Hennie Symington

It is true that many people died because of the sin of that one man (Adam). But God’s grace is much greater, and so is his free gift to so many people through the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:15b

When someone has pulled a fast one on you, you’re not going to forget it that easily, even if you become friends again. Does that mean that you haven’t truly forgiven that person? What about God? Does that mean when God opens the Book of Judgement on the day of judgement as described in Revelation 20:12 all your sins will be written down in that book and that God will hold them against you?

Maybe one should look at it this way. When God forgives sin it doesn’t mean that he has deleted his “hard drive” or “memory bank”, but he chooses not to recollect it. In Jeremiah 31:34 we read that God has forgiven our sins and “will no longer remember their (our) wrongs.”

That’s how it is with you and me. We will always bear the marks of sin because the effect of or deeds spreads far and wide and sometimes still haunts us for years afterwards. However, we have the option of putting sin behind us to keep it from spoiling our future. By the grace of God we needn’t delete if from memory; all we have to do is to choose not to recollect it.

God reminds us in many places in his Book that our wrongdoing and sins are in the past. He removes them as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12). We are not to revisit our sins. Also God has placed no expiry date on forgiveness. It is valid until the end of time. But the greatest wonder of God’s forgiveness is that we can begin anew as new beings in Christ.

Prayer:O God, I can’t bear being burdened by my sin forever. Thank you for your forgiveness and choosing not to remember my wrongdoing. Help me to forgive in the same way. Amen