“If you, O Lord,
kept a record of sins,
O Lord, who could
stand?
But with you there is forgiveness;
therefore you are feared.”
— Psalm
130:3-4 (NIV)
Why on earth would we fear
God for forgiving us? It’s a very good question. Perhaps it’s easiest asking
how we’ve felt whenever we’ve been forgiven by someone (if that’s occurred to
you). Picturing this right now, in the first person, there’s firstly the sense
that what is undeserved – the forgiving act – is coming my way; they’re
choosing to trust me again, no strings attached, notwithstanding what I’ve done
to them; they’re showing compassion to me. It’s a pure loving compassion. And
my response? Respect, undying respect. This is a reverent, positive, loving
fear.
And this is the edge to the
fear, I think, that the psalmist is talking about.
How wonderful that the
Creator of the universe and of life as we know it – in his utmost holiness – can
even stomach me and my sinfulness. He tolerates and forgives over and over
again, and we especially feel his forgiveness
when we’ve come to understand the hurts we’ve caused.
His forgiveness facilitates
our own self-forgiveness which in turn gives us courage to seek forgiveness of
others. Convoluted, I know, but God is central to forgiveness transactions – whether
it’s accounted that way or not.
Forgiveness is shrouded in
mystery, assuming respect, because it is so rare in this world. When we’ve
experienced this forgiveness of God – his grace – we are transformed into his
loyal servants more and more. We wait on him without pressing – more patiently
perhaps even than a watchman through the night would (v. 6). Our thinking and
viewpoints are being transformed, enlivened, spiritually-awakened. We cannot be
more thankful.
In this way, forgiveness is
the experience of an undeserved favour, and the forgiven want to
return the favour ordinarily. That’s love and respect; it’s a positively rooted
fear wanting the very best for the relationship as far as it depends on them.
This motivated fear – for the best for the other – compels us to act; to obey;
to reverence life and the God behind it all.
‘Full redemption’ is the
mode of forgiveness, knowing that whatever heinous and grievous sins we’ve been
party to, he is there, willing to forgive at the moment we require; the very
moment our souls dare to ask – but daring is not the point. The act of
redemption is vouchsafed; it’s a solemn guarantee.
God’s forgiving heart never
changes. He is yesterday as he is today as he will be tomorrow (Heb. 13:8). What
God forgives he judges no more, such is the amazing fullness of grace.
This Song of Ascents is a
song of hope; a lament psalm inspiring trust because of the holy and most
trustworthy nature of God. The experience of his forgiveness is tantamount to
the miraculous.
God is with you; for you,
not against you.
© 2013 S. J. Wickham.
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