Punishment or Grace?

Surely it was for my welfare that I had great bitterness; but you have held back my life from the pit of destruction, for you have cast all my sins behind your back. Isaiah 38:17 NRSV

Some of us may think of Jesus standing in for our sins. However, I love the image of God casting my sins behind God's back. God loves me so much that God puts all my faults out of God's sight and path. God has thrown every wrong thing I have done away so that God is not looking at any of that. What sins? I don't see any sins, says God.

Are you comfortable with the image of all your sins being cast behind God's back?

Do you feel that you still need to explain yourself or rationalize your behavoir to God?

Is there not one sin that you would like to keep and massage a little, perhaps repeat?

If God has cast all our sins behind God's back, can we go and retreave them?

Somehow going behind God's back to wallow in our sins doesn't feel right. However, I have known people who have tried to do just that. Perhaps you have tried to reclaim your sins from God. Maybe you didn't feel like the sin had really and truly been forgiven. Did you need a bit more time with that particular sin? Or did you feel that God needed to give that one some judgment time.

Will we feel more forgiven if God is more judgmental?

Perhaps punishment is what we are looking for rather than grace.

God, you have cast all our sins behind your back. That is your supernatural grace. Thank you. May we thoroughly accept your forgiveness. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Copyright 2010 Amelia G. Sims