One of the most beautiful and powerful Biblical teachings is forgiveness of sins. It is the process in which God in his mercy blots out our sins and gives us a second opportunity to live righteously. Members Church of God International (MCGI) tends to stress this issue since it is crucible when it comes to knowing the plan of God to give love and salvation to the human race. Forgiveness is not a spiritual concept; it is a life transforming and profound process and brings peace, liberty, and healing between man and God.
When we discuss forgiveness of sins first we have to know what sin is. Sin is a separation with the commandments of God. Romans 3: 23 states that, All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. This implies that none of the human beings has done nothing wrong before God. It could be lies and robbery and pride and hatred and whatever is contrary to the will of His. Sin is the thing that alienates us to God as Isaiah 59:2 states, But your iniquities have come between thee and thy God, and thy sins have concealed His face thysomely, That he may not hear. This division leaves the heart empty and forgiveness is what will bring the lost connection.
MCGI gives the message that forgiveness is achieved through true repentance. A person has to feel sincere regret over the wrong committed and decide never to repeat it to be forgiven. The repentance is not just a mere saying I am sorry. It entails a shift in attitude and behavior. According to acts 3:19, Repent ye therefore and be converted that thy sins might be blotted out. This Bible indicates clearly that forgiveness is the door that is opened by repentance. It is impossible to forgive without it. It is also something that I personally have learned and that God does not examine only the words we say, but at the state of our heart.
The teachings of MCGI helped me realize the fact that forgiveness was also made possible through Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament, individuals were used to make animal sacrifices to the atonement of their sins. Those sacrifices were transient and were forced to be repeated frequently. But when Jesus arrived, He sacrificed himself as the ultimate sacrifice once in a lifetime. Without shedding of blood, Hebrews 9:22 says, is no remission. And through His blood we accomplished the everlasting forgiveness. Jesus himself said in Matthew 26: 28, For this is my blood of the new testament, which is poured out to many to the remission of sins. This implies that regardless of the depth of our sins, the blood of Jesus is strong enough to purify us of all our sins.
Among the significant things that I learnt during the teaching of MCGI is that forgiveness ought to result in a transformed life. To be forgiven is not sufficient, but we have to work towards a righteous life afterward. Romans 6: 1-2, says, Shall we go on in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid.” God does not forgive us to make us go back to our old ways, rather He wants us to walk in newness of life. When I imagine the way God has been so merciful on my behalf, it makes me forgive others as well. The forgiveness given must result in forgiveness received. This was what Jesus preached in Matthew 6:14-15: “And if ye forgive men their trespasses, your Father also shall forgive you: but if ye do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive thy trespasses.
In personal self-reflection, I encountered that it is one of the most difficult things to forgive other people, particularly, when you were severely wronged. However, I also found out that when I forgive, I become lighter and more at peace indoors. Unforgiveness puts you in slavery but forgiveness frees you. In MCGI forgiveness is commonly taught to be not a weakness but a manifestation of the strength of God within us. Even when Jesus was on the cross he said, Father, forgive them; they know not what they are doing (Luke 23:34). The verse has always appealed to me as I liked to see that despite all the wrongs that we may have caused to each other we can still decide to have mercy instead of taking revenge.
Our eternal life is also availed by the forgiveness of sins. Once our sins are purged we are made right with God and we can expect to be with Him eternally. 1 John 1:9 puts it best: “Should we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness. This is a great guarantee that despite what we are and what wrong we have committed, the mercy of God is more than our sins.
To sum up, forgiveness of sins is among the most outstanding gifts of God. It helps us to remember that His love is unlimited and that His grace is adequate. By the way of repentance and faith in Jesus Christ we are able to receive full cleansing and restoration. The MCGI doctrine on the same has made me open my eyes and see how much God is really compassionate and how beautiful a life without any guilt is. I have also been taught that as much as I would like to appreciate the forgiveness of God, I should also be willing to forgive. Forgiveness is not a one time action; it is a way of life which depicts the heart of God.