Psalms 130:3 “If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? 4 But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.”
To know the “forgiveness” of God is to know His Sovereign Power and Authority and Grace. For, from the very moment of Spiritual Birth (John 3:1-8), sin is revealed within us as overwhelmingly shameful and devastating, from which we have no means of recovering ourselves. And we know that “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12). This knowledge reveals a seemingly infinite contrast between God and man; where God is Perfectly Righteous in every respect and is Almighty in Power; but man is a wretchedly sinful creature unworthy of even the breath we breath. “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:” (Ephesians 2:4-6) “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;” (Colossians 2:13). Paul expressed it this way, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.” (Romans 7:24-25). This knowledge produces such an intensive “fear” (reverential awe) of God in us that we are compelled to cry aloud, “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.” (Psalms 95:6). In old English writings, the word “fear” appeared denoting a submissive awe of the kings that ruled over the people; for, they had absolute power and authority over everyone and everything in their kingdom. Thus, it is used here to reflect our loving-subservience to “the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords” (I Timothy 6:15) who declares within our souls, our heart’s mind, that “Thy sins are forgiven.” (Luke 7:48). Now we “rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory” (I Peter 1:8)