by Frank Baugh

Created on: July 28, 2009   Last Updated: August 26, 2009

Does God forgive every sin? Is it possible that the worst of sins are forgivable? Is God an angry, vengeful God that keeps a tally of our failings so he can hold us in account for every infraction, even the slightest, or does God forgive no matter the sin?

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16 ESV) That is such a worn quotation. We see it everywhere, but it is so prevalent because of the mighty impact of its words. Read it again. It says that whoever believes - whoever believes - has eternal life! What greater promise has been made to mankind? All it takes is belief and there is no more sin!

The fact of the matter is that God does not forgive every sin. The God of The Bible is an angry God full of hate and retribution. He is full of character flaws like jealousy. He holds all sin against us. In the Old Testament we find a jealous, angry God: Exodus 20:5: "You shall not bow down to them (idols) or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me." (ESV) In the Old Testament sacrifices of innocent animals - the shedding of blood - had to be made to assuage God under the Law of Moses. Israel's first anointed King, King Saul, suffered from an evil spirit sent from God in 1 Samuel 16:14-15. God sent this evil spirit because Saul had disobeyed him by sparing the life of another King. David lost the child of his adultery with Bathsheba as punishment from God (see 2 Samuel 12). God punished the bad Kings of Israel and Judah that followed Saul and David finally resulting in the Babylonian Captivity when because of their manifold sins God allowed all the Children of Israel to be punished as a whole both good and bad. The Old Testament is alive with punishments from God but it also speaks of the mercy of God, which there was an abundance of especially in dealing with the stiff-necked children of Israel. But God certainly has limits. To me God seems to be a petulant child in the Old Testament. I'm not particularly fond of the God of the Old Testament and I'm sure that that God is not fond of me.

Yes, God holds every sin against us, and the God of the New Testament is the same God as that of the Old Testament, but there is now Jesus Christ who is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29 ESV). In the New Testament it is clear that

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>