Read Hebrews 8:7–12
I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no
more.
Hebrews 8:12
What does it mean that God remembers our sins no more? Does it
mean that our all-knowing God can actually forget what we have
done? The phrase “remember [our] sins no more” means “hold our
sins against us no more.” God recalls what we have done, but He does
not hold it against us (2 Cor. 5:18–19). He deals with us on the basis
of grace and mercy, not law and merit. Once sin has been forgiven, it
is never brought before us again. The matter is settled eternally.
As a pastor in counseling ministry, I have often heard people say,
“Well, I can forgive—but I cannot forget!”
“Of course you can’t forget,” I usually reply. “The more you try
to put this thing out of your mind, the more you will remember it.
But that isn’t what it means to forget.” Then I go on to explain that
“to forget” means “not to hold it against the person who has wronged
us.” We may remember what others have done, but we treat them as
though they never did it.
This is only possible because of the cross, for there God treated
His Son as though He had done it! Our experience of forgiveness
from God makes it possible for us to forgive others.
Something to Ponder
What steps do you take to keep from taking God’s forgiveness for
granted?