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

Jehovah's forgiveness is further described at Acts 3:19:"Repent,therefore, and turn around so as to get  your sins blotted out."  That last phrase translates a Greek verb that can mean "to wipe out, . . . cancel or destroy."  According to some scholars, the image expressed is that of erasing handwriting.  How was this possible?  The ink commonly used in ancient times was made of a mixture  that included carbon, gum, and water.  Soon after working with such ink, a person could take a wet sponge and wipe the writing away.  Therein is a beautiful picture of Jehovah's mercy.  When he forgives our sins, it is as though he takes a sponge and wipes them away. 

When we reflect on these varied word pictures, is it not clear that Jehovah wants us to know that he is truly ready to forgive our sins as long as he finds us sincerely repentant? We need not fear that he will hold such sins against us in the future.  This is shown by something else that the Bible reveals about Jehovah's great mercy:  When he forgives, he forgets.

Next time: A God Who Is "Ready to Forgive"-"Their Sin I Shall Remember No More"

From the book: Draw Close to Jehovah