Let’s read that amazing verse.  Psalm 103:12 says, “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.”  What a great act of God’s mercy and grace towards those that believe in Him!  The Lord placed our sins on His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ so that, in our place, he could bear the wrath we deserved.  Our sins have been lifted from us and taken far, far away.

Psalm 103:12 paints a word picture to help us understand what that means.  Just how far is the east from the west?  Well, we know that to walk from the North Pole to the South Pole is about 12,430 miles.  That’s a great distance!  So, if you begin at the North Pole and travel south 12,430 miles, you will begin traveling north.  However, we are told that our transgressions, or sins, have been removed “as far as the east is from the west.”  If you travel west then you just keep going to the west and you’ll never start traveling east. Eastward travel and Westward travel continue without end.  The point here is that our sins have been so far removed from us that they will never be seen or heard from again.  They are gone!

The Lord tells us in Isaiah 43:25, “I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.”  Once our sins have been removed from us, the Lord tells us that He will no longer remember them, or hold them against us.

How should this precious truth affect our everyday lives?

  • Because of ours sins being paid for and removed through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, we have peace with God. Romans 5:1, “Therefore being justified by faith, WE HAVE PEACE WITH GOD through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
  • Thinking of the One who removed our sins by dying for us, we can thank and praise Him. Psalm 35:18, “I WILL GIVE THEE THANKS in the great congregation: I WILL PRAISE THEE among much people.”
  • We are much more than forgiven, we become the children of God. John 1:12, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become THE SONS OF GOD, even to them that believe on his name.”
  • With our sins forgiven, we are truly free to serve God. John 8:36, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, YE SHALL BE FREE INDEED.”
  • We are able to live holy lives in the world. 1 Peter 1:16, “Because it is written, BE YE HOLY; for I am holy.”
  • Because our sins are gone, we can safely rest in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ when He died on the cross to save us from our sins. Matthew 11:28, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I WILL GIVE YOU REST.”

There is much more that could be said about how this verse should impact our daily lives, but these few thoughts should help you begin to see the many ways you can enjoy and walk in the precious truth that in Christ, our sins are gone!  (226.6)