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In Hope

How Far Is The East From The West?

Thursday May 2, 2024
 

How far is the east from the west?  It is a distance we cannot travel and a destination we can never reach.  Based on our reentrance for our sins and acceptance of the death and resurrection of Jesus to give us new life, God removes our sins from us and chooses to remember them no more. We can leave the disgrace and damage of our destructive lives at the cross of Jesus and, in exchange, receive a completely new life from Him.  

The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. (Psalm 103:8-12 NIV)

When God separates us from our sins, we are washed clean from them, and they are removed to a place that is as far as the east is from the west.  What then is going on within us when we continue to be tortured by the related guilt and shame, and the pain and condemnation?  The simple answer is the enemy of our soul sits on our shoulder telling us lies.  The one who seeks to destroy us is deceiving us into thinking those dark things remain some place in our soul.  He is the liar that Jesus called him because our sins are truly gone.  God says He remembers them no more so why should we?
What are we to do when we are faced with this kind of accusation?  We are to proclaim the truth that Jesus paid our sin debt on the cross, and because we believe in His sacrifice, our debt has been ‘paid in full’ and God has forgiven us.  We are to speak this truth to our thoughts and emotions.  We then tell the enemy he is a liar and command him to “take off”.  We will truly experience the satisfaction of God's freeing work when we simply proclaim this truth, “Jesus has set us free”.

Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  (John 8:31-32 NIV)

 

Prayer:  Dear Jesus, Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins and removing them from me as far as the east is from the west.  Help me to reject all shame and condemnation and live in the joy and freedom of full forgiveness.  Amen

 

 

 

More information on this and other related topics @ http://www.partnersinhope.ca/life-with-god-in-recovery-resources/

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