The Power of God's Grace Over Sin – Selected Scriptures (Bill Foote)

Leviticus 16 sets the stage with two goats. The first goat is slain. Blood is carried past the veil and sprinkled before the mercy seat. Substitution stands front and center. An innocent victim bears the penalty the sinners deserve. The second goat bears confessed iniquities on its head and is led away into the wilderness to be seen no more. That picture points straight to Christ. At the cross, Christ exhausts the wrath of God against his people, which is propitiation. And because that wrath is exhausted, the sins he paid for are carried away, which is expiation. God’s justice is satisfied, and the believer’s guilt is removed.

David in Psalm 103 rouses his own soul by naming how God deals with sin. “As far as the East is from the West, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.” East from West never meets. So a believer will never meet up with forgiven sin again. Hebrews then lands with holy confidence. The throne is a throne of grace because no accusations wait there. Christ’s merit clothes the sinner. God sees the believer as he sees his Son, and there is no condemnation.

Isaiah 43 speaks even more plainly. God says, “I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.” Blot out means there is no list left. Not forgiven stamped over a rap sheet, but a rap sheet deleted. And “will not remember” is not divine forgetfulness but divine promise. God chooses never to bring those sins to mind to use them against his child. That honors the Son. The Father’s “I will not remember” is the Father’s amen to Jesus’ “It is finished.” What was finished? The record of sin, the guilt, the wrath, the threat of hell. Finished.

Grace then does what fear never can. Romans 12 says mercy captures the heart and turns obedience into worship. Rules can feel safe, and fear can feel like a leash, but grace produces love, and love offers the body as a living sacrifice. When believers fail, the gospel rescues in two steps. First, confess honestly. Call sin what God calls it. Second, by faith apply what Christ accomplished. Fix the eyes not on the ugliness of failure but on the beauty of Christ. That gaze turns sorrow into worship and worship into new obedience. “Turn your eyes upon Jesus” is not a children’s rhyme. It is strategy. As the face of Christ fills the frame, the world grows dim, sin loses its pull, and love does the heavy lifting.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Two goats, one gospel The Day of Atonement paints Christ’s work in twin colors. Propitiation satisfies holy wrath as the first goat dies. Expiation removes confessed sin as the second goat vanishes. Christ both bore judgment and carried guilt away forever. [06:31]
• 2. East from West, infinite distance Psalm 103 says sin is removed to a place sin and saint never meet again. That distance grounds boldness in prayer and quiets the dread of payback. Confidence at the throne rests not on performance, but on a record already cleared. [09:57]
• 3. No list, no memory Isaiah 43 promises a blotted record and a God who will not remember. He is not forgetful. He is faithful to a choice never to use those sins against his child. That decision is the Father’s amen to Christ’s “It is finished.” [13:06]
• 4. Grace, not fear, compels Rules can feel safer and fear can feel useful, but neither can sustain love. Mercy wins the heart and makes obedience worship, not wages. Romans 12 calls the only reasonable response a living sacrifice, fueled by kindness already shown. [24:30]
• 5. Confess, then look to Christ Honesty comes first. Name the sin and renounce it. But do not camp there. Lift the eyes to the finished work, where guilt was deleted and wrath exhausted. That shift from self to Savior turns grief into grateful, durable obedience. [32:44]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:18] - A last-minute assignment
• [01:17] - Prayer for help
• [02:30] - Good news: sins removed
• [03:42] - Day of Atonement overview
• [04:40] - Two goats: sacrifice and scapegoat
• [06:31] - What the goats picture
• [07:26] - Propitiation and expiation
• [08:38] - Psalm 103: East from West
• [13:06] - Isaiah 43: Blotted out, no memory
• [17:29] - Judgment books and no record
• [24:30] - Grace that fuels obedience
• [29:34] - Gospel to the rescue: two steps
• [36:04] - Fix your gaze on Jesus
• [40:38] - Trust Christ, not religion

1. What two distinct actions were performed with the goats on the Day of Atonement, and what did each symbolize? [06:31]
2. According to Psalm 103:12, how does God describe the distance He removes our sins from us? Why is “east from west” significant compared to “north from south”? [09:57]
3. In Isaiah 43:25, what two promises does God make about how He deals with our sins? How does the sermon clarify the meaning of “I will not remember your sins”? [13:06]

1. Why was the scapegoat sent into the wilderness instead of being sacrificed like the first goat? What does this teach about the result of Christ’s work for believers? [07:41]
2. The sermon says God’s promise to “not remember” sins is not about forgetfulness but a choice. How does this distinction impact how we view God’s forgiveness and our security in Christ? [14:21]
3. Romans 12:1 urges offering our bodies as living sacrifices “in view of God’s mercy.” How does grace, rather than fear or rules, create a sustainable motivation for obedience? [24:30]

1. When guilt over past sins weighs on you, how could meditating on the truth that God has “blotted out” your record (Isaiah 43:25) shift your perspective? What practical step could you take to fix your eyes on Christ instead of your failure? [32:44]
2. The sermon contrasts living by fear (“God might judge me if I mess up”) and living by grace (“God’s mercy compels my worship”). Where do you notice fear or rule-keeping creeping into your walk with God? How might focusing on Christ’s finished work change your approach? [22:12]
3. The hymn “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus” is called a “strategy” for overcoming sin’s pull. What habits or practices help you fix your gaze on Christ’s beauty daily? How could you prioritize one this week? [36:04]
4. The sermon warns against staying in a “two-week pity party” after confessing sin. How can you balance honest repentance with actively trusting Christ’s sufficiency? What would it look like to “stand back up” in faith after failure? [35:20]
5. If someone said, “Grace like this makes people sin more,” how would you explain the link between feeling forgiven and growing in holiness using Romans 12:1 or personal experience? [25:26]