Forgiveness Precedes Repentance

Isaiah 64:6 All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags

People come to salvation at different points in their lives. However, God’s forgiveness has been offered to all before they were even born. This important truth displays the amazing nature of our God. Forgiveness precedes repentance.

 God has accepted all of His creation from the beginning. He accepts us as the filthy sinner we are. If God didn’t accept us before we came to know Him, how then would Christ be able to leave the heavenly realms to become flesh and then be crucified in a most undignified manner?

Many throughout the church age have come to know the Lord only to become legalistic, rule abiding, religious types. God didn’t go through all the pain and humility so that we could obey rules and becoming religious. Our Creator died and was resurrected so that we can become right with Him again and so He can come near to us in a loving and intimate relationship—the way the original plan was.

Christ died because we couldn’t keep the rules. Some Christians feel that we must obey God’s laws to remain in a right relationship with Him. This is grossly offensive to all that Christ had to do on this Earth. The gospel of grace means that we are forgiven before we turn to God. It is the mere acceptance of that grace that makes us right with Him. The forgiveness is already there; we only have to accept it. We accept this forgiveness by stripping off our self-righteousness and recognizing that it is Christ’s blood alone that covers us.

Have you accepted God’s gracious gift of salvation?

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Last modified: March 5, 2006