Topical Bible: Pardon: Exhibits The: Compassion of God

◄ Pardon: Exhibits The: Compassion of God ►

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Topical Encyclopedia

Pardon, in the biblical context, is a profound demonstration of God's compassion and mercy towards humanity. It is the act of forgiving or being forgiven for an offense, sin, or transgression, and it is a central theme throughout the Scriptures. The concept of pardon is deeply intertwined with God's nature, showcasing His willingness to forgive and restore those who turn to Him in repentance.

Old Testament Foundations

The Old Testament lays the groundwork for understanding God's pardoning nature. In Exodus 34:6-7 , God reveals Himself to Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and truth, maintaining loving devotion to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin." This passage highlights God's inherent compassion and readiness to forgive, setting a precedent for His interactions with Israel.

The Psalms frequently echo this theme, emphasizing God's mercy and willingness to pardon. Psalm 103:8-12 declares, "The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion. He will not always accuse, nor will He harbor His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins or repaid us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His loving devotion for those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us."

Prophetic Assurance

The prophets also affirm God's pardoning nature. In Isaiah 55:7 , the prophet calls the wicked to repentance, promising, "Let the wicked man forsake his own way and the unrighteous man his own thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that He may have compassion, and to our God, for He will freely pardon." This assurance of pardon is a testament to God's unchanging compassion and His desire for reconciliation with His people.

Micah 7:18-19 further underscores this theme: "Who is a God like You, 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 loving devotion. He will again have compassion on us; He will vanquish our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea."

New Testament Fulfillment

The New Testament reveals the ultimate expression of God's pardoning compassion through Jesus Christ. In the Gospels, Jesus embodies God's mercy, offering forgiveness to sinners and teaching about the boundless nature of divine pardon. In Matthew 9:2 , Jesus tells a paralytic, "Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven," demonstrating His authority to pardon sins and His compassion for the afflicted.

The Apostle Paul, in his epistles, elaborates on the theological significance of pardon through Christ's atoning sacrifice. Ephesians 1:7 states, "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace." This passage highlights the grace and compassion of God, who provides pardon through the redemptive work of His Son.

The Call to Imitate Divine Compassion

Believers are called to emulate God's compassion by extending forgiveness to others. In Colossians 3:13 , Paul exhorts, "Bear with one another and forgive any complaint you may have against someone else. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." This call to forgive reflects the transformative power of experiencing God's pardon and the responsibility to mirror His compassion in our relationships.

In summary, the biblical concept of pardon is a profound testament to the compassion of God. It is a recurring theme that underscores His desire to forgive, restore, and reconcile with humanity, ultimately fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Micah 7:18,19
Who is a God like to you, that pardons iniquity, and passes by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retains not his anger for ever, because he delights in mercy.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Of Repentance, of Pardon, and the Commands of God.
... XXIV."Of Repentance, of Pardon, and the Commands of ... God, knowing our weakness, of
His compassion [1258] has ... And he who exhibits all these qualities offers a ...
/.../lactantius/the divine institutes/chap xxiv of repentance of pardon.htm

Do are Then Make Void the Law through Faith? God Forbid; Yea, we ...
... It exhibits his disinterestedness. ... to him from the government, offering him a free
pardon on the ... hopes if they are allowed to know the real compassion of God ...
/.../finney/lectures to professing christians/do are then make void.htm

Righteous Grace
... with very vague ideas of God's mere compassion for the ... is this great work of
propitiation that exhibits God as "the ... It shows pardon not only as the deed of a ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bonar/gods way of peace/chapter iv righteous grace.htm

What God is to Us.
... The Lord exhibits himself in a twofold appearance, according to ... of his good-will
to save and pardon thee ... a finite creature, but my mercy is the compassion of an ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/lecture ix what god is.htm

Attributes of Love.
... state of feeling which is also called mercy, or compassion. ... Mercy would pardon"justice
would punish for the ... of benevolence, is virtue, and exhibits itself in ...
/.../finney/systematic theology/lecture xiv attributes of love.htm

Orthodox Creeds.
... of this atonement, the offer of pardon and eternal ... moved with infinite love and
compassion, sends forth ... and in his universal government, exhibits his adorable ...
//christianbookshelf.org/hayward/the book of religions/orthodox creeds.htm

Absolution.
... the heart""He loves me, and has compassion on me ... the formula of absolution, or reverse
the pardon of him ... on earth to forgive sins""he exhibits the priestly ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/robertson/sermons preached at brighton/v absolution.htm

Letter xxvii. (AD 395. )
... readers of your letter,"that letter which exhibits a true ... you should forget to pray
for the pardon of my ... esteemed by me, if, moved by compassion, and judging ...
/.../augustine/the confessions and letters of st/letter xxvii a d 395.htm

The Prodigal Son.
... than throw himself on his father's compassion; so an ... on the spiritual side is obvious;
it exhibits a cardinal ... accord come forth to accept the pardon which he ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/arnot/the parables of our lord/xxiv the prodigal son.htm

Christ and Man in the Atonement
... to Himself if He displayed His compassion for sinners ... on the very ground that for
pardon and reconciliation ... true " in other words, that it exhibits the real ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/denney/the death of christ/chapter 9 christ and man.htm