God's forgiveness is different than man's forgiveness

The Word for today: 
Ephesians 1:1-14

mark this: Ephesians 1:7

When you or I forgive someone, no penalty is paid.

Let's say someone were to steal $100 from you. You might choose to forgive the person--meaning that the thief would not have to pay for his crime in either money or jail time. The penalty is forgiven.

But God's forgiveness is never leniency toward sin. God can only forgive after the penalty has been paid.

So can we pay our own penalty? No, we cannot--and here's why:
The wages of sin (what we get for sin) is death (1).

We've heard that the law is life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth (2). We can't pay life for life because we are spiritually dead in our sins and trespasses (3). We have no real life with which to pay.

But the sinless life of Jesus Christ meant that he had life, real life, to give in payment for our sin. He paid life for life so that we could be forgiven.

In the New Testament, the word "forgiveness" is always back-to back-with the words "blood of Jesus Christ." When God forgives, He can't just overlook sin. He had to watch His Son die before He could forgive my sin.

A part of God's character--His absolute, unbending justice-- leaves Him with no ability to take you off death row unless someone pays the price. And He was the only one who could pay. So at the cross, He did.

The penalty having been paid, God is free to exercise another facet of His character--His absolute forgiveness. "Absolute" means that your every sin, past and future, is completely and forever dismissed by the Judge of the universe--all because He Himself could, and did, pay the price.

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(1) Romans 6:23; (2) Deuteronomy 19:21; (3) Ephesians 2:1