“Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy. He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities” (Micah 7.18-19a).
I’ve noted that in the public prayers of my pastor, John Mincy, he likes to praise God by telling Him, “There is none like you.” We’ve sung a choir arrangement in our church by the same title. Today, I spent some time thinking about a passage in Micah that reiterates this theme and hones it to a specific attribute of God, namely His forgiveness.
There is always a remnant of people that know the mercy of God no matter how dark or bleak the society has become. I’d like to be included in that remnant; I’d like the same for you. It is humbling to see just how sinful I am. But this is a necessary step in order to steep an awareness of God’s mercy into my life. This also helps me to stop sinning against Him. Some may think it does just the opposite. The Word of God makes clear that such are either backslidden or unsaved (see 1 John 1.9 – 2.1).
How will God subdue our iniquities? He will do so through compassion and the extension of forgiveness. One of the great things about my relationship with my pastor, my wife, or my close friends is that I know they will forgive me when I sin against them. That does not mean I will take advantage of them; it means I will strive to keep right before them. A most powerful communicable attribute of God is His willingness to pardon those who sin against Him! Nothing subdues iniquity like this one realization. There is none like You, O Lord!
