Bible Verses About Sin That Trend Toward Hope and Redemption

If you've been here for some time on my blog, then you’ll know that we've covered some heavy stuff. I admit that it’s much easier to write about things that give me the warm fuzzies.

But when it comes to the ugliness of sin, we have to get into the muck. No matter how uncomfortable it is.

In my first post, we went waaaay back to the beginning. Like Genesis beginning. Where sin started and how it entered the story. Then we sat in the weight of what sin does to us and how it separates us from God.

So if, like me, after going through them you have this sense of heaviness from the weight of sin, well then…good. We had to rip off the band aid.

But can you imagine if the story ended there? I'm not sure I'd want to keep going!

Thankfully it doesn’t. Not even close. This is the part I've been wanting to get to, because these Bible verses about sin move us toward hope and redemption.

The imagery of sin here is so aggressive. It’s forceful, deliberate, and final.

God does not, and cannot, overlook our sin.

Seeing the word hurl reinforces that He’s taking aggressive action for our redemption. He's fiercely making a way for us, and actively doing something with our sins.

That changes how I pray. Instead of timidly asking, “Could you maybe possibly forgive me again?" I pray with full confidence in His power and might.

I can picture God launching my mess into the deepest trench in the ocean. Gone.

Yes, there is compassion on the other side. But first something has to be done about my sin.

Whenever I drive somewhere, I’m the kind of gal who really needs to know the numbers. How long it’ll take to get there and how many miles I’ll be driving.

In this verse, how far is the east from the west? It's not a number so I can't measure it. And that's the point.

What vivid imagery for redemption. It's an immeasurable distance.

But the distance isn't really the point, is it? I’m noting the tense…has he removed. That means He’s already done it!

God has already put that immeasurable, unclosable distance between us and our sin. We’re reading about something that's already finished.

First off, God’s starting with an invitation. He’s asking us to sit down and talk. There's warmth here, and a willingness to meet us right where we are (stained with sin).

Scarlet and crimson were considered permanent stains in the ancient world. Once that dye set, it was there for good.

Think about the deepest, most stubborn stain you've ever tried to get out. I’ve had to throw away white articles of clothing because they were too badly stained, no matter how much bleach I used.

Yet God can make our sins white as snow. He's taking the most permanent thing and completely transforming it.

That's redemption through cleansing, a cleansing that we can never do on our own.

You’ve probably heard of the phrase “there’s a new boss in town.” Meaning hey, pay attention! There’s been a change in leadership.

This verse is a declaration over our lives. Sin shall no longer be our master. There’s a new boss in town.

I have a tendency to carry guilt about the same stuff for months on end. It’s like I keep replaying it in my mind, almost as if holding onto it and somehow punishing myself long enough will make it right.

I know better (that’s not how it works)…but I’m fallible and human after all.

When it comes to sin, we’ve moved from one territory to another…from the law to grace. And in grace, sin loses its authority over us. We’re living under a completely different system now.

Reading this is permission to lay it down. Sin doesn't get the final word. Grace has already spoken for us.

I like to think that I’m consistent, but I’m really not. I don’t always do the things that I say I’m going to do. I’ve got tons of excuses at the ready.

If I’m tired, or if it conflicts with something I already have going on, or if I flat out just don’t feel like doing it, then I don’t do it. And I’m nowhere close to being just…

Look at the two words used to describe God in this verse, faithful and just. That means He's consistent and He's fair. Because He is!

So when we bring our sins to Him, forgiveness and purification are guaranteed by His character. There’s no room for wishy-washy excuses that I’m known for.

But catch that little word at the beginning…if. It's a small word, yet everything else comes after it. God has already decided what He'll do.

The only question is whether we'll confess and bring it to Him.

If you've followed this whole series, then you've seen the full picture. Sin is real, it’s a vice, and it runs deep. We must acknowledge it, face it, and confess it.

But that's not where the story ends.

Every verse in this post is moving somewhere. Towards grace, compassion, and a clean slate. We have the promise of hope because sin doesn't get the last word. It never did. Because of God’s love for us, we have been redeemed through Christ our Lord and His sacrifice on the cross for us.

If you've been carrying something heavy on your heart through this series on sin, my prayer is that you are able to set it down.

And if you're reading this on a hard day, I'm so glad that you're here. You're not too far gone. These verses are proof of that.