05A.03. Man's Forgiveness Vs. God's

03 -- MAN’S FORGIVENESS VS. GOD’S

What a difference in the forgiveness of our Lord and that we see manifested among so many individuals today! When you take the promise in Isaiah and the one in Jeremiah and place them together it virtually reads, "I will place them behind my back and remember them no more." That is God’s way. That is covered by the blood. Man’s way is too often different. To illustrate: John has been an awful sinner, his life was bad, he has wronged his neighbor, but repenting of his sins he gets forgiveness from God and then coming to his neighbor says,

"Bill, I want to live a Christian life; I have wronged you shamefully, but I am sorry, and want you to forgive me."

Bill answers, "All right, John, I freely forgive you; we will count it all settled and let by-gones be by-gones." That is what he says to John, but by his actions and after life he says, "John, I do forgive you and I will just place these old wrongs behind my back and never forget them as long as I live. Yes, John, I forgive you but every time I see you I will think of the way you treated me. When the pastor comes I will tell him, I will rehearse it to the evangelist when he arrives, and will keep it behind my back but never forget it as long as I live."

What a shame and what a pity; and yet often, far too often, human forgiveness is like that. But O, when Jesus forgives, He forgets and sends us away singing, "They are covered by the blood, They are covered by the blood, My sins are all covered by the blood. My iniquities so vast have been blotted out at last, My sins are all covered by the blood."

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