The oceans cover more than 70 percent of the earth. If you've ever traveled around the world, you've likely flown over these massive bodies of water. They go on and on and on.
Last summer and fall, it seemed like there were few days when the oceans weren't on the news in conjunction with a hurricane. These tropical storms, better known as Harvey, Irma, and Maria, dismantled many coastal cities. The average hurricane releases as much energy in a day as a half million atomic bombs (National Geographic). Low-pressure systems are fed by energy from warm water and can escalate into hurricanes if they reach enough wind speed. The massive bodies of water are a big factor.
We have this song in our radio station library called Ocean Floor by Audio Adrenaline. As it was playing the other day, I began meditating on the lyrics. Here's an excerpt:
They're all behind you They'll never find you They're on the ocean floor Your sins are forgotten They're on the bottom Of the ocean floor
The song is based on a prophecy given by Micah: You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19).
The imagery in this is helpful, oceans are powerful and grand. By bearing God's wrath as our atoning sacrifice, Jesus removed your sins. He tossed them to the the bottom of the ocean. The Mariana's Trench near the Philippines is the deepest part of the oceans at an estimated 11 000 metres. That's deep! The CN tower is only 553 metres tall.
This means that your sins are nearly 20 CN Towers below you.
When Jesus went to that old rugged cross, he wore your sins, and he put them to death. Those old sins no longer have rule over you. Jesus died so that they wouldn't. He died so that you would forget them and know that they're buried.
Last spring I was canoe camping in the Kawarthas and after breakfast one morning I went to rinse my bowl out in the lake. I crouched down to dip the bowl under water, but as I brought it back out, the bowl slipped from my fingers. Before I had a chance to leap for it, my bowl quickly drowned. I contemplated diving in to grab it, but didn't feel I was equipped or motivated for a 30 foot plunge in the middle of April.
When you live as if the sins that Jesus has forgiven you from are still present, it's like you dove to the bottom of the ocean only to bring back up the very things that plagued you. This is a dismal way to remind yourself of something you've been set free from (Romans 6:7).
Jesus has dealt with your sins and he continues to deal with them as you repent and recognize where you've fallen short from Almighty God (Romans 3:23).