Where Sin Goes, Where it Went

“Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
    whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,
    and in whose spirit there is no deceit…

I acknowledged my sin to you,
    and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’
    and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.” Psalm 32:1-2,5

“As far as the east is from the west,
    so far does he remove our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:12

“In love you have delivered my life
    from the pit of destruction,
for you have cast all my sins
    behind your back.” Isaiah 38:17

“Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
Speak tenderly… and cry to her
that her warfare is ended,
    that her iniquity is pardoned.” Isaiah 40:1-2

“I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud
    and your sins like mist.” Isaiah 44:22

“I, I am he
    who blots out your transgressions for my own sake,
    and I will not remember your sins.” Isaiah 49:25

“He will again have compassion on us;
    he will tread our iniquities underfoot.
You will cast all our sins
    into the depths of the sea.” Micah 7:19

There is a truth staked out at the beginning of the Bible that we are sinners, and a resounding message through the scriptures that our sin is forgiven. “The Lord God clothed them.” “The Lord has put away your sin.” “There is now no condemnation.” Marvelous gifts of grace, with vital qualifiers: “I ate.” “I have sinned against the Lord.” “For those who are in Christ.” Yes, forgiveness is freely applied to us, guilty culprits all, and our sin is gone forever, but only because of Jesus who carried it away. Full ransom has been paid, perfect justice has been duly served, at the cross. (Genesis 3:12-13,21; 2 Samuel 12:13; Romans 8:1)

None can atone, but Christ alone.

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

Our days should be tinged with an ever-present rejoicing that we bear our sin no more, but this is no thoughtless melody. Grace so free to us is costly to the Bestower. The fact that we have been forgiven is not merely a trite verbal message; the pronouncement was written in blood, the blood of our perfect Savior in agony for our sake. Sin with its gore and fallout and penalty has been removed from us, but it went on Jesus Christ. Let us sing the recurring theme that Jesus paid it all.

“Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.” ~ Elvina M. Hall (1865)

If we are Christians, do we value what Christ has done for us? What do our actions and words reveal about our spiritual standing in Christ- flippancy, or deep reverence and gratitude?

“My sin oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
my sin, not in part, but the whole,
is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more;
praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!” ~Horatio Gates Spafford (1873)

Lord Jesus, may I ever sing of Your marvelous grace, Your unending love, Your exquisite forgiveness, so many join the chorus.