“Who is a God like unto You, that pardons iniquity and passes by the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He retains not His anger forever, because He delights in Mercy. He will turn again; He will have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities—and You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.”
Micah 7:18-19
Only He can do it—and only He can choose to never bring it up again.
Pardoned, not paroled.
That’s the message of the Gospel. One who is pardoned can never be retried again on those crimes for which he was found guilty. This doesn’t mean he didn’t commit them; it simply says he’s been set free in spite of them by the one authorized to do so.
Such is not the case for one who’s on parole.
He/she may get out earlier than originally stated because of good behavior. However, there’s still a price to be paid (the fee to the parole officer) and an appointment to be kept (regular meetings with the p.o.). Likewise, the officer can show up at his home any time of the day or night to check on him. And, if he’s found to be in violation of the terms of his parole, he’ll immediately be thrown back in jail to serve the rest of his sentence.
Thus, one on parole may be free, but he’s not “free indeed” (Jn.8:36).
Only those who’ve been washed in the Blood of God’s precious Lamb are cleansed from sin’s guilty stain (Rom. 5:6-11; Heb. 9:14). And, only those whose lives have been indelibly changed by His Presence, Power and Love will “continue in His Word as His disciples indeed” (Jn. 8:31-32).
That’s why today’s Manna is only precious to the one who knows it is “God Who has pardoned their iniquity and passed by (Heb. ‘abar’—‘to cross over, cover over, go beyond, atone for, etc.’) their transgression by casting them all into the depths of the sea” and never bringing them up again. Halleujah! What a Savior! What an undeserved Pardon!!
What is it that “turns us (Heb. ‘shuwb’—‘to turn around, do an about-face, repent, a turning from and turning to, etc.’) again?” It is His great Love (Rom. 2:4b). It is the sight of the One hanging on the Cross. . .dying in our place. . .giving us what we do not deserve (Grace) . . .and keeping us from receiving what we do deserve (Mercy).
Truly, “He will have compassion (Heb. ‘racham’—‘tender love, pity, to show mercy, etc.’) upon us” and it’s “by His Mercies that we’re not consumed” (Lam. 3:21-23). It is this same condescending Love which “subdues (Heb. ‘kabash’—‘to tread down, conquer, subjugate, bring into subjection, etc.’) our iniquities” and causes us to become “living sacrifices which demonstrate what is His good, acceptable and perfect Will” (Rom. 12:1-2).
Yes, dear Pilgrim, He “delights in Mercy” because He “delights in those who love and serve Him” (Ps. 37:23; 147:11; Prov. 8:30; 11:20; Is. 62:4; Jer. 9:24). Therefore, go forth today as one pardoned by the only One qualified to condemn you, but has chosen instead to intercede for you (Rom. 8:31-39). Then, tell others how they can be pardoned, too.
By Tom Smith Morning Manna Dated March 14, 2010
