God forgives the sins of believers on the basis of the once for all sacrifice offered by Jesus Christ on the cross. Believers' sins are no longer held against them, on account of the atoning death of Jesus Christ.
God's nature and forgiveness
Exodus 34:5–7 See also Numbers 14:17–20; Nehemiah 9:16–17; Psalm 103:1–18; Isaiah 43:25; Micah 7:18–20; 1 John 1:8–9
And the LORD descended in a cloud, stood with him there, and proclaimed His name, the LORD. Then the LORD passed in front of Moses and called out: “The LORD, the LORD God, is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness, maintaining loving devotion to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. Yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished; He will visit the iniquity of the fathers on their children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.”
God's promise of forgiveness
Jeremiah 31:31–34 See also 2 Chronicles 7:14; Isaiah 55:6–7; Hebrews 8:8–12
Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt— a covenant they broke, though I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD. “But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD. I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people. No longer will each man teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquities and will remember their sins no more.”
People's need of forgiveness
1 John 1:8–10 See also Psalm 51:1–5; Isaiah 6:1–5; Romans 3:9, Romans 3:23
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, and His word is not in us.
The means of forgiveness
Under the old covenant
Hebrews 9:22 See also Leviticus 4:27–31, Leviticus 5:17–18
According to the law, in fact, nearly everything must be purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
Under the new covenant
Matthew 26:27–28 See also John 1:29; Ephesians 1:7–8; Colossians 2:13–15
Then He took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
The assurance of forgiveness
1 John 1:8–9 See also Psalm 51:7, Psalm 103:8–12, Psalm 130:3–4; Proverbs 28:13; Isaiah 1:18; Acts 2:38; James 5:13–16; 1 John 2:1–2
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.