I Will Remember Their Sins No More

We can turn back to our reading in Jeremiah chapter 31.

Jeremiah 31 · chapter mention

Read the words at verse 34.

And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, Know the Lord,

! For they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord.

For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin.

No more.

These words in verse 34 are in light of what comes before it.

They are verse 31 down to that point where the Lord speaks there of days that are coming,

and I will make a new covenant.

God is going to make a new covenant with his people and part of this covenant where he speaks here

is that their sins will be remembered no more.

But how do we get to that point?

How do we reach that point where God is saying these words, and how do they become meaningful for us today,

and especially as we look ahead to preparing ourselves for Sunday for the Lord's table,

as we will come to remember the Lord's death.

On Sunday morning, we were looking at the beginning of this passage, the end of chapter 30 into chapter 31.

And there we were seeing how God shows his grace to his people.

We saw it in a number of different ways.

We saw at the end of chapter 30 how God was speaking about a storm that was coming,

and it was a gracious warning.

A storm is coming, and they would be taken into the wilderness.

But then we saw, as you go into chapter 31, how there is a renewal, a renewing that's going to come.

But before that comes, he speaks to them about how he'll be with them in the wilderness.

In verse 2 of chapter 31, he gave a gracious reminder to them of those who would seek him.

Those who sought him would find grace in the wilderness.

So that even as they were away from the Lord, that there was grace for them.

And then as we went on from there, we saw how God reminds them of a gracious renewal,

that he is going to take his people back, going to return them from exile.

And part of it was that homes that they had lost would be rebuilt.

Harvests that they had lost would come again.

And the sorrow that they had would be turned into joy.

All of these things were said once again.

They were going to come again.

But perhaps the greatest renewal would be the right worship of God,

as we saw in verse 6 of chapter 31, where it says,

For there shall be a day when watchmen will call in the hill country of Ephraim,

Arise, and let us go to Zion, to the Lord our God.

To the Lord our God.

There is this relationship that is restored, and especially when it comes to worshipping God as he deserves.

Tonight, I want to continue in this chapter.

I want to continue looking at the words that we have before us and see how this renewal comes,

and just what it means for the people, how they come to know it,

and the blessings that it gives.

God is speaking here through Jeremiah.

Jeremiah.

He's speaking through his prophet.

And as we saw on Sunday, Jeremiah's ministry was a long ministry, 50 years,

and yet no one was listening.

No one was listening.

They weren't listening.

But a day would come when they would hear God speaking,

when they would see their need of him.

And when God speaks through his word, we know it today.

He speaks to us through it.

But we also know a day is coming when we will speak with God face to face.

And God's word is preparing us for that.

To ask us, are we ready to meet with the Lord?

What if that was tonight?

We're preparing ourselves for the Lord's day, for a communion weekend,

but there's no certainty that the Lord would not come tonight.

And what would you say?

How would you justify yourself before God?

Are you ready for it?

Well, it's by looking at God's word that we see where our confidence can be.

And it's not in ourselves.

And I want us to look at four verses through this chapter this evening.

We're going to come back to this chapter again another time.

But this evening, I want us to look at four verses.

And I want us to see there are questions in these verses.

And there are questions there for ourselves to ask.

And that perhaps we do ask, perhaps we are asking.

Where can we truly find rest?

We're going to look at verse 11 and ask the question, who can save us?

We're going to look at verse 21 and ask, where can I go?

We're going to look at verse 29 and ask, what can I say?

And then we're going to look at verse 34 and ask, what will I know?

So the first thing we're going to look at is verse 11 and ask that question, who can save us?

Read these words again in verse 11.

For the Lord has ransomed Jacob and has redeemed him from hands too strong for him.

Jacob is not an individual here.

It's a people.

The people who God is taking captive.

The people who have sinned against God.

Who have turned away from God.

Their sin is going to have consequences.

Where they're going to be taken captive by a foreign nation.

A powerful invading nation.

And in their captivity, the big question would be, who can save us?

Who can save us?

Because as you go on in the Old Testament, as you see God bringing that judgment down upon them,

taking them into captivity, you see just how powerful, how wicked these nations that took God's people captive were.

They were a powerful nation, not just locally in a context, but far and wide.

And so as God's people are taken captive, there would seem to be no way out for them.

And so that question would often be on their lips.

Who can save us?

How are we going to escape?

They would have despair.

They would feel helpless.

And it's that same age-old question that we see throughout Scripture and even to this very day.

In different situations.

Who can save us?

In Psalm 4, we sung it on Sunday morning.

There is a question there in verse 6.

There are many who say, who will show us some good?

Who will show us some good?

