Contemporary Christian recording artist "Casting Crowns" released a song several years ago asking, "Jesus, Can You show me just how far the east is from the west?" The songwriter expresses great concern that the "man [he's] been" maybe "rising in [him] again." He says he needs confirmation from God that his sins have indeed been removed from him. If we think about the east coast versus the west coast of the United States or if we think about the world in general, the eastern hemisphere versus the western hemisphere. This scripture implies excellent distance. That implication shows us just how far God has removed our sins from us. It's not as if He moved in right next door. He didn't take them from us and kept them close to us simultaneously. He takes our sins from us and moves them far away from us. He disconnects us from our sins. The transgressions of our lives no longer define us. In that space between the east and the west, He saves us, justifies us, and sanctifies us. He sends His Spirit to us so that between our transgressions and us lies our whole Christian life; This is a very hopeful verse because it lets us know that God does not hold our offenses against us. He doesn't keep them nearby so He can pull them out and show them to remind us of who we were. He removes them from us, replacing them with so much more.