Jehovah does not simply cancel our debts, or sins; he blots them out. (Read Acts3:19.) When a debt is canceled, we might imagine a large being drawn across the account. However, the numbers beneath that X may still be legible. But to blot something out is different. To understand this word picture, we need to remember that in ancient times the ink was mixture that included carbon, gum, and water. A person could take a wet sponge and wipe the writing away. So when a debt was "blotted out," it vanished completely. Traces of what was written before were not visible to the naked eye. The record became nonexistent. How it warms our heart to know that Jehovah not only cancels our sins but also blots them out completely! - PSALM 51:9.
Jehovah uses a similar word picture to describe how he blots outs sins. He declares: "I will blot out your transgressions as with a thick cloud." (Isaiah 44:22) When Jehovah forgives, it is as if he were using a thick cloud to hide our transgressions so that they disappear from sight altogether.
What does this mean for us? When Jehovah forgives our sins, we should not feel that we will bear the stain of such sin for the rest of our life. By means of the blood of Jesus Christ, our debts are completely canceled. Even the record of those debts is no longer discernible. This is what true forgiveness that comes from Jehovah means for us when we repent of our sins.
Next time: JEHOVAH RESTORES A GOOD RELATIONSHIP
From the jw.org publications
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