“But thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and of great kindness…”
(Nehemiah 9:17)
Thankfulness overflows from the knowledge that God is not only able to pardon, but ready to pardon. There is no reluctance in His mercy, no hesitation in His compassion, no stinginess in His grace. He is not bound by the limits of judicial clemency as a man might be, for He is Lord of heaven and earth, the Judge of all, and He delights in mercy (Micah 7:18). That such a God stands ready to forgive sinners is cause for continual praise.
The prophet Nehemiah recounts the sins of Israel, not to dwell in sorrow but to exalt the longsuffering of the Lord. Though Israel repeatedly rebelled, and even made a golden calf and cast aside His law, yet God did not forsake them. Instead, He revealed Himself as the God ready to pardon. The verb “ready” here does not imply willingness alone, but a posture of grace—a disposition that belongs to God as a part of His covenantal mercy.
This divine readiness to pardon is grounded in holy justice and accomplished through substitution. The reason God can pardon justly is because the penalty for sin was transferred to Christ. “It is finished,” Jesus declared (John 19:30). The debt was paid, the wrath satisfied, the books cleared… making the gospel not the suspension of justice, but its fulfillment in Christ. This is why God can be both “just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Rom. 3:26).
As a judicial act, God’s pardon removes all penalty as well as all liability. It erases guilt, strikes the conviction from the books, and counts the sinner as innocent. “Their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more” (Heb. 8:12). The believer is declared righteous through the imputation of Christ’s righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21); the pardoned soul accepted in the Beloved and given the Spirit of adoption. “…it is the prayer of faith which by prayer obtains pardon.”[1]
But we often struggle to believe this. The flesh clings to guilt, and Satan accuses. Feelings rise up to challenge the finality of the cross. And so we must anchor our thanksgiving not in emotional assurance but in the Word of the living God, for He has declared, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1).
Contemplations:
- God’s readiness to pardon is rooted in His character. He is gracious, merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. His posture toward His people is one of covenantal mercy. He loves to show grace because He is the God of all grace (1 Peter 5:10). Every act of pardon is simply an unveiling of who He truly is, and our thanksgiving must rise from this knowledge.
- God’s pardon is total and irreversible. Through Christ’s finished work, the sin-debt is paid; no penalty remains. There is no second prosecution, no remembrance of iniquity because the blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7). I am not under wrath. I am not on probation. I am forgiven and justified. Gratitude ought to flood my soul every time I remember this gospel truth.
- The experience of pardon produces transformation. The same Spirit who assures us of forgiveness is the One who sanctifies. That is to say that the pardoned sinner becomes the growing saint. Justification and sanctification are inseparable. If I am truly thankful for God’s pardon, I will not return to the sin that once condemned me.
- Assurance deepens thanksgiving. When I rest in God’s promises rather than my fluctuating emotions, thanksgiving is a natural response. The truth of God’s Word persuades the soul and the Spirit testifies to our adoption. And though I may at times feel unworthy, the pardon of God stands. Thanksgiving increases as faith is exercised. “I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart… For thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name” (Ps. 138:1–2).
Prayer (Thanksgiving):
Lord God Almighty, I thank You that You are a God ready to pardon. You are not reluctant, nor slow to show mercy. You do not forgive half-heartedly or partially. You forgive freely, fully, and forever through Jesus Christ. My soul blesses You, O Lord, for You have dealt bountifully with me. I thank You that while I stood condemned, You extended mercy; while I deserved wrath, You gave grace.
Thank You for sending Your Son to bear the punishment I could not endure. Thank You for accepting His finished work and declaring me righteous in Him. I thank You that my sins have been cast behind Your back, that my guilt has been taken away, and that no charge can be brought against me because “it is God that justifieth.” Thank You that my conviction is erased, my record cleansed because the righteousness of Christ has been applied to my account.
Thank You for the Spirit of adoption, who assures me that I am Yours. When my assurance falters, Your Word reminds me that Your pardon stands. Thank You that even my doubting heart cannot undo Your promise. You are faithful to forgive, and faithful to keep. My thanksgiving rises to You because Your grace is greater than my sin and Your pardon deeper than my guilt.
Thank You for transforming me. You did not only erase my guilt, You renewed my nature. You are changing me from glory to glory. I thank You that justification and sanctification are joined—that I have peace with You as well as the power to live unto You. I thank You that Christ is made to me wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.
Help me live with constant gratitude. Let me not forget what You have done. Let me not treat Your mercy lightly or grow accustomed to grace. Teach me to give thanks in everything, for this is Your will in Christ Jesus concerning me. I offer praise to You, O Lord, for Your abundant pardon, and I ask for a heart that never stops rejoicing in Your grace.
In the name of Jesus Christ, my Righteousness, Amen.
Further References for Neh. 9:17
Exodus 34:6; Psalm 86:15; Numbers 14:18; Joel 2:13; Nahum 1:3
[1] George Downame, A Godly and Learned Treatise of Prayer (Cambridge: By Roger Daniel for Nicolas Bourn; and are to be sold at his shop at the south-entrance into the Royall Exchange in London, 1640), 20.
