More Than a Pardon
Devotions for Growing Christians
More Than a Pardon
Micah 7:18-19 - Who is a God like Thee, who pardons iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in unchanging love. He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities underfoot. Yes, Thou wilt cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.
A prisoner who is pardoned is set free from the sentence imposed by society, without paying the full legal penalties for the crime committed. A pardon may be granted to a prisoner for a number of reasons: good behavior, family needs - even political pressure. But whenever a legal pardon is granted, it is not given because the offender has been proved innocent, or it would not be a pardon. In a pardon, the guilty party is excused - but not exonerated.
But when God forgives us for our sins, His forgiveness is more than a pardon! We are not only excused from the penalty of our sin - we are exonerated! We are justified - made righteous in God's sight. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says that in Christ we "become the righteousness of God." Becoming the righteousness of God is certainly more than a pardon!
How is this possible? It’s possible because the perfect Son of God, as our Substitute, suffered the death penalty for our sins upon the cross. Thus God is both "just, and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus" (Romans 3:25-26). Christians receive much more than a pardon from the consequences of their sin against a holy God. To be excused and forgiven would be fantastic enough - but in Christ our offenses are completely removed, and we are declared righteous - just as if we never sinned. Great is our God!
The prophet Micah wrote about this magnificent truth. In two verses of Hebrew poetry, Micah joyfully extolled our God, who gives us more than a pardon (Micah 7:18-19). In their context, the blessings of these verses are addressed to the Jewish people, because of God's unconditional promises to them under the Abrahamic Covenant. Micah 7:20 says, "You will be true to Jacob and show unchanging love to Abraham, as You pledged to our forefathers from the days of old." These promises to the Jewish people will ultimately be fulfilled because of the completed work of their Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, but they apply now to all of us who have trusted Christ by faith. We already have more than a pardon from God Himself!
In the prophet Micah’s day, the majority of the people in the kingdoms of Israel and Judah were not following the Lord. In fact, during Micah's time God allowed the northern kingdom of Israel to fall to the Assyrian empire, in about 722BC. The fulfillment of Micah's prophecy of judgment on Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, can still be seen today. "For I will make Samaria a heap of ruins in the open country, a place for planting vineyards. I will pour her stones down into the valley, and will lay bare her foundations" (Micah 1:6). Visitors to the ancient site of Samaria see grapevines and fruit trees are growing amidst the tumbled stones and ruined foundations of the once proud city.
The southern kingdom of Judah survived about 150 years longer than the northern kingdom. Micah's ministry spanned the reigns of three kings of Judah (Micah 1:1). Although Jotham and Hezekiah were good kings, they were not able to turn the nation back to God permanently. A major revival took place during Hezekiah’s reign, as a result of Micah's ministry (Jeremiah 26:18-19). But the effects of the revival were short-lived, and the nation continued on in paths of immorality and idolatry. Against this background Micah preached his sermons of judgment. Judah finally succumbed to the expanding Babylonian empire in 586BC - about 100 years after Micah’s ministry.
The moral and spiritual conditions are strikingly similar in our own nation today. Although some of our national leaders believe in biblical principles, and although many godly men and women are sprinkled throughout our land, our nation as a whole is moving farther and farther away from God. Although we still pledge allegiance to "One nation under God," and "In God we trust" is still on our currency, and we still sing "God bless America," our nation continues to rapidly drift away from God's moral standards. "The pursuit of happiness" is interpreted as an opportunity or an excuse for everyone to do “that which is right in his own eyes." The number of abortions continues to rise. Homosexuality is public accepted. Pagan practices are increasing. Violence and pornography flood our media. We need a major spiritual reawakening in America - a revival that would start at the grass roots and sweep across our nation. It could happen! Let’s pray for a great awakening so that God’s judgment will be delayed, and many hopeless people will come to our God, who is willing to give more than a pardon.
Micah was a contemporary of the well-known prophet, Isaiah. While Isaiah was very knowledgeable in international affairs and often spoke and ministered to those in high office, Micah was more of a country preacher. But there is nothing "back-woods" or unsophisticated about Micah's prophecies! As the Word of God, Micah carries the same punch and authority as the prophecies of Isaiah. While a good portion of Micah’s prophecy is characterized by denunciation and doom, there are also "grace and glory" passages. God must judge the sins of His people - but He also graciously delivers and restores His people.
The most familiar of Micah's prophecies is one of these messages of future blessing. Bethlehem is predicted as the birthplace of the Messiah in Micah 5. The emphasis of this prophecy is not on where he will be born, however, but on what He will do for His people, Israel. He will arise and shepherd His people and deliver them from every enemy. Israel's greatest days are yet to come!
Our text from Micah 7 is another of Micah's prophecies of blessing. The blessings promised here find their ultimate fulfillment in the future. A portion of the nation of Israel, "the remnant of His inheritance," will find that the God they refused when they rejected Christ is a God who will compassionately give more than a pardon.
We who have already come to know Christ as the true Messiah are even now experiencing these "more than a pardon" blessings. Our iniquities are conquered! In ancient times an enemy was said to be "underfoot" when subdued, and our sins have been trampled by our victorious Champion. The Lord has not only passed over our sins- He has looked on our sins as His own personal enemy, and defeated them. And this defeated foe will not be permitted to hang around Heaven to plague us with bad memories. All our sins are "cast into the depths of the sea." They are completely removed, and they will never be brought back!
And this is just as true for the believer now as it will be in the future! We don't have to wait until Heaven for the Lord to forgive our sins. "As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us" (Psalm 103:12). Our sins are already no longer remembered in God's court of justice. The righteous Judge Himself loves us - and He will never change His mind about our sins. They are gone forever! "He delights in His unchanging love." Forever we will praise the God who has given us much more than a pardon.
While our response to Micah's message is one of overwhelming thanks and praise to God, we must also consider how this message should affect our relationship with others. Colossians 3:12-14 says, "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues, put on love." We must forgive as the Lord has forgiven us? What a seemingly impossible command! And yet this is exactly what God asks us to do.
In view of the magnitude of the love and forgiveness God has given us, we must examine our relationships. Is there anyone with whom I have a grievance? Am I holding a grudge - perhaps a longstanding grudge - against anyone? Is there any situation in my life where I feel unable to forgive and be reconciled? God's Word tells us we must forgive as God has forgiven us!
"But," you may say, "I was the one who was hurt! I was wronged!" That may be true, but how many times has God suffered grief from our sins and our failures? How many times have we hurt God? And yet His love for us is unchanging, and His forgiveness of our failures goes far beyond a meager pardon!
We all have a tendency to think "the other party" should initiate the words or actions that will move us toward forgiveness and reconciliation - but let's remember that God took all the initiative to provide reconciliation for us!
As Christians our hearts and lips should give thanks to God for what He has done for us. But our lives must also bring praise to Him! We must mirror to everyone (including those with whom we have problems!) His unchangeable, "more than a pardon" love.
- Dave Reid