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. “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:7-9)

The Abundant Pardon

Grace is hard to understand from a human standpoint. Why would a wrathful God agree to extend the hand of grace to a rebellious, stubborn, wicked, and unrighteous soul? God has the power to destroy everyone on the face of the planet because He has already done that before. Wickedness is the rebellion of the heart where man lives in the desires of the flesh, mind, and soul. The unrighteous are those who fill their lives with all that is ungodly. Yet, in the grace of God, He invites the wicked and unrighteous to repent. That suggests that the human soul is capable of change if he desires. Repentance is not a magic pill or a miracle. The act of changing the heart is something God has created in man to do if he so makes that choice.

When the heart is humbled and willing to repent and return to the Lord, God is willing to have mercy on him. Man cannot come to the Lord without a humble heart. God does not pass out free passes to the unrepentant. He sees the heart and knows the spirit of man whether he is sorry for his sin. God does not see what is on the outside of a man but searches the heart to know the true character. When the Lord sees a penitent heart, He will not only pardon; He will abundantly pardon. The forgiveness of God is generous. There is nothing He will not forgive if a man is willing to repent.

David committed adultery, deceit, dishonor, and unrighteousness and caused a man to become drunk. He then murdered Uriah through treachery. His final sin was trying to cover up what he had done. After Nathan the prophet came to David, the heart of the King was broken before God, and he repented with a heavy heart. God’s abundant grace and mercy forgave David and Bathsheba, setting aside the consequences of the Law of Moses. As Lawgiver, God had the right to grant clemency to David and Bathsheba. Why would God show such grace to David and Bathsheba? Because God’s thoughts are not measured by the wisdom of man. Why did God destroy the world in the days of Noah? His thoughts are not the measure of human wisdom. The abundant mercy of God is willing to forgive anyone who repents and returns to the Lord.

Satan tries to convince us that we have sinned so grievously that God is unwilling to consider our plight. The lie has kept many from accepting the grace and mercy of God. Human wisdom decides there is nothing God will do because the sin is so great. The abundant forgiveness of God means that he is willing to forgive any sin when a man repents and turns his heart to the Lord. On the Day of Pentecost, three thousand souls received the forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit because they acknowledged they had killed the Son of God. Peter told them to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins – and they did so – and God forgave them. Abundant pardon. Grace. Mercy.

The ways of God are so much higher than the ways of man. His thoughts are infinitely greater than the minds of men. The joy of salvation is knowing God does not judge man through human wisdom but divine grace. His law is above all laws, and His grace is the voice of love that tells sinful men to repent and return, and God will wipe away all the tears from their eyes. Saul of Tarsus called himself the worst sinner, but God forgave him, and Paul became one of the greatest stories of grace in scripture.

Believe in the grace of God and let His mercy cleanse you of sin. The waters of baptism will wash away every sin when the heart repents and confesses allegiance to Jesus Christ. When a man rises from the waters of baptism, the abundant pardon of God has removed all sin. God’s grace will continue to shower His abundant pardon on the soul that turns to God. Take time to know the thoughts of God. They are higher than the earth and so far beyond our imagination. Grace. Mercy. Forgiveness. Saved.