Pardon (verb) – to absolve from the consequences of a fault or crime; to allow (an offense) to pass without punishment; to relieve of a penalty improperly assessed (Merriam Webster).
The President of the United States has a virtually unlimited ability to pardon and commute sentences related to federal offenses, except in cases of impeachment. Thanks to the checks and balances designed into our government, most presidential powers have limits. But the power to pardon is unlimited other than the President can’t pardon himself/herself.
Can you think of some high profile, controversial presidential pardons? Gerald Ford pardoning Richard Nixon in 1974? Jimmy Carter pardoning Vietnam draft dodgers in 1977? If you live in IL, did you know Donald Trump recently pardoned former IL governor Rod Blagojevich for his federal corruption conviction related to the wheeling and dealing he did for President Obama’s senate seat?
In my opinion, the value of a pardon is directly related to the significance of the consequences and timing. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying a pardon after the sentence has been served or a posthumous pardon has no value. There is something to be said about “clearing your name”. But a pardon or commutation that cuts a prison term short or keeps someone from having to go to jail in the first place is much more valuable (just ask Rod B how good it felt to get out of jail 6 years early).
The attribute of God we are studying today is “pardoner”. There is no better illustration than the gospel story.
We are all guilty – All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
We all deserve death – For the wages of sin is death…(Romans 6:23).
As long as we accept Jesus as savior, God pardons us – …as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us (Psalm 103:12).
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).
...we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2, 1-2).
The value of this pardon is…
- The consequences of sin are significant – death is final
- Timing is ideal – we can avoid eternal death by declaring faith in Jesus Christ before we die
- It cannot be paid for or earned – it is a gift of God
…priceless.