ONLY BY FAITH

God’s forgiveness can be obtained only by faith. We can’t reason it out. Christ’s gift to us of his blood atonement is so deep, so gracious, so mysterious, it’s far beyond any human ability to understand. We may see the law clearly applied to our sin. We may feel condemnation, fear and guilt over our trespasses. But our heavenly Father stands lovingly beside us at all times, ready to forgive.

The blood of Christ, the love of the Father, the Lord’s desire to pardon: all these blessings are known only by faith. “The just shall live by faith” (Galatians 3:11).

You may wonder, “How many times will the Lord forgive me for indulging in the same sin again and again?” Rest assured his incredible forgiveness is unlimited. Every time you sin, you can go to Jesus and find deliverance. Yet the Lord’s forgiveness is not unwise or blind. To be sure, our heavenly Father forgives us—but at a certain point, he chastens us to keep us from continuing to sin. “Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth” (Hebrews 12:6).