And the psalmist goes on to say, lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord.

There's a question, but there's an answer in that psalm as well.

As you go into the New Testament, you see the same question.

Who can save us?

This is asked on a number of different occasions.

Two examples.

The rich young ruler who came to Jesus in Mark 10, verse 17, and said,

Mark 10:17

Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?

Who will save us?

How can we be saved?

The Philippian jailer in Acts 16, verse 30, he brought them out and said,

Acts 16:30

Sir, what must I do to be saved?

It's a recurring question.

It's a question in every generation.

Has it been your question?

Is it your question even tonight?

Because it's a question I'm sure we've all had.

And maybe we still have.

Because as we read in these scriptures, those kinds of questions,

the rich young ruler, the Philippian jailer,

there's a sense of what can I do?

And that's what have been the thoughts of the people here in Jeremiah's day as well.

Taken captive, taken into captivity.

What can we do?

How can we be saved?

And as we look here, we see that our attention is taken away from self and onto another.

And that's often the case as well as you read through these scriptures.

Psalm 4 has that answer,

Lord, shine upon us with your light.

The rich young ruler is told quite plainly by Jesus,

go and sell all that you have and come and follow me.

The Philippian jailer, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.

The attention is taken away from self onto the Lord.

That's where verse 11 takes us here as well.

For the Lord has ransomed Jacob and has redeemed him from hands too strong for him.

Who can save us?

Only the Lord.

Their enemy was a nation.

Who's your enemy and who's my enemy tonight?

Because we have an enemy.

The enemy is sin.

And the enemy is the devil.

And when we know the power of sin,

when we know the temptation of the devil,

we're so often left in that point where we ask,

who can save us?

Who can save us when sin leaves us in despair?

Well, this question in verse 11,

who can save us?

The answer is there for us.

Only the Lord.

Only the Lord can save us from the hands that are too strong for us.

The power of sin.

And God is powerful.

And what you see in these words in verse 11,

there's two words there,

ransomed and redeemed.

They're important words for us.

Who can save us?

Who can save us?

As we sung in Psalm 49,

who can redeem a life?

Who can pay that sufficient price?

None of us.

But God is here saying,

the Lord has ransomed.

The Lord has redeemed.

The Lord has paid the price.

That is what we come to remember this week.

We cannot save ourselves.

We are coming in dependence upon the only one

who can save us.

As a shorter catechson puts it,

who is the redeemer of God's elect?

The only redeemer of God's elect

is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Because there is no other.

Who can save us?

Who can save you?

The Lord Jesus Christ.

We cannot pay a price.

We cannot do anything from ourselves.

Release from captivity.

For these people then was dependent on the Lord.

Release from our captivity and sin

is dependent on the Lord's intervention too.

He is the one who intervenes.

He is the one who pays the price.

That is who we come to remember.

Secondly then we see in verse 21,

we ask the question,

where can I go?

Verse 21 says,

set up road markers for yourself.

Make yourself guideposts.

Consider well the highway,

the road by which you went.

Return, O virginus,

return to these your cities.

Where can I go?

Life is full of choices.

And one of the main choices

you see as you read through Jeremiah

that's often put to the people,

the main choice you see is

which way are you going to go?

Are you going to go your own way?

Or are you going to go the Lord's way?

When you go back to the early chapters

into chapter 6 of Jeremiah

and verse 16,

there you see a decision made by the people.

The Lord speaks in verse 16 of chapter 6

and he says,

stand by the roads

and look

and ask for the ancient paths

where the good way is

and walk in it

and find rest for your souls.

But then you have the response of the people.

But they said,

we will not walk in it.

The choice was put before them there.

Stand and look and ask,

which way are you going?

Where are you going?

And God shows them,

this is the way that you should go.

And there you will find rest for your souls.

And they say,

no,

we will not walk in it.

But where does that lead them?

Where does it take them?

To the very situation we're seeing

as you go through Jeremiah,

it's this idea

where God is going to intervene

and take them into captivity.

He is going to take them into the wilderness,

into a far off foreign land.

Choices have consequences.

And that's made very clear for us

throughout Jeremiah,

throughout the word of God.

Where does sin lead us?

As we saw earlier on Sunday morning,

as we're looking at the early part,

it leads us into the wilderness

at arm's length from God.

It leaves us lost,

not knowing where to turn.

So where can we go?

Here is a people who are lost.

And when we are in sin in the wilderness,

we too are lost.

And we can ask,

where can I go?

Well,

verse 21 reminds us where we can go.

It says,

set up road markers for yourself.

Make yourself guideposts.

What is he saying here?

Guideposts,

markers,

would have been

probably stone cairns

that people would have set up

as they were journeying around.

