05A.02. What Does God Do With Our Sins?

02 -- WHAT DOES GOD DO WITH OUR SINS? Have you ever considered what becomes of our sins when they are covered by the blood? Ask David, and hear him answer, "As far as the east is from the west so far hath he removed our transgressions from us." Do you know how far that is? It is so far that should you start east now and travel in that direction until you again reached this spot, you would not have reached the west, but would still be going east; and "So far hath he removed our transgressions from us."

Ask Micah, and hear him say, "Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea." Some have called this "The sea of forgetfulness." Where it is I do not know. The histories of the world in their list of seas do not mention it, the maps of the world do not mark it, no explorer has brought us news of its location, no mariner has ever sounded its depths; yet in this unknown and undiscovered sea God hath cast all our sins. And should some far traveling explorer discover it, would he find our sins? No! for God hath cast them into the depths.

Ask Isaiah, and he will say, "Thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back." Where God’s back is I do not know, His face seems to be everywhere. But somewhere behind God’s back, where man can’t see, and where man can’t go. There He hath cast all my sins.

Ask Jeremiah, and he will tell you God said, "I will forgive their iniquity, I will remember their sin no more." When a young man, I caused my mother many tears and much worry because of my wayward ways and indifference to religion. And for years she prayed for my conversion. Some fifteen years before her death her prayers were answered and I was saved, and then I tried in a measure to atone for the heartaches I had caused her. A few months before her death, when she was in her eightieth year, together with Mrs. Aycock and my only living sister, I visited her at the old home place. The day we were to leave, mother sat by the open door nervously picking at her apron, a habit of her declining years. My sister was telling Mrs. Aycock (whom I did not meet until after my conversion), what a bad boy I used to be, and the picture she was painting was not a good one. For a time mother said nothing, but presently she turned to my sister and said,

"Allie, what are you talking about? I never new Jarrette was such a bad boy." My sister replied, "Why mother! He kept you crying half the time and you were worrying from morning till night."

"Well if he was a bad boy," said mother, "I have forgotten it, for it seems to me he has always been a good boy."

What was that? A mother’s love. And if the love of my mother could forget the sins of my youth, do you think our Savior who has forgiven us is still harboring the sins of our past? I tell you no, for He says, "I will remember thy sins no more," and "As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you."

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