No Doubt About It

Bible Reading: Psalm 103:8-12; Micah 7:18-19

Damitri sighed as he sat on the beach and watched big waves come in and go out. He was thinking of something he had done earlier that week—something bad. He knew it was wrong, and he had asked Jesus to forgive him. But was his sin really gone forever? What if it came back?

Damitri turned as his grandfather sat down beside him. “Now, here we are by this big, beautiful ocean, yet you look more worried than a turkey on Thanksgiving morning,” Grandpa said. “What’s bothering you?”

Damitri sighed. “Grandpa? How do we know our sins are really gone?”

Grandpa turned to look out at the water. “Seeing the ocean reminds me of a verse in the Bible that says God has cast our sins into the depths of the sea.”

“Oh yeah, I remember learning a verse about that,” Damitri replied. “If they’re buried in the sea like that, they can’t ever come back, can they?”

“No way!” Grandpa replied. “God also gives another example that helps us understand they’re gone for good. Can you see where the ocean ends?”

Damitri cupped his hands over his eyes and looked into the distance. He shook his head. “No. I see where it looks like it ends, but I know it goes on a lot farther than that. When we were out on the sailboat yesterday, we could see only sky and water in every direction.”

Grandpa nodded. “It seemed a long, long way from one edge of the sky to the other, didn’t it? But that’s nothing compared to the distance God has removed our sins from us. The Bible says the sins of those who trust in Jesus are removed as far as the east is from the west.”

“In school we learned east and west never meet,” said Damitri thoughtfully. “They’re in total opposite directions. So I guess that would mean our sins are gone forever.”

“They sure are,” Grandpa replied. “If we try to remove them ourselves, it doesn’t work—we’ll still have them. But Jesus took the punishment for our sins on the cross. When we put our trust in Him, He removes them all. And you can be sure He’s done a good job. You won’t see those sins again!” • Ruth I. Jay

How About You?

Do you wonder if you need to be saved over and over again? It’s true that you still sin sometimes and should confess any sin to Jesus. But if you trust Him as your Savior, know that He’s removed the guilt of your sin for good—it’s no longer part of who you are. It’s as far from you as the east is from the west. The sacrifice He made for you covers all your sins.

Today’s Key Verse:
Psalm 103:12 He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. (NLT)

Today’s Key Thought:

Jesus removes sin forever