Psalm 103:10 (ESV) -- He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.

Everybody wants justice in the world. It is a big topic of our conversations in our culture. Justice is something we desire because we are made in the image of a God who is just. But I’ve never met anybody who ever wanted justice for their sins. We want others to experience justice, but we do not want it for ourselves. 

The Scripture passage today tells us something amazing about God. The psalmist writes, “He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.” Think about this statement. God does not deal with us according to our sins. This means according to what our sins deserve. This is true for the people of God. This is not true for everyone. But if we are in Christ, God does not deal with us according to our sins. No, He deals with us on the basis of Christ’s righteousness and death. He doesn’t repay us for our iniquities. We are forgiven in full. No debt remains. 

God is not doing an injustice when He forgives sins. His justice was satisfied on the cross of Christ. Jesus paid for our sins. Therefore, God is not unjust, He is merciful. The mercy of God is what we Christians celebrate. He does not repay us for our sins. He does not deal with us according to our sins. We are received into fellowship with God by His great mercy. 

This should produce the deepest levels of gratitude from our hearts. God is merciful to the undeserving. In Christ, our sins are not held against us. He doesn’t repay us based on what we’ve done. Everything we have is because Jesus has made us clean by His blood. Through Him we can approach the throne of grace with boldness, knowing we are received.

Reflection & Journal: 
- Why is it good news that God doesn’t deal with us according to our sins if we’re in Christ?
- How does God deal with those who are not in Christ? Why?
- What should the proper response be from Christians in light of the truth of this text?

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