A Full Pardon

The Constitution gives our President the authority to issue a pardon at his discretion. This is typically done because he believes there was some type of injustice done and he wants to correct it. In the spiritual realm, God tells us in Romans 8 that those who have trusted in Christ alone to save us are no longer under any condemnation. There is no further sentence hanging over our heads. We have been fully pardoned! Not because God saw injustice done on our behalf; far from it. He knows we are guilty and deserve eternal punishment; however, He is a God of love and grace. Beyond that, Romans 5 tells us that we have also been declared righteous. But think about the pardon for a moment. Do you realize that if you are a child of God you do not have a black cloud hanging over your head, as Eugene Peterson puts it? It is hard to forget our past and to forgive ourselves, but what a great truth to ponder that God has given you a full pardon, He has adopted you into His family, and He loves you with an everlasting love. We need to see ourselves as He sees us, and not as we see ourselves.