As we continue our exploration of Psalm 103, we encounter one of the most beautiful aspects of God's love: His forgiveness. Today, we'll discover how God's love doesn't overlook our sins, but completely removes them.
"God takes our sins – the past, present, and future – and dumps them in the sea and puts up a sign that says, ‘No fishing allowed.’"
– Corrie ten Boom, Tramp for the Lord.
Psalm 103:3-4, 12
"Who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy... as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us."
David begins his list of God's "benefits" with forgiveness. It's not an afterthought; it's the headline. "Who forgives all your iniquity (vs. 3)," he proclaims. Not some sin, not most sin, but all of our sin. There's no sin too great for God's forgiveness, no transgression beyond the reach of His mercy.
But God doesn't just forgive; He removes. "As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us." Picture this: if you start traveling east, you'll never reach west - it's an infinite distance. That's how far God has removed our sins from us.
This isn't just about God turning a blind eye to our faults. He's not saying, "Oh, it's no big deal." Every sin will be punished – and the punishment will be born either by us or by Christ. On the cross, Jesus bore the full weight of our sin so that we could experience the full measure of God's forgiveness.
This forgiveness is not just a theological concept; it's a life-changing reality. Friends, if you're in Christ, your sins are not just forgiven; they're removed. God doesn't see you through the lens of your past failures, but through the perfection of Christ. Let this truth sink deep into your soul today.
1. Is there a sin in your past that you struggle to believe God has truly forgiven? How does this passage speak to that?
2. How might your life look different if you lived each day fully embracing God's complete forgiveness?
3. In what ways can you extend this same forgiveness to others in your life?
In Christ, my sins are not just forgiven, but completely removed. I am free to live in the joy of God's love and mercy.
Stay dialed in,
Jonny Ardavanis