the cross (Ephesians 1:7). That forgiveness brings reconciliation between sinful humans and a holy God. God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself. He who knew no sin became sin for us and because of us (2 Corinthians 5:18–21). Because of us because we sinned, and for us, because God loves us despite our sin and wants to save us. Christ did not come to condemn the world, but that the world would be saved through Him—that is the love of God (John 3:16–17).
The wages of sin are death, but God offers as the free gift of salvation and eternal life in Christ (Romans 6:23). This was to demonstrate His love for humanity lost in sin (Romans 5:6–8). As there is nothing more painful than a parent seeing one’s child suffer, so God took action to save His creation suffering in sin. We were all going astray, like sheep without a shepherd, but God drew us near and we can become His children by faith in Christ (John 1:12–13). Jesus came to seek and save what was lost in sin (Luke 5:31–32; 19:9–10). He paid the debt we owed.
‘Neither to I condemn you; go and sin no more’—these words gave forgiveness and a new beginning to a woman some sought to condemn. There’s hope in forgiveness because it gives people a new beginning. The crowd claimed they had caught her in a sin deserving of capital punishment (John 8:2–6), yet Jesus knew something wasn’t right. Not only weren’t there any proper witnesses (which is necessary for a proper trial), but their attitude was wrong: they sought to find fault to condemn people. Christ, on the other hand, came to extend mercy to save life. The famous words, ‘He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first’ (v 7), struck them at the heart of their conscience (v 9).
The law does indeed stipulate capital punishment for certain sins, but there’s a better way to deal with sinners: mercy. God’s goodness and kindness give people a chance to leave a life of sin and do what is right (Romans 2:4). Death removes such an opportunity. Jesus didn’t condone the sin, but neither would He condemn the sinner. He showed mercy, and one of His disciples would later write: ‘mercy triumphs over judgment’ (James 2:13). People who extend mercy have truly understood the nature of God. Those who judge without mercy haven’t.
The religious elite sought to condemn a life; Jesus saved it. There was a higher law at work here: the inner law of conscience. There is no written law that only those who are sinless can stone a person rightfully sentenced; there are no such people. But the inner law, God’s law written on our hearts, tells us that we are in no place to condemn others because we have sinned ourselves (Romans 3:23). That is not to downplay sin, but rather to keep us from a judgmental attitude that seeks death instead of life. The consequences of sin are death, evident by the fact that we all die. Yet God offers the free gift of salvation and eternal life in Christ by faith in Him (Romans 6:23). Jesus demonstrated God’s mercy by protecting the woman’s life from condemnation and by forgiving her. By doing so, He gave her a new beginning, and in that there is hope.
When you are forgiven, you receive a new beginning in life. When you forgive others, you give them that new beginning. And, better yet, you too receive a new beginning by forgiving those who wronged you: you set them free and you set yourself free. No longer must you carry the burden of bitterness or the pain of hurt. Not forgiving is a ‘prison.’ Forgiveness makes both ‘prisoners’ go free. You forgive as you have been forgiven (Ephesians 4:32) and walk in love as God’s child (5:1–2). You love because you were loved first—by God Himself (1 John 4:19). It’s like the sunrise after a stormy night—God’s mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:23). God gives us a new beginning every day. Use it through forgiveness.
There is hope in forgiveness for it gives a new beginning in life.
Very helpful - thank you!
Wonderful truth!
This is so important to understand. Thank you!