What Does Forgiveness from God Create in a Forgiven People? (Forgiveness)
Forgiveness from God is one of the richest blessings revealed in Scripture. It is more than the cancellation of guilt or the removal of punishment. Forgiveness creates something new in those who receive it—it transforms a forgiven people into a community marked by peace, love, and reconciliation.
The prophet Jeremiah announced a new covenant in which God would “forgive their iniquity, and… remember their sin no more” (Jeremiah 31:34). This divine act of forgiveness is not simply a legal declaration but a relational gift, enabling intimacy with God and reshaping human hearts. To understand what forgiveness from God creates is to see how His mercy renews lives, restores communion, and equips His people to forgive others. For a broader study of God’s attributes, see the attributes of God overview.
1. Forgiveness Creates a New Covenant Relationship
The Bible portrays forgiveness from God as the foundation of a covenant relationship. Israel’s history showed that sin broke fellowship with God, but His forgiveness restored it. In the new covenant, this forgiveness is not only external but internal: “I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts” (Jeremiah 31:33).
This covenant forgiveness accomplishes three things:
Restored communion – The offender is reconciled to God.
Inner transformation – God’s law is written on the heart, producing obedience.
Universal knowledge – “They shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest” (Jeremiah 31:34).
Forgiveness is not earned by obedience; rather, it produces obedience. The forgiven people of God are marked by a faithful relationship with Him, built on His gracious initiative.
2. Forgiveness Creates Peace and Assurance
Another fruit of divine forgiveness is the peace it brings to the human conscience. Psalm 32 beautifully describes this: “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered” (v. 1). David moves from the misery of unconfessed sin to the joy of knowing God’s mercy.
Forgiveness creates:
Peace of mind – The burden of guilt is lifted.
Assurance of mercy – The believer rests in God’s steadfast love.
Freedom from fear – The threat of judgment no longer haunts.
Unlike human reasoning, which often dwells on past failures, God’s forgiveness restores confidence in His promises. A forgiven people can live boldly and joyfully, no longer enslaved to fear but freed to serve Him.
3. Forgiveness Creates Love and Gratitude
Jesus taught that those who are forgiven much, love much (Luke 7:47). Divine forgiveness quickens the heart to love God and others. The woman who anointed Jesus’ feet with tears understood that forgiveness is not the end but the beginning of love.
Consider the progression:
Forgiveness awakens gratitude for mercy received.
Gratitude grows into love for God who forgives.
Love produces obedience and compassion toward others.
Paul reflects this in Romans 5:5, explaining that God’s love is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Forgiven people become forgiving people, marked by humility and compassion that cannot be manufactured apart from grace.
4. Forgiveness Creates a Community of Forgiveness
God’s forgiveness not only transforms individuals but also reshapes communities. Jesus taught His disciples to pray, “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matthew 6:12). The forgiven people of God are commanded to forgive others because they themselves live by mercy.
The implications are clear:
Unforgiveness contradicts the Gospel – Those who cling to bitterness fail to reflect the forgiveness they have received.
Forgiveness restores relationships – Communities fractured by sin find healing through grace.
Forgiveness witnesses to the world – A church that forgives displays God’s mercy in action.
Colossians 3:13 urges believers to “forgive each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” A forgiven people thus become a forgiving people, demonstrating the reality of the Gospel in daily life.
5. Forgiveness Creates Hope for the Future
Finally, forgiveness from God establishes hope. Without forgiveness, the future holds only judgment. With forgiveness, believers look forward to eternal life in God’s presence.
Three promises anchor this hope:
Freedom from condemnation – “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).
Confidence in prayer – Forgiven people approach God’s throne boldly (Hebrews 4:16).
Assurance of glory – Forgiveness prepares believers to stand faultless before God’s presence with great joy (Jude 24).
Forgiveness is not temporary relief but eternal restoration. It sets the trajectory for the Christian life now and guarantees the consummation of God’s promises in the new creation.
Conclusion
Forgiveness from God creates a profound transformation in His people. It is the foundation of a new covenant relationship, writing His law on their hearts. It produces peace of mind, frees from fear, and gives assurance of mercy. It awakens gratitude and love, creating a community of people marked by forgiveness. And it secures a future filled with hope, rooted in God’s eternal promises.
Key truths:
Forgiveness restores communion with God.
Forgiveness gives peace and removes fear.
Forgiveness awakens love and gratitude.
Forgiveness creates forgiving communities.
Forgiveness anchors hope for eternity.
The Gospel demonstrates that forgiveness is not earned but freely given through Christ’s sacrifice. Forgiven people, in turn, are called to embody that mercy, becoming a living testimony to God’s grace in the world.
Bible Verses About God’s Forgiveness
Psalm 32:1 – “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.”
Isaiah 1:18 – “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.”
Isaiah 55:7 – “He will abundantly pardon.”
Jeremiah 31:34 – “I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
Micah 7:18 – “Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity?”
Matthew 6:12 – “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”
Luke 7:47 – “Her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much.”
Colossians 3:13 – “As the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”
Romans 8:1 – “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Jude 24 – “To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy.”
