Micah 7:19
He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.
He will turn again to His people with compassion, delighting in mercy rather than keeping His anger forever, and pardon the remnant of His heritage. He Himself subdues their iniquities, overcoming what defiles the heart, blotting it out and healing the backslidings of those who belong to Him and turn to Him. He casts all their sins into the depths of the sea, removing them completely and burying them so they are covered and not to be exposed again. Forgiveness and the power to pardon belong to God alone, and no human shepherd can bear another's sins or stand in God's place over conscience. This work is accomplished through Christ, whose indwelling presence cleanses and sanctifies the soul, who as burden-bearer and sin-pardoner takes away every sin brought to Him in repentance and faith, so that every repentant sinner may be assured of compassion and complete removal of sin.
God's Compassionate Pardon
The promise is that God will turn again to His people with compassion, delighting in mercy rather than keeping His anger forever, pardoning iniquity, passing over transgression, and forgiving the remnant of His heritage. His turning is a return in loving-kindness, removing iniquities by subduing them and casting sins away as if sunk in the depths of the sea.
Forgiveness and the power to pardon belong to God alone, not to human shepherds. No man can bear another's sins or stand in God's place over conscience, for it is God in mercy who has compassion, overcomes iniquity, and removes sins completely.
He subdues iniquities, overcoming what defiles the heart and blotting it out for those who belong to Him and turn to Him. This subduing is healing of backslidings, so that the repentant sinner is assured of compassion, complete removal of sin, and cleansing through abiding in Christ. The promise belongs to every soul who turns to Him and abides in Christ, encouraging sinners to repent and believe.
He casts all sins into the depths of the sea, removing them completely, burying them and covering them so they are not to be exposed again. Sins sunk in the sea are gone from sight, and so mistakes and errors, once turned from, are to be buried rather than gathered up to tear one another down. This burying applies even in ministry, medical missionary, publishing, and educational work, where faults are to be covered and left buried.
Cleansing Through Christ
Christ subdues the iniquities that defile the heart and casts away all sins, and His indwelling presence cleanses and sanctifies the soul. By that cleansing the soul is made a holy temple for God and a holy dwelling for God and His Spirit. He has compassion on His people, overcomes their iniquity, and removes their sins completely as if casting them into the sea.
Christ is the sinner's burden-bearer and sin-pardoner, ready to take away every sin when it is brought to Him. He calls sinners to repentance and loves them, carrying sin away so completely that it is buried in the depths of the sea. His mercy reaches to the deepest depths and to the repenting soul. Through His atonement He bore the sins of believers, so that by repentance and faith they are rid of sin and receive His righteousness. That same faith lifts the soul to share the adoption of God's children. These promises of compassion, blotting out iniquity, and casting away all sins belong to those who are His, and they may be claimed by every soul who abides in Christ.
Receiving Repentant Sinners
The promise belongs to every repentant sinner, that God will turn with compassion, overcome iniquities, and remove sins completely, and it stands to encourage sinners to repent and believe in the Saviour. Those who have sinned are not to let shame keep them from praying, for when they confess God forgives and cleanses them. The church is to receive the repentant person with grateful hearts and lead on into faith and righteousness in Christ, and such forgiveness on earth is ratified in heaven.
As God casts sin away like something buried in the depths of the sea, so mistakes and errors in ministry, medical missionary, publishing, and educational work are to be buried rather than gathered up and used to tear one another down. He forgives the mistakes and errors of those who turn to Him and covers them so they are not to be exposed again.