As my friend shared his anxiety and uncertainty about the outcome of his recent job interview, I wished I could calm his fears and instill some hope in him during this time of waiting without knowing what the final decision will be. Turns out there is a reason for this delay in the hiring decision. And this is the very same reason why my friend is nervous, fearful and uncertain about whether or not he will be hired. A background check is required. My friend has an offense still on his record from many years ago. So if the background check goes back far enough, his offense will be discovered and brought to light once again.

I felt the weight of this burden from his past, which still impacts his life today and weighs him down. There was a time when he could have gotten this offense expunged from his record legally, BUT – there was a cost, and the cost was more money than he had at that time. The cost was just too high. So the offense has remained on his record, following him wherever he goes, because he couldn’t pay the price necessary to clear his name. And now that legal option is no longer available to him or to others in the same situation.

Now my friend is not the person that he was so many years ago. God has done, and continues to do, the miraculous, transformative work that only our Creator can do, in my friend’s life. BUT – unfortunately the world keeps score differently than God does. My friend’s current plight got me to thinking about God’s great mercy and all the second chances that God gives you and me.

Our legal system may not expunge things that we would wish to be expunged from our past, from our records, from our identity BUT – God is more than able and more than willing to expunge the stains from my past and from your past too, dear readers. And unlike my friend, who was unable to pay the cost of his expungement, my cost and your cost has already been paid! We can have our past sins expunged from our record for free. God says so –

” ‘Come now, let us reason together,’ says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.’ ” (Isaiah 1:18)

If that isn’t clear enough, God says this –

“I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for My own sake, and remembers your sins no more.” (Isaiah 43:25)

That sounds to me exactly like the definition of expunged, which is “to erase or remove completely.” Removing sin stains is an impossible task for me and for you, BUT – God specializes in the expungement of our sins. I read this in Psalms –

“He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:10-12)

This is definitely good news that God “remembers my sins no more” and that God has “removed my sins (the bad things on my record) from me, even as far as the east is from the west.” However, this “expungement” of my sins from my record must have been quite expensive, and in fact it was. Expungement and the resulting right standing with God cost more than I could ever pay. BUT- God is able to cover the cost! And He has!

Because “the wages (penalty) of my sin is death,” that’s the price, a death sentence for me. If I can’t pay it, there is nothing I can do to clear my own record. God has to do it for me. He did this by sending His Son, Jesus, to die in my place to pay the price for my sin.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

The prophet, Isaiah, talks about the One who would come to pay my sin price with His death on a cross, canceling my debt and expunging my record of sin.

“But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:5-6)

“Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush Him and cause Him to suffer, and though the Lord makes His life a guilt offering, . . . by His knowledge My righteous servant will justify many, and He will bear their iniquities. . . . because He poured out His life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” (Isaiah 53:10-12)

I can have a clean record, a record expunged of all my offenses against God and man because Jesus paid the cost of having my sins forgiven and expunged. I am so grateful, because like my friend, I cannot pay the price of having an offense expunged from my record. The psalmist acknowledges as much when he says –

“If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.” (Psalm 130:3-4)

Forgiveness – that is what makes expungement possible. God stands ready to forgive me and you, His word says so –

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

God forgives my sins and expunges my record. The world may hold my friend’s past offenses against him, but God doesn’t. My friend has a place and a job in God’s kingdom, as do you and I. Our past records have been expunged, which means –

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:1-2)

No condemnation! Forgiven! Redeemed! Record expunged! You and I have joy and hope because we know –

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His mercies never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23)

sincerely, Grace Day