Part of my daily devotion time this year is reading through God’s Wisdom for Today. It is a year-long compilation of devotions by various pastors and authors from the books of Proverbs and Psalms. I read through it once a few years ago, but felt led to use it again this year. And as with anything you read more than once, you always find something you knew but suddenly see it in a new light. Recently, I was reading Psalm 103:8-12, “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. 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.”
Have you ever considered how far the east is from the west? It is interesting that if you were to travel north long enough, you would eventually arrive at the North Pole – the place where North and South meet. However, if you launched out on an eastern latitude, you could travel around the world and never meet west. I have to admit that I knew that directionally, but I hadn’t thought about that understanding to God’s forgiveness in quite a while. Maybe that’s why the psalmist didn’t say God has removed our sins as far as the north is from the south.
Because God’s mercy and grace is everlasting, those who have received Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord will never face the judgment of condemnation because all their sins have been completely forgiven. They have entered into a blood covenant with God through Jesus. The writer of Hebrews makes that point distinctly when he declared that Jesus didn’t enter a man-made temple to effect a blood covenant with a sacrificial animal, but that “he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.” (9:12)
All born-again believers can join heaven in rejoicing because God saves and keeps us saved. We can be assured that our salvation is secure, not because we keep God, but because he keeps us. “Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.” (Romans 4:7-8)
In a month where we celebrate Independence Day and the freedoms we have in this country, may we never forget the freedom from sin that we have in Christ.
To His Glory,
Pastor Bill