Devotional - 99-04-05 - The Big Eraser?

Isaiah 53: 4, 5 Surely our sickness He Himself bore, and our sorrows he carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted. But he was wounded through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being came upon Him, and by his scourging we are healed.

Jonathan Swift says, “A man should never be ashamed to own he has been in the wrong, which is but saying, in other words, that he is wiser to-day than he was yesterday.” Well, it is my turn to own up. I used the following quote in the Saturday devotional and I really should have been more careful.

“Our god has a big eraser.” Billy Zeoli

It is probably a comforting thought to think of God erasing our sin. After all, that means, once erased, it is gone. However, as comforting as it might be, it becomes of little comfort when it is inaccurate. One of you wrote, in response to the above quote, the following:

“Is this really true? Does God have a 'big eraser'? It seems to me that the Bible does not support this idea. At least once a year, especially on Good Friday, we are reminded that Jesus died on the cross for his chosen people. As a result of sin, we all deserve God's wrath. While on the cross Jesus experienced the wrath we deserved. God's wrath against our sin was exhausted on Jesus that friday afternoon. God did not simply erase our sin, if that were possible the cross would have been a waste of time. Jesus received our punishment in our place.”

I have to admit that the above is a true statement and that it is callous and erroneous to say that God erases our sin. The truth is that God atones for our sin. Christ came to earth, incarnate, and died on the cross for sin. Sin was not erased, it was paid for. And to say, hint, or suggest that our sin is simply erased is to undervalue and slight the saving work of Christ.

To convey that our sins are simply erased shows a lack of understanding of the atonement that bought our forgiveness. The consequence of the work of Christ is that our sin is erased, but to call it an erasing is naive. Our sins are removed from us, as far as the East is from the West, Psalm 103: 12, because Christ made atonement and paid the penalty for them.

This past weekend was easter weekend. Many of us have been reminded about the saving work of Christ on the cross. I hope today that you will be refreshed in knowing again that, if you are saved by Christ, your sins are not simply erased, but rather forgiven. Being saved by Christ means the penalty due to you, for your sin, has been paid in full by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.

“All are not saved by Christ’s death, but all which are saved, are saved by Christ’s death; His death is sufficient to save all, as the sun is sufficient to lighten all; but if any man wink, the sun will not give him light.” Henry Smith

“Christ did not die for any upon condition, if they do believe; but He died for all God’s elect, that they should believe.” John Owen

Soli Deo Gloria,
T-

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