So if they were going far

from one city maybe to another,

or going out into the wilderness

to find their way back,

they would set up

these stone cairns

so that they would know

what direction to go in.

And that's what God

is reminding them here.

He is reminding them that

as they are taken into captivity,

to remember

where they have come from.

Make for yourselves,

guideposts,

consider well the highway,

the road by which you went.

And then it says,

return,

O virgin Israel,

return to these,

your city.

So there's a going out

and there's a coming back.

And that's

our situation too.

When sin

takes us

into the wilderness,

where can we go?

We can return

to God.

Throughout this chapter

there's so much imagery

you would just associate

with the prodigal son.

He went into

a far off land,

he went into the wilderness,

he squandered

his wealth.

But what happens

when it says

he came to his senses?

He remembered

his father's house.

He remembered

where he had come from.

And he started

that journey

back.

And that is

the situation

for every sinner.

that as we go

away from God

into the wilderness

to find our way

back,

we look for the signposts,

the markers,

the things that are

put before us

to remember

where we have

come from

and to return

to God.

It's a bit like

if you go on a

coastal walk now

or if you go

the West Highland Way.

As you're walking

along,

you'll find

posts or cairns

or things,

markers put there

to show you

that you're on

the right track,

that you're going

the right way.

It might even

give you an indication

of how far

to the next one

and point you

in the right direction.

People have gone

that way before.

And as you look

at this chapter,

as you look at

verse 21,

there's certainly

a reminder there

for us that the people

were going to go

on a journey.

They were not going

to be alone

and that they

would return.

But that's the story

of salvation.

A people who drift

away from God

but who can find

a way back.

Through God's

ministering His Word,

through God's grace,

by His Spirit,

He works.

The prodigal son

reminds us of that.

There is a father

who longs

for us to return.

Where can we go?

We can go

to the only one

who gives that welcome,

who gives that warmth

of us coming back.

How often does sin

leave you asking,

where can I go?

Where can I go

with this?

How can I find help?

Come,

the Word of God says.

Return.

Return, O virginus.

Return to these,

your cities.

The prodigal son

is returned

to my father's house.

To us,

it is to return

to God.

There is

a way.

There is

a place

to go.

To go

to the Father.

Third thing

we see here

is verse

29.

What can I say?

Verse 29,

In those days

they shall no longer

say,

the fathers

have eaten

sour grapes

and the children's

teeth

are set

on edge.

It's one of these

sayings that you find

in Ezekiel.

Ezekiel speaks

a bit more

about this

in chapter 18.

The fathers

have eaten

sour grapes

and the children's

teeth

are set

on edge.

You can read

that later

for yourselves.

But behind it

all is a sense

of blame.

Sense

of blame.

Because when you

read it in

Ezekiel,

you see that

they are passing

the buck.

They are saying

it's not us

who sinned.

It's our fathers.

It's our forefathers.

It's their fault.

They are looking

for someone

to blame.

And that is

something that is

in our nature

because of sin.

We are looking

to pass the buck.

It goes right

back to Genesis

Genesis 3:12

chapter 3

verse 12

where the man

said,

the woman

whom you gave

to be with me

she gave me

fruit of the three

and I ate.

Whose fault?

It's somebody

else's.

It's the woman

you gave me.

It's almost like

blaming God

there as well.

So there's a sense

of who can we

blame?

Are you like that

when it comes

to sin?

It's somebody

else's fault.

They made me

angry.

They made me

do it.

They made me

sin.

It's always

someone else's

fault.

Last Saturday

down near

Middlesbrough

there was a

tragic incident.

A tragic

loss of life

where seven

people died

in a car

crash.

Because one

car was being

driven the

wrong way up

a lane in

the motorway.

Five were

killed in one

car and two

policemen in

another.

Since the

crash it's

been in the

news that

one of the

family,

they were

blaming the

police for

it.

It's their

fault.

Trying to

pass the

blame.

Taking no

responsibility

that their

son or

family member

was driving

the wrong

way up a

dual carriageway.

it's just

inner nature.

Even when we

are doing

wrong and

we know it,

it's somebody

else's fault.

That's the

kind of world

in which we

live in.

That's the

kind of nature

that we

have.

But when you

look at this

verse,

verse 29,

you see how

it quotes

those words,

the fathers

have eaten

sour grapes

and the

children's

teeth are

set on

edge.

But what

it says at

the beginning

is key.

In those

days they

shall no

longer say.

They shall

no longer

say.

They are

accepting

responsibility.

Instead,

it says in

verse 30,

but everyone

shall die

for his

own sin.

Each man

who eats

sour grapes,

his teeth

shall be

set on

edge.

