Good Morning.
And He said: “Behold, I make a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation; and all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the Lord. For it is an awesome thing that I will do with you.” (Exodus 34:10)
In this statement we see that, not only does God forgive sin, but He removes the stain of the sin that He might bless and prosper those who have been forgiven. It would be enough to be forgiven of our failures but, in His mercy, He removes the presence of our transgressions from us so that He might do mighty works among us and rain down His blessing from above. As the Psalmist wrote:
For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. (Psalm 103:11-12)
On Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, there were two goats presented unto the LORD — one to be sacrificed that the guilt of sin could be removed from the nation, and another that represented the presence of sin among the people. The latter, after having the sins of the nations pronounced upon its head, was led into a deserted place never to be seen again. In this manner, not only was the guilt of the past rinsed away but the hope for a better future was established when the presence of sin was sent away.
In His suffering and subsequent resurrection, Messiah not only provided the means for the forgiveness of sins that we have committed, but also the hope and promise that the power of sin would no longer have a stranglehold on us. His sacrifice removed the guilt; His resurrection removed its presence. And so, we who are His followers can rejoice that our sins are past away never to be used against us because the Almighty has declared, “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins. (Isaiah 43:25)
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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