Forgiveness is Available

“Then said Jesus, ‘Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.’” (Luke 23:34)

This is the first of the seven last sayings of Jesus, spoken while dying on the cross to which He was nailed. Forgiveness of man’s sins is the basic purpose of our Savior’s death on the cross.

The word, “forgive,” means to “wipe the page clean.” When we were born we were sinners by nature but had not committed any sins. All the pages of the book of our lives were clean. Soon, however, because of our sin nature, we became sinners by choice, choosing evil rather than good, darkness rather than light and wrong rather than right. Every page became smudged with sin, our sin.

When Jesus died on the cross, shedding his blood, forgiveness became available to anyone who would acknowledge the need of forgiveness and would receive it. The Bible says, “In whom (God’s Son) we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins…” (Colossians 1:14)

When one repents, confesses his sins and places his faith in Jesus Christ, all the smudges of sin on every page are wiped clean. The old song asks, “What can wash away my sin?” and then answers by saying, “Nothing, but the blood of Jesus.”