Pardon

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Terry R. Baughman
“Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:18-19 NIV).
Many Americans who feel they have been served an injustice by our legal department and wrongly convicted will seek a pardon from a Governor or perhaps even the President of the United States. Often it is one of the final acts of a leading public official before leaving office, to grant pardons to individuals in those cases that merit the attention of these leaders of state. By waiting until they are about to leave office, they avoid any negative political ramifications of granting such a pardon. An unpopular act could influence the outcome of their reelection. However, those who are on the receiving end of a pardon are especially grateful and will often write letters or send messages of great appreciation for their freedom and opportunity to be restored to home and family, sometimes after months or even years of incarceration. 
We may not feel that we have ever been guilty of such a crime that would cause us to be concerned about receiving a pardon. We are free to come and go whenever we choose. We have not been charged or sentenced with an unjust verdict. In reality, we are all guilty of sin and deserving of the death penalty according to God’s righteous judgment. Paul observed that, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23 NKJ). This highlights the fact that we all live under the condemnation of our sins, and we all need forgiveness and pardon. 
Fortunately, one outstanding quality of God is His everlasting mercy and great kindness. As Micah stated in the text, He is One who pardons sin, forgives transgressors, shows mercy, and has compassion. Only He can truly pardon our guilt and remove the condemnation of our sins. He will remove our sins “into the depths of the sea,” and banished them, “As far as the east is from the west” (Micah 7:19, Psalm 103:12 NIV). The extent of His mercy is a demonstration of His amazing grace. Paul said, “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8 NIV).
When the pardoned persons are set free, they walk away from the guilt of the past and step into a new day of light and opportunity. It takes longer for other acquaintances to accept the freed people back into their lives, but according to the law, they can no longer be held responsible for the crimes committed or charged with guilt. 
Even for the person granted freedom, it takes time for the reality of a pardon to sink in. Perhaps there is the dread of a knock at the door revealing officers and a messenger to say there was a mistake. Maybe it’s the constant feeling of looking over the shoulder to catch the pursuer, or the nagging self-doubt of not being good enough to deserve a second chance. It takes time to adjust to new found freedom and experience the legal liberty granted. 
When it comes to our debt of sin, we know we were guilty. We deserved to die, but Christ took our place, dying on the cross to redeem us from sin. He is the only One who could grant freedom and declare us to be innocent. His sinless blood provides covering for our sins and clothes us in His righteousness. It was not our good deeds or hard work that makes us deserving of salvation. It is Christ alone, grace alone, and His sovereign act that assures us of pardon for all our sins. Paul wrote, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us” (Ephesians 1:7-8 NIV).
The freedom Jesus gives is permanent, we are never to return to repeat the paths of the past. Paul said, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1 NIV). God’s grace is not temporary or limited. He has unlimited ability to save and set free. Thankfully. our God is full of grace and, “… He will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:7 NKJ).
Theme passage:
“Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:7 NKJ).