A God Who Is "Ready to Forgive"-Continue with How Completely Does Jehovah Forgive?

In a promise of restoration, the prophet Micah expressed his conviction that Jehovah would forgive his repentant people:  "Who is a God like you, . . . passing over transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? . . . And you will throw into the depths of the sea all their sins." (Micah 7:18, 19)  Imagine what those words mean to those living in Bible times.  Was there any chance of retrieving something that had been hurled "into the depths of the sea"?  Micah's words thus indicated that when Jehovah forgives, he removes our sins  permanently. 

Jesus drew on the relationship between creditors and debtors to illustrate Jehovah's forgiveness.  Jesus urged us to pray:  "Forgive our debts."  (Matthew 6:12)  Jesus thus likened sins to debts. (Luke 11:4) When we sin, we become "debtor" to Jehovah. Regarding the meaning of the Greek verb translated "forgive,"  one reference work  says:  "To let go, give up, a debt by not demanding it." In a sense, when Jehovah forgives, he cancels the debt that would otherwise be charged against our account.  Repentant sinners can thus take comfort. Jehovah will never demand payment for a debt he has canceled! Psalm 32:1, 2. 

Next time: A God Who Is "Ready to Forgive"-Conclusion of How Completely Does Jehovah Forgive?

From the book: Draw Close to Jehovah