“Who is a God like Thee, that pardons iniquity, and passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in unchanging love. He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot. Yes, Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.”
(Micah 7:18-19)
God Almighty has possessed His people in every decade of human history. By His grace he has redeemed a remnant of sinners in every generation. In the coming of Jesus Christ in accordance with divine prophecy the angel of the lord told Joseph, who would become the step-father of the Messiah,
“Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for that which has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:20-21).
The purpose of the eternal covenant, the incarnation and virgin birth of Jesus, His sinless life, His substitutionary death, His resurrection from the dead and subsequent enthronement in Heaven was for a divine purpose: the eternal salvation of those of humanity who have been the past, present and future people of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. His people have been bought back from the slave market of sin.
But there is something very special that we should consider about God’s grace to forgive the sins of all of His people who trust in His work through Christ Jesus.
Consider the above photo of the Great Blue Hole off the coast of Belize. It is 410 feet deep.
If you were a pirate, where would you hide your treasure? If your ship sank with your chests of gold in its hold, how deep would it sink? The average depth of the world’s oceans is 12,100 feet. It would be a very difficult chore to recover your treasure if it sunk in any ocean. It might be impossible.
But what does God say about our thousands of sinful acts. Where are they? They are recorded in God’s chronological record of your life in His records in Heaven. However, if you are a believer in Christ as your substitute who shed His blood for the remission of your sins, God says HE HAS BURIED THEM IN THE DEPTHS OF THE SEA !
Think of it! He said He would remember them no more. He said He would separate them from us as far as the East is from the West. And now we learn that He has buried them in the depths of the sea. What should we do about that?
If God doesn’t remember our repented of and confessed sins, why should we try to recall them?
If God says He separates them from us as far as the East is from the West, why should we try to bring them back?
If God buries them in the depths of the sea, why should we try to dive down and try to recover them? They’re in Davey Jones’ Locker. They can’t be found anymore!
“If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:8-9).
“If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).
Charles Spurgeon said, “The sins we bring to the Lord are like the samples the farmer brings to market, when his granary is full at home.” What’s the right course of action for us: repent – turn from our sins, confess them to God, believe what He has done with them, and trust His love to forgive you and His grace to aid you in your struggle with sin that seems to plague us until we go to our home in Heaven.
Print this poem out and put it on your wall somewhere. Memorize it and rejoice that your sins, past, present and future will forever be in Davey Jones’ Locker: far from God and from you.
To Ponder:
1. Are you worried about your sins being forgiven?
2. Are you willing to confess them to God and plead for His mercy?
3. Will you trust in the Person and Work of Jesus Christ?
4. Will you believe that He died for you and in your place?
5. Will you trust in the fact He rose from the dead for you justification?
To Pray:
Triumph in me, Jesus,
by your mighty conquering power.
Let your fullness fill me,
giving victory every hour.
Let your mercy heal me
from my sin and from my self.
Let your love fill all my longings,
be my stay and be my wealth.
May my sense of utter failure
find a solace in your grace.
May my marred and sinful image
find new life in your dear face,
as I look to see your glory
from the ashes of my past.
Triumph daily in me, Savior,
till I’m home with you at last.
From: Embers – Poetry for Everyday Living
By: Beryl Clemens Smith
To Memorize:
“Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.” (Micah 7:19)
©From: On Things That Really Matter
By: Beryl Clemens Smith
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