God's Motive For Forgiveness

“But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.” (Ps 130:4 AV)

 

Why do we seek the forgiveness of God?  Is it because we feel ashamed and we desire to be affirmed once again by the loving heart of our Father?  Is it because the circumstances of our sin are too great to bear and we think if the Father forgives us, then He will ease the burden?  Is it because we fear that if we do not, then the LORD will rain upon us unabated wrath?  Do we fear that others will find out?  What is our reason?  Our writer tells us a very important reason why God grants forgiveness.  This may not be our motive, but it is certainly His.  There is forgiveness with God that He might be feared.  On this, Albert Barnes says, “The idea is, not that pardon produces fear or terror - for the very reverse is true - but that God, by forgiving the sinner, brings him to reverence him, to worship him, to serve him: that is, the sinner is truly reconciled to God, and becomes a sincere worshipper. The offender is so pardoned that he is disposed to worship and honor God, for God has revealed himself as one who forgives sin, in order that the sinner may be encouraged to come to him, and be his true worshipper.”  In simple terms, there is forgiveness with God so that we will see Him and treat Him as God.

Think of this from a father’s point of view.  If he forgave his child for disobedience without any reciprocation of respect, what would be the reason to grant it?  Why would the child seek his father’s forgiveness in the first place?  When my sons disobeyed, the process of restoration was pretty much the same.  I would call him into my office or den.  I would ask him what we did.  If he genuinely did not know, I would charge him with wrongdoing in the form of a question.  It wasn’t a statement.  It was an allegation.  “Did you forget to study for that test and as a result, failed it?”  “Your mother told you to pick up your room.  Is it?”  “I specifically told you not to hang out with those kids?  Where you down at the park with them?”  I knew the answer.  I was interrogating.  “Yes” would be his response.  “Yes, what?”  Then he would have to rehearse the exact wrongdoing he did.  I then asked, “Well, what do you think your punishment ought to be?”  After the punishment was pronounced, I asked if I could have a hug.  This may seem like a lot of drama.  But there is a point to all of it.  There must be an acknowledgment of disobedience.  However, there must also be an understanding that forgiveness is granted that my son would once again treat my authority as something to respect and follow.  With the LORD it is even more personal than that.  Not only is He out for our respect of His authority but more importantly, respect for His person.

As stated before, the reasons we seek the forgiveness of God vary.  They vary for reasons of which He does not desire.  There are other reasons God forgives.  He forgives that He might exercise His attributes of mercy, grace, and benevolence.  He forgives that we might repent of our sin, appreciating His grace, and forsake our sin.  He forgives that His name might be glorified among the children of men.  He forgives for all those reasons and more.  But our psalmist points out an equally important reason.  He forgives that men might worship and honor Him as he should be.  He forgives only when we approach Him with the right heart.  He forgives when we acknowledge His sovereignty and His right to be displeased at what we have done.  He forgives, as the prodigal’s father did when we acknowledge our guilt and lack of standing before Him.  He forgives that we might be reminded that He is God and we are the workmanship of His hand.  He forgives to remind us we are in deep need of His love and care and that we might rest in that grace.  He forgives that He might be feared.