As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us. (NASB)
As far as the sunrise is from the sunset,
He has separated us from our transgressions. (Message)
Every religion proposed by humankind is a form of behavior modification. The catnip is as follows. Life will have meaning and reward if the individual will conform to a prescribed philosophy, ethic or dogma. Most of the time all three are mingled together into the multiplicity of religious expressions. Christianity dangles prosperity and heaven. To the Muslim it is an eternity of pleasure with blessed virgins.The eastern religions emphasize the life philosophies that tend to unify one with the greater good.Religion seems to be by definition subjective or about us.
In this verse the Psalmist is not making religious system promises. “He (God) has removed our transgressions from us.” The deed is accomplished, salvation is a done deed. Sin has met it’s match. Only in the love of God can we humans expect to find an authority worthy enough to deal with our poor choices. In David’s Psalms, our poor choices are described by using three Hebrew words, all mean ethical failure but each seems to be used interchangeably. The transgression word in this verse carries the added meaning of rebellion.
Rebellious choices are those poor choices that are the pattern of each of our lives. All of us either attempt to derail the good, ignore the good or avoid the reality of our own poor choices by shifting blame to others for their poor choices. The consequences of poor choices may mean jail, legal judgments, societal deficits, mental and physical anguish, poverty or even wealth and the applause of like rebellious persons. Every rebellious choice is about the self centered “me” god who chooses to be more significant than the greater good.
King David, our writer or rapper, assumes this reality without an argument. God had entrusted a special character to the Hebrew but his individual and the national performance never matched this trust. Historically sin and rebellion were persistent and seemingly unavoidable in the life of Israel. Yes, there were brief periods of obedience and prophetic voices calling the people to respect their God. However, in God’s dimension, every manner of human failure had already been forgiven. This is what has been referred to as objective salvation. God has saved all of us!
If we are to accept the scripture as revealed truth, the pinnacle of divine salvation activity was accomplished in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The cross was “the” victory over our sin, rebellion and death. No longer can anyone attempt tolimit God's salvation to the Hebrew experience. The victory of the cross has efficacy for all human kind or it is no victory. Slowly, we
have been awakening to what the love of God has done over the last four thousand years of human history.
There are those voices who would not define such an understanding as objective salvation. They say, in the real world, the actions of God have only accomplished the “possibility” of salvation that must await our obedience. Until then, the individual is fair game to be labeled and condemned to a subhuman lost status. Let's don't go there, this is more than a “chicken or the egg” argument, people are involved. In the meantime, God returns to enforce His forgiveness again and again as our failures multiply.
The trick is to allow the divine salvation reality to invade our subjectivity. The minimum and the maximum is faith or trust in the God who has separated us from our sins, “ as far as the east is from the west”. The religious road is to attempt to find east by traveling west or visa versa. It is all subjective and all pointless. Because of what God has done in history we can instead turn from our religions, stand still, look to the east and the west, then look up and praise Him who has already forgiven all our sins.
There are those voices who would not define such an understanding as objective salvation. They say, in the real world, the actions of God have only accomplished the “possibility” of salvation that must await our obedience. Until then, the individual is fair game to be labeled and condemned to a subhuman lost status. Let's don't go there, this is more than a “chicken or the egg” argument, people are involved. In the meantime, God returns to enforce His forgiveness again and again as our failures multiply.
The trick is to allow the divine salvation reality to invade our subjectivity. The minimum and the maximum is faith or trust in the God who has separated us from our sins, “ as far as the east is from the west”. The religious road is to attempt to find east by traveling west or visa versa. It is all subjective and all pointless. Because of what God has done in history we can instead turn from our religions, stand still, look to the east and the west, then look up and praise Him who has already forgiven all our sins.
G.Goslaw
