[The Love Of God] Steadfast, Irrevocableናሙና

The Love Of God Offers Us Forgiveness

There is a painting by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn that has always caught my eye. It is the one called “The Return Of The Prodigal Son”. It is believed to be one of Rembrandt’s final pieces. In this painting he describes perfectly the forgiveness of a father towards his son, and it is based on the parable of the prodigal son from the Bible. If you look at the painting closely you can almost feel the love of the father through the way the hands are placed on his son’s back and the expression on his face. 

This parable talks about a son who asks the father for his inheritance, and then leaves and spends all of his money. It tells of the forgiveness of the father when the son returns with no other expectation but to become one of his servants. It shows a love that offers unexpected forgiveness and grace. The same goes for the love of God for us. Even when we least expect to be loved and forgiven, He still loves us and forgives us, repeatedly. Because that is who He is.

The forgiveness that God gives us through His love is not the same forgiveness that we are used to showing or receiving—human to human. God throws our sins so far away so that they cannot affect us anymore; He forgives us and never holds a grudge against us. His forgiveness is complete. It is a forgiveness that forgets all wrongdoing. A forgiveness that goes deeper than what we can expect or imagine. And this is not because of us, because we did something to deserve such forgiveness, but because of who God is and the love He has for us. It is a forgiveness that restores, that brings life, purpose, meaning, hope, and grace.

We as human beings are used to forgiving but not to forgetting. However, God is not like us, as we have talked about in these previous paragraphs. And my prayer for you is that you will be able accept the love and forgiveness of God in all of its fullness. Knowing that it is not and will never be about you, but who He is. Knowing that our actions will never be greater than His character. That one day you may find yourself loving and forgiving others in the same way that God loves and forgives us every day.