"Forgiveness doesn’t merely mean that I am saved from hell and have been made ready for heaven (no one would accept forgiveness on that level). Forgiveness means that I am forgiven into a newly created relationship which identifies me with God in Christ. The miracle of redemption is that God turns me, the unholy one, into the standard of Himself, the Holy One. He does this by putting into me a new nature, the nature of Jesus Christ." My Utmost For His Highest

Lord, it's easy to forget that You are so incredibly HOLY. My mind doesn't accept both concepts - both that You are my Friend and Holy Holy Holy - at the same time. How can I marry the scene in Isaiah 6 with the one in John 15? How can You be so set apart, enthroned in glory, and also stoop down to my level to lift me in Your arms? Chambers thought it is "shallow nonsense to say that God forgives us because He is love", but what else is there? What character trait of God would be more appropriate a reason to forgive us? I think Jesus spells it out pretty clearly here. Sure, it makes no sense that God would forgive us, and it only makes sense through the cross. But God didn't kill His Son off for no good reason. The ultimate reason IS because He loves us. No part of that love is shallow. I believe, with all respect to Mr. Chambers, that it's nonsense to think Agape could in any way be shallow.