The Quality of Mercy
The idea that God must remove the wicked from his sight means that he is prepared to overlook all our sins. This is mercy.
"Rabbi Berekhiah said: When the Holy One was almost about to create Adam, he saw both the righteous and the wicked who were to issue from him. So He said: If I create him, wicked men will issue from; if I do not create him how are righteous men to be born? What did the Holy one do? He diverted the way of the wicked from before His sight, partnered the quality of mercy with Himself [saying to it, “Let us make man"], and then created him." From the Jewish Book of Legend
The idea that God must remove the wicked from his sight means that he is prepared to overlook all our sins. This is mercy. This is forgiveness. This is absolute.