“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” (Psalm 103:10-12).
These are some of the most important verses in all of scripture. Few other verses so clearly teach us about God’s grace, mercy, forgiveness, and love.
Mercy – “He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.”
- That’s mercy. That’s all God
- We are absolutely deserving of judgment and damnation for we are all guilty
- Yet, that’s not how God deals with sinners. He offers sinners mercy. In fact, he offers sinners himself as the one to bear the brunt of judgment and wrath
- It is mercy because we do not receive what we deserve the gift of God’s Son
Love and Grace – “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him”
- That’s God’s love. That’s all God
- God’s love is amazing, awesome, is literally out of this world!
- No matter where you stand on planet earth, how high are the heavens above you? The heavens extend out for infinity. As far as the scientists can fathom, there is no end to the universe
- God’s love for you in never ending and immeasurable
- God loves you so much, that God could not imagine an eternity without you in it. So God sent his Son to die on the cross for your sins, so that in Christ you can stand in God’s kingdom as God’s child
- While this love is given out freely, it is made a reality only for those who fear him. The word for fear has little to do with feelings of terror, and has much more to do with honoring, glorifying, and loving
- It is God’s love. It’s all God. We receive what we don’t deserve. It’s all grace
Forgiveness – “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”
- This is forgiveness. This, too, is all God
- When we confess our sins and repent, God forgives us. At that very moment God sends our sins away from his presence and from us, and never stops moving away from us
- As far as the East is from the West, so far has God removed our sins from us
- When we confess and repent, God forgives. And when God forgives, he no longer sees the sin that separates us from his love and presence
- This is forgiveness. This, too, is all God
What an amazing God! What an amazing love!
Praxis: Faith in Action 