The insanity of the world has reached a fever pitch in recent years, but let’s not forget that the God who upholds the universe, and the God who sent His Son into the world to save sinners, is a God who delights in steadfast love. Ultimate reality, the bedrock beneath this whole terrestrial ball, is a faithful Creator who inclines toward mercy and kindness to sinners.
Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love. (Micah 7:18)
The question Micah is pondering in this passage is: “What can we expect from God in the wake of sin?” That is, what can we expect from God after we have transgressed His law? After we’ve broken His commandments? After we’ve sinned against Him and treated Him with contempt? What can we expect to receive from God in such a state? Amazingly, the answer, upon the condition of repentance and contrition, is that we can expect to find compassion and forgiveness.
Indeed, Micah says this very clearly: God will have compassion on His sinful people. He will pass over their transgression. He will pardon their iniquity. He will relinquish His anger and tread our iniquities underfoot — and not because our sins are light, fluffy inconveniences that can be set aside on a whim, but rather because God is utterly unique in His character. He is utterly unlike us or the capricious, petty gods of the nations, and thus He does not retain His anger forever or hold our sins over our heads. At the bottom of His glorious character, He delights in steadfast love.
This is the ultimate reason for our forgiveness.