Gone!

 March 12, 2023

George Younce founded and sang bass for the Cathedrals Gospel quartet for 36 years. When in 1999 his long time friend and Cathedrals partner Glen Payne died, the Cathedrals disbanded. George later joined the Gaither Homecoming team where he sang until his death in 2005. At one of his concerts with the Cathedrals, he gave his testimony, sharing how when he served as a paratrooper in the early 50’s, he began smoking marijuana and drinking. He said, “I almost ended up in the gutter because of the bottle. But when I came to the Master, I didn’t come seeking justice. I came seeking mercy. When I asked Jesus into my heart and confessed my sin, he blotted out my yesterdays, never to be remembered again. I remember those days, and I’ll take scars of them to my grave, but I claimed the Word of God that he would remember them no more.”

I listened to that testimony last night, and then this morning, the worship team led us in singing, “Lord, I run into your arms, unashamed because of mercy…” The very first time I heard those words, my granddaughter was singing them, and I was moved to tears at the thought. There are plenty of things in my life that I’m ashamed of; things I hope never come to light. I’m guessing the same is true for most people. There are parts of us we would just as soon stay buried in the past.

Years ago, I saw a Gospel tract that claimed that when we die, we’ll stand before the judgment throne of God, and everything we’ve ever done or even thought will be played for all the world to see before God passes judgment. I’m so glad that isn’t true. God buried my sins in the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19), cast them as far from me as the east is from the west (Ps. 103:12), and remembers them no more (Hebrews 10:17).

The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from sin, blots it out completely, making it as if it never happened. They are gone! The glory we could never earn or deserve, God freely gave us in Jesus. What we could never hope for has become our confidence and future. Thank you, Jesus for your unfailing and unlimited love!