Day 22

“For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” — PSALM 103:11-12

In Scripture, there are some vividly descriptive verses that tell us what God does with our sin, and they are extremely encouraging for us to think about.

“As far as the east is from the west, does He remove our transgressions from us.” This is a beautiful picture. God doesn’t speak of north and south because they are fixed points on the globe. We can travel north for some distance and reach a point where we will begin to travel south and, of course, the same is true were we to begin traveling south. But east and west are different. We could start off in a westerly direction, circle the globe continuously and never begin to travel east. A fixed point where east meets west is non-existent, and as far as the east is from the west God removes our transgressions, so it is as if they didn’t exist. 

Isaiah 38:17 says, “In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back.” That’s another wonderful description. If God is in all places at all times, where is there such a place as behind His back? That place does not exist. It’s a profound image that depicts the infinity of distance and space into which God has taken our sin. It’s beyond anything that exists, so as far as God is concerned, our sin disappears into oblivion.

Micah 7:19 says, “You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.” Our iniquities hurled into the depth of the sea paints another picture of something that is irretrievable. Our sin is washed away, gone forever, never to be seen or heard of again.

Isaiah 43:25 says, “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.” God has a unique ability. He not only forgives, but He also forgets – or more precisely, He remembers them no more. That is, the God who knows all things will never recall the sin He knows about us, never call us to account for it, never use it against us, and never condemn us for it. He treats our sin as though it never took place. 

The only way sin leaves our bodies is through our mouths. We need to first confess them, and then God remembers them no more!

PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father, It’s really hard for me to fathom that You remember my sins no more, especially when they are fresh in my mind. But I am so grateful and humbled by your amazing grace. Help me to forgive myself as well as others, and thank You for the incredible forgiveness You have always shown me.

TO REFLECT UPON: Is there sin in my life that I have not confessed or repented of? If so, do it now and give thanks for God’s love and compassion in providing a way that my sin can be remembered no more.