Sometimes I wonder why God forgives me again and again. I keep doing the same stupid things, but every time He forgives me. Just like the apostle Paul, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” Romans 7:15. And then God forgives me. But why?
Scripture holds the answer. “He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” Psalm 23:3. In Psalm 79, Asaph cries out to God:
Help us, O God our Savior,
for the glory of your name;
deliver us and forgive our sins
for your name’s sake.
The Israelites sinned as well, turning away from God often. But He forgave them when they turned back to Him. God spoke through the prophet Isaiah regarding the reason for His mercy:
You have neither heard nor understood; from of old your ear has not been open. Well do I know how treacherous you are; you were called a rebel from birth.
For my own name’s sake I delay my wrath; for the sake of my praise I hold it back from you, so as not to cut you off.
See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. Isaiah 48:8-10.
We don’t deserve God’s mercy. He tells us how to live an abundant, wonderful, and joyful life, but we don’t always do what He says is right to have that life. But for the sake of His name, so that He might be glorified, He has mercy on us.
Through [Jesus] and for his name’s sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. Romans 1:5-6.
We are called to belong to Jesus for His name’s sake. What a blessing!