It's no

longer

passing

the back.

It's no

longer saying

it's my

father's

fault or

my

forefather's

fault.

It's no

longer

society's

fault or

my

upbringing's

fault.

I am

taking

responsibility.

What

shall we

say?

Well,

we have

to come

before

God.

Because

when we

see God

and when

we look

to God

and we

see our

sin,

it gives

us a

new

outlook.

And that's

what we

see the

change

that is

going to

come with

the people

here.

They

shall no

longer

say.

They

shall no

longer

blame.

Instead,

there's a

sense of

individual

accountability

and also

corporate

accountability

here.

Where

individuals

will confess

their sins.

Where the

community,

the corporate

nature of it,

they will

confess their

sins together.

You think

of the

words of

Psalm 51

which we

sung.

against

thee,

thee

only

have I

sinned.

In

thy

sight

done

this

ill.

There's

an

acknowledgement

I'm

not going

to blame

anybody

anymore.

It is

me.

Against

thee,

thee

only

have I

sinned.

The

same

in the

Gospels

as you

look through

them.

In

Luke

Luke 18:13

18

verse

13

those

tax

collectors

standing

afar

off

praying.

And

what's

he saying?

He's

saying,

God

be

merciful

to

me,

a

sinner.

Whereas

the

other

one

who's

standing

beside

him

and

saying,

I

am

glad

I

am

not

like

that

man.

I

tithe,

I

do

this,

I

do

that.

But

no,

the

tax

collector

has

the

right

attitude.

God

be

merciful

to

me,

a

sinner.

What

can

we

say?

What

can

you

say?

God

be

merciful

to

me,

a

sinner.

again,

the

prodigal

son.

As

the son

comes to

the father

in verse

21,

Father,

I have

sinned

against

heaven

and

before

you.

What

can

we

say?

We

have

sinned

against

you.

What

can

we

say

as

we

come

to

a

communion?

I

have

sinned

against

you.

We

have

sinned

against

you.

We

are

not

worthy

to

be

called

your

son.

We

are

not

worthy

to

be

called

your

daughter.

What

can

we

say?

We

can

confess

our

sin.

We

can

acknowledge

our

sin

before

God.

If

you

were

at

the

induction

in

Graver

last

evening,

and I

know

many

of

you

were,

one

of

the

main

comments,

and I

spoken

to a

few

last

night

and

today,

was

how

powerful

the

singing

was.

There

was

just a

sense

of,

how do

you

describe it?

A sense

of awe

in that

worship.

A

corporate

worship

where the

power of

God's

presence and

the praising

of his

name was

powerful.

God's

And

there

is

blessing.

And

at the

reception

last

night,

at the

end,

we

sang

Psalm

133.

And

again,

it

asks that

question,

where

is

blessing

found?

It's

together

such as

brethren

are in

unity

to

dwell.

And

there

is that

question

then,

what

can

we

say?

We

acknowledge

our

sins

individually.

We

acknowledge

our

corporate

sins.

And

we

seek

that

blessing

as we

confess

our

sin,

to seek

that

unity

and

that

blessing

from

God.

We

confess.

We

repent.

That

is what

the people

are looking

for here.

That's

what God

is looking

for from

the people

here,

that they

would

return

to

him.

That

they

would

confess

their

sins.

The

shorter

catechism

again

says about

repentance

unto

life.

It

is a

saving

grace

whereby

a sinner

out of

a true

sense

of

his

sin

and

apprehension

of the

mercy

of

God

in

Christ

doth

with

grief

and

hatred

of

his

sin

turn

from

it

unto

God

with

full

purpose

of

an

endeavour

after

new

obedience.

The

very

thing

that

we

are

seeing

in

these

words.

No

longer

will

we

say

it's

somebody

else's

fault

but we

will

repent.

We

will

turn

from

our

sin.

We

will

turn

to

God

and

endeavour

after

new

obedience.

confess

we

confess

our

sins.

What

shall

we

say?

Father

I

have

sinned

against

you.

Confess

our

sin.

The

fourth

thing

and

final

thing

we

see

here

is

what

will

I

know?

Who

can

save

we've

asked

the

Lord?

Where

can we

go

to the

Father?

What

can we

say?

I

have

sinned

against

you.

Well

where

does

that

take

us?

Into

verse

31

to

34.

Again

we're

just

going to

look at

it very

briefly

this

evening

but

we'll

come

back

to

it

again.

Verse

31

says

Behold

the

days

are

coming

declares

the

Lord

when

I

will

make

a

new

covenant

with

the

house

of

Israel

and

with

the

house

of

Judah.

