February 6, 2020 GOD DOES NOT REMEMBER
Hebrews 8:12 “For I will be merciful to their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.”
Psalm 103:12 “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”
There is a time when having a bad memory is a good thing. I would think that the most common challenge for many believers is that of the memory of past sins. We believe that God has forgiven us, yet we can be haunted by our past sins and failures. It is often our pride that stands in the way of receiving the full forgiveness that God lovingly extends to us. It is a good day when we readily confess that yes, we have sinned against God in the past; when we do this, we are agreeing with the scriptures that tell us that all have sinned. Romans 3:23. We must also remember that Jesus came to save sinners and to seek and save the lost. Luke 19:10, 5:32. It is amazing that God has said that He will remember our sins no more-He has chosen not to remember! God has the absolute power to choose not to remember. As humans, I’m not sure we have the ability to totally erase what is in our memory bank; however, at the same time, I believe that the Holy Spirit enables us to process our memory in such a way that it does not defeat us when we remember a sin(s) of the past. In fact, the memory of a past sin can bring some benefit if we use the thought of past sins as a springboard to remind us and cause us to thank God for His forgiveness toward us. I believe that the primary factor that fueled the early church was the good news that Jesus came and gave His life that sins might be forgiven. Someone said that “We all need a hall of shame,” and that is true if taken in the right light. As sons and daughters of God, we no longer live in shame, but it is healthy to remember that were sinners, but now have been forgiven and restored. So, if the memory of past (or present) sins is defeating us or condemning us, let us agree that we did indeed sin, but also agree and confess that God has forgiven us of all sin and He has no recollection of our past sins! We don’t need to fear the memory of past sins, but when they appear out of nowhere in our mind, simply reject them as irrelevant, reminding Satan that our sins are forgiven. There is freedom in being willing to confess to the whole world if need be, that yes, I have sinned-BUT I have confessed my sin and God has forgiven me. To the extent that we can, let us also remember our sins no more-they are gone! Peter Parris had a good word when he said: “Let us be more defined by our future than by our past.”
Isaiah 43:25 “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.”
Colossians 1:1-14 “For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
Blessings,
Buddy
RSS Feed