"Sin cannot be undone, only forgiven." -- Igor Stravinsky.
Nonsense! Mr. Stravinsky should have stayed with music, no matter how anti-harmonic or dodecaphonic.
What does the Bible teach?
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)
No matter what bad a believer has endured or committed, God's grace can see us through hard times and make them good times.
Consider the plight of Joseph, the beloved elder son from Jacob's beloved wife Rachel, who endured taunting, betrayal, privation, and false accusation, only to rise to the second highest place of prominence in Egypt:
When he married and had children, he named them according to the promised restoration that the Lord accords to every believer:
"And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house.
"And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction." (Genesis 41: 51-52)
God removes from us all member of harm, hurt, misery, and even our own failed efforts! Then He blesses so fantastically, as if no time was ever lost!
The Prophet Joel foretells the same merciful generosity of the Lord:
"And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.
"And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed." (Joel 2: 25-26)
No matter what devastations follow us, whether circumstance or sin, God is in the business of restoring to us all that was lost, not just forgiving our sins. "And my people shall never be ashamed" testifies to one thing: God is not keeping accounts of our sins, which are undone in the restoration provision which he sends upon every believer.
And how can we leave out the example of blessed Job, who despite desperate, even laughable, chaos and privation, was doubly blessed in his latter days!
No, Mr. Stravinsky, our sins are not only forgiven, but the terror and punishment that we would suffer is also undo, all because of the Finished Work of Jesus Christ at the Cross:
"What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
"He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8: 31-32)
Redeemed forever from all sin, and provided for in all things -- that is the legacy for all who believer on Him!
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