FULL FORGIVENESS

“Take away the filthy garments from him.” And to him He said, “See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes” – Zechariah 3:4b

In Christ, we have FULL FORGIVENESS: “In whom we have redemption through His blood, the FORGIVENESS of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Eph.1:7). In Him we have total redemption according to the riches of His Grace! The fullness of suffering and pain was experienced by Christ, that the fullness of love and peace might be ours in the Father’s Presence. He endured the penalty due to our transgressions that we might enjoy the fullness of blessing for all eternity. He died, not by the will or power of man, but by His own invested authority in the covenant of grace. He cried, “It is finished!” (Jh. 19:30). What was finished? The entire penal wrath dreaded by humanity; all the condemnation which would otherwise have swallowed us up. All of sin was cancelled by the cross and swallowed up in His righteousness. On this ground we enjoy pardon from a loving Father's heart; which also is the sweet forerunner of greater blessings yet to be revealed.

“His fullness” of righteousness secures our unceasing justification in the courts of heaven: “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us” (Psa.103:12). In the Old Covenant, our Redeemer said, “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins” (Isa.43:25).In the New Covenant, He reaffirms: “But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from ALL sin” (1Jh.1:7). By the possession of that grace treasured up for us in Christ Jesus, though Satan's accusations abound on almost every front – he roars, accuses, insinuates, and assaults – we stand justified in Christ who is our Righteousness!

His Full Forgiveness and perfect redemption position us as elect ones, plucked as a brand from the fire of sin and lust (Zech.3:1-5). Though Satan was at Joshua’s right hand to resist him, there was One nearer to him than Satan – the Angel of the Lord! He declared: stand before Him, “Take away the filthy garments from him.” And to him He said, “See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes” (Zech.3:4). His full forgiveness transforms rags of sin and shame into rich robes of righteousness and royalty. That was not the end: on his head was positioned “a clean turban” – a crown of distinction and glory!

God’s Word removes doubt, fear, unbelief, and condemnation from our minds; while the blessed Spirit takes of the things of Christ, His precious blood and perfect righteousness, and as He shows these to us, the beauty, glory, and fullness of His righteousness is revealed and received. The farthest and worst of our sins – our rebellious childhood, naughty and dare-devil youth, and corrupt adulthood – are all cleared off by His one offering and precious blood-shedding, while His righteousness is made sweetly ours.

Christ here on earth, was an obedient Man, a righteous Man, a spotless Man; and so He is now in heaven for me. My sins were borne by the Man who is now in glory, into the ‘land of forgetfullness’! He has told me, in unmistakable terms and by many infallible proofs, that His righteousness is mine, that He is made to me Righteousness, and that I am made “the Righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21)! All fullness of righteousness dwells in Him for me. Oh, what a full forgiveness! Oh, what a Perfect Redemption!