Jesus throws our sins away

by: Carole L. Haines

Children have a way of teaching us the deepest truths just by being children. Trusting, believing, wonderful little people that they are. I love working with them, though there are days that they certainly outmatch my energy. One day was particularly hard with a child in my class. This child is both one of the sweetest and one of the most difficult children I teach, both enthusiastic and strong-willed. The defiance this day was as thick as a rope and I had done everything to curb it; taken all her prize points, one by one, privileges that the other children shared. The director came and spoke with her, so finally, I wrote a long litany to the parents about this child’s behavior. I listed every wrong. After a time, the child calmed down, told me she was sorry, hugged me, and all was right. She asked for her privileges and such back, but they were gone. We moved on from there and as it came closer to the time she would leave, I looked at the letter and felt prompted to show her how God treats us.

I called her over, read the letter to her, and then told her I wanted her to know what grace and mercy were. I told her the Jesus died to take away our sins and when we ask His forgiveness, he forgives us, and he throws our sins away. I tore the letter up in front of her and said, “I forgive you, and like Jesus, I want you to throw this letter in the trash.”
Her eyes lit up like fireflies and she said, ” You’re not going to tell My Mom?”
“No, this is the end of it. Just throw that away and we’re done, just like Jesus does.”
“Yeah!” she said, “Jesus throws our sins away too!” and she dropped the torn-up letter in the trash and went skipping off back to play.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I realized just how freeing it is to actually, whole-heartedly believe the truth that Jesus really does throw our sins away.

How many sins am I still holding against myself or someone else? Jesus died to set me from these sins, both my own and those others have committed against me. I don’t have to carry these around inside me anymore. I don’t have to read that old letter written about me by someone else or believe what they say about me. I don’t have to go through all this self-condemnation for all the mistakes I have made, all the sins I have committed in the past. If I have confessed my sins to Jesus, and I believe in my heart that He is my Forgiver, my Savior and my Lord, I can walk freer, and skip off to finish the rest of my life without all this baggage.

God Is Light

⁵ This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. ⁶ If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; ⁷ but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. ⁸ If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.

I have learned more about grace and forgiveness working as a teacher to these precious children, then I ever learned in a church. Truly, the little ones will lead us. I thank God for such a privilege, as teaching these little ones is. I truly have the best job in the world.