"And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God FOR CHRIST'S SAKE; hath forgiven you" (Eph. 4:32).
"FOR CHRIST'S SAKE" means "because of or "on account of" Christ. That is the foundation of every blessing and the fountain of all grace. No sinner ever has nor ever shall be forgiven his sins because of anything in him nor anything done by him, but wholly "because of" the Lord Jesus Christ-"FOR CHRIST'S SAKE." Every sinner, notwithstanding how moral nor religious, is guilty, condemned, undeserving, hell-deserving, "dead in trespasses and in sins" (Eph. 2:1, Rom. 5:12), and cannot do one thing pleasing nor acceptable unto God (Rom. 8:5-8, I Cor. 2:9-14). Christ, as the God-appointed substitute and surety of His people, satisfied God for them. He bore and, purged their sins, delivering them from the curse of the law (I Pet. 2:24; Heb. 1:3; Gal. 3:13), and rendered, unto God a life of perfect obedience to make them righteous in God's sight (Phil. 2:5-8; Rom. 5:19,10-4); and thus, through His life and death, full and everlasting redemption was obtained for them; Heb. 9:11, 12), making them perfect before God (Heb. 10:12-18). He suffered what they deserved, paid what they owed, and they are justified freely by His free grace, through faith in Him (Rom. 3:24-27, 4:1-8). And even their faith is a gift of God "FOR CHRIST'S SAKE!"
I cannot think of a single reason why God would save me, "because of" me; but I can see how He can and does, save the worst of sinners, a multitude of sinners, "because of" Christ-"FOR CHRIST'S SAKE." May God give every reader eyes to see His sovereign, free, saving grace IN CHRIST.
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