WEEK 7 | FORGIVING AND JUST

Exodus 34:6-7

The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation.”

“Forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty…”

We must look at both, Justice and Forgiveness, in light of what we know about God’s character. We know that God is merciful and compassionate which means that God longs to forgive those who have sinned against him, but God is also compassionate enough to correct those in the wrong. We know that God is gracious which means that He is willing to give us the free gift of salvation, but God will also punish those who do not accept His gracious gift. We know that God is slow to anger which means that He is willing to forgive us of our sins, but He will also not let those who do not repent go unpunished. We know that God is loving and faithful which means that He will protect and guide His people, but we also know that sometimes the most loving thing you can do is punish someone. See forgiveness and justice are a part of who God is and they are tied to His very character.

We can break free of our sin and our families sins.

God is forgiving and willing to work with those that are willing to seek repentance. If you want to change the direction of your future and your families future, confess your sin and seek to honor God in all you say and do. The goal is to go on a journey of becoming more like Jesus. This process takes time, but it will be worth it when you pass on characteristics of Jesus to the next generation by simply being who God created you to be.

REFLECTION AND QUESTIONS

Why are forgiveness and justice related to one another?

Do you believe that God is faithful to forgive you of your sins?

What do you need to repent of?

Final Note

These are just some of the characteristics of God. To say that we know everything about God would be a lie. We can only come to know Him better as we explore who He is in scripture, nature, and our lives. Praying for you on this journey.