And

he

speaks

!

then

into

their

heart.

Where

he

will

put

the

law

into

their

heart.

He

will

write

it

on

their

hearts

it

says

at

the

end

of

verse

33.

And

then

in

verse

34

No

longer

shall

each

one

teach

his

neighbor

and

each

his

brother

saying

know

the

Lord

for

they

shall

all

know

me

from

the

least

of

them

to

the

greatest

declares

the

Lord

for

I

will

forgive

!

where

does

this

take

us?

It

takes

us

to

the

place

we

will

remember

this

Sunday

to

Calvary

to

the

place

of

the

cross.

The

people

here

were

struggling

to

find

a

way

to

forgiveness.

And

for

many

it

would

have

been

a

sense

of

the

law

trying

to

keep

the

law

perfectly.

But

this

new

covenant

that

he's

given

to

them

is

going

to

be

written

in

their

hearts

where

there

will

be

a

new

sense

of

obedience.

Not

able

to

keep

the

law

perfectly

because

none

are.

And

in

order

to

forgive

their

sins

as you

go

through

the

Old

Testament

they

were

having

to

offer

their

sacrifices

daily

weekly

and

then

annually

where

they

had

the

Passover

meal

offering

up

that

scapegoat

it

was a

continual

way

of

sacrifice

in

order

for

their

sins

to

be

forgiven

this

was

ongoing

but

where

is it

taking

us

it

is

taking

us

to

the

cross

and

where

it

declares

I

will

forgive

their

iniquity

and

I

will

remember

their

sin

no

more

it

is

dealt

with

so

they

were

struggling

to

find

a

way

and

so

do

we

perhaps

you

are

struggling

with

your

sin

tonight

can

he

really

forgive

my

sin

well

here

we are

reminded

that

he

can

when

he

writes

his

law

on

our

heart

he

says

I

will

remember

your

sin

no

more

you

are

forgiven

your

debt

is

paid

the

lord

has

saved

you

in

verse

31

it

speaks

of

a

new

covenant

and

it

links

us

into

the

new

testament

to

what

Jesus

has

done

for us

when you

look at

Luke

Luke 22:20

22

verse

20

and

likewise

the cup

after they

had eaten

saying

this cup

that is

poured

out

for you

is a

new

covenant

in

my

blood

there is

where we

find

forgiveness

through

faith

in

the

lord

jesus

christ

then

you

have

hebrews

8

where

it

speaks

of

jesus

as

our

great

high

priest

bearing

our

sin

quoting

these

very

words

from

jeremiah

31

again

we'll

come

back

to

look

at

it

in

more

detail

but

they

are

wonderful

words

what

will

you

know

as

you

come

to

him

I

will

remember

your

sins

no

more

in

john

bunyan's

pilgrim

pilgrim's

progress

there we

meet the

man called

christian

man who's

carrying a

heavy burden

!

on his

back

he doesn't

understand

what it

is at

first but

he knows

it's weighing

him down

and no

matter what

he does

where he

goes

this

burden

follows

him

it is

the weight

of sin

his guilt

his past

his shame

all of

these

things

but

christian

begins

this

journey

he

climbs

hills

he faces

enemies

comes

against

temptation

all of

these

things

and the

burden

remains

until

he reaches

a hill

with a

cross

at the

top

and

that's

when

everything

changes

because

there as

he approaches

the cross

the straps

break

the burden

falls

off

rolls

down

the hill

into

an

empty

tomb

and

there

he

knows

that

he

is

free

he

is

forgiven

his

sin

has

been

taken

from

him

and

that

is

the

joy

of

the

christian

that

is

the

joy

that

we

see

as

we

look

to

the

lord

jesus

christ

as

we

think

of

all

of

these

questions

that

we

have

where

can

we

go

what

can

we

say

what

can

i

do

we

have

so

many

questions

but

when

we

see

the

answer

is

in

christ

it

leads

us

to

this

point

where

we

see

i

will

remember

your

sins

no

more

what

would

you

say

if

the

lord

returns

tonight

and

you

have

to

stand

before

how

do

you

justify

yourself

is

it

what

you

have

done

is

it

the

good

things

or

is

it

by

faith

by

believing

by

repenting

by

trusting

and

saying

i

have

sinned

against

you

but

i

have

believed

i

have

trusted

that

you

are

able

to

forgive

my

sins

well

don't

just

think

about

it

in

light

of

what

the

lord

returns

but

think

about

it

in

light

of

even

coming

to

the

lord's

table

how

are

you

coming

in

your

strength

in

what

you

have

done

or

remembering

that

it

is

through

him

sin

is

too

strong

for

us

to

conquer

but

we