The leaders of most countries have the power to pardon criminals from their crimes, free them from their prison sentences. With one small declaration and a signature, that person who was incarcerated is now free. In an instant, their lives change. While those crimes they have committed are erased, the sin still remains. The only one who has the power to pardon sin is Jesus Christ. When we confess our sins, he removes them, never to be remembered.
Jeremiah 50:20
“In those days and at that time,’ declares the LORD, ‘search will be made for the iniquity of Israel, but there will be none; and for the sins of Judah, but they will not be found; for I will pardon those whom I leave as a remnant.'”
All It Takes is a Remnant
At the end of Jeremiah’s book, he tells Israel that after the exile, God will restore the country with a remnant of people. That means just a small portion of those who leave will return. With that small group, God will rebuild the country and they will be made pure by God. There will be a search for sin in both Israel and Judah and nothing will be found because God has pardoned them. It’s a light at the end of the tunnel for those who are suffering under the hand of Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon.
Exiled to Sin
God still promises to pardon the sins of those who are exiled into a life of sin. You will have people tell you that God can’t forgive them because they have done too much bad stuff. First off, that is code for a person who is in love with their sin and doesn’t want to change, and they are trying to throw you off. Second, God is all-powerful. If he can resurrect His Son from the grave after being dead, he can undoubtedly forgive someone’s sins. No sin is too big or too old to be forgiven.
Power to Pardon
Unfortunately, very few return from their separation from God. People slip off into a life a sin one step at a time, and they become so enamored with it they turn and attack those who are from their former life. God can change the world with that remnant. Israel was a small country when Jesus came. With just a small group of believers, He turned the world upside down. Don’t despise humble beginnings because God can do great things.