Sin Never Seems Far Away – March 23, 2024

As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
Psalm 103:12

Sin Never Seems Far Away

“How far can you throw it?” That question was often asked in my neighborhood growing up. It resulted in several kids lining up and taking turns to see who could throw the football the farthest. It provided a way to measure ourselves against the other boys. But even as we grew older, the football never made it more than a few backyards away.

Our sins never seem all that far away, either. We try to forget them by thinking about something else. We try to rationalize our sins and make excuses for them. We try to pass the blame to others. We try to pretend that they never happened. But try as we might, we just can’t seem to throw them too far away from us. They weigh on our conscience. They float around in our minds and keep us up at night. We are often reminded of our sins by the hurt feelings and comments of others. Sin never seems too far away.

That’s where Jesus came in. He didn’t just pick up our sins and throw them a few backyards away. He has removed them “as far as the east is from the west.” Who can measure the distance from east to west? You can travel thousands of miles in either direction and still have just as far to go. God’s forgiveness for you in Jesus is immeasurable. His supply of forgiveness will never run out. When God removes your sin, he removes it completely. Through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, your sins are gone for good. They are not coming back. And trusting in Jesus as your Savior, you have an eternity in heaven to look forward to.

“How far can you throw them?” When it comes to sin, the answer is “not very far.” Our human ways of dealing with sin will always ensure that they keep coming back. Instead, lay your sins on Jesus and let him throw them away “as far as the east is from the west.” You are forgiven for all of your sins. In Jesus, they are nowhere to be found.

Prayer:
Dear Lord, heavenly Father, thank you for sending Jesus to be my Savior from sin. In your grace, through Word and sacrament, continue to remind me that all my sins have been removed completely. Amen.