In my life as a Christian, sometimes I get confused and remember what I should forget and forget what I should be remembering. Here, we will take a brief look at some things to remember, some to forget, and some things that we won’t need to be concerned about.
As I have looked into this issue, I have learned that some things are not beneficial to remember. There are good biblical grounds for thinking this way.
Forgetting
We find in the Scripture that God chooses to forget certain things. The obvious question here is, Should I also learn to forget what God forgets?
In Hebrews chapters 9 & 10, the writer has been explaining that what Jesus accomplished in the new covenant is better than the old covenant. Then, in verses 16-18 of chapter 10, he quotes what God says to believers from Jeremiah1,
“’This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws upon their heart, and on their mind I will write them,’ He then says,
‘And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.’
Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin.”
In Jesus our sins are paid for once and for all, and forgiveness has been granted. This truth is emphasized by the fact that God will remember the sins no more. Therefore we don’t need to go back to God with another sin offering.2
So, if God has forgotten them, why should I remember and rehearse them? Since God has forgiven my sins and lawless deeds, I should rejoice instead of reflecting on my failure.
Remembering
Instead, God has always instructed us to remember what He has done, how He has delivered, His provision, His faithfulness, and His promises. Some of these are watershed events and some may be a part of day to day living. This theme of remembering is repeated over and over, here are just a sampling:
Instruct the Children
Remembering the works of God is so important that we should inform generations to come to remember Him. In this Psalm of Asaph, he says to tell of the praises of the Lord, His strength, and His wondrous works. A short portion of Psalm 78:6-7 informs us of the reason,
“That the generation to come might know, even the children yet to be born, that they may arise and tell them to their children, that they should put their confidence in God and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments.”
Out of Egypt
The story of God leading the Israelites out of Egypt is well known and captivating. But beyond the story itself, is a profound demonstration of God working in the lives of His people. After God accomplished this miraculous feat, He directs the people to drive a stake in the ground by way of remembrance. Exodus 13:3 reads this way,
“Moses said to the people, ‘Remember this day in which you went out from Egypt, from the house of slavery; for by a powerful hand the LORD brought you out from this place.’”
This is an example of a specific event that brings to mind the faithfulness of God and His work. God uses this turning point in the nation to prove His love for them. Then, He uses the memory of the event to encourage their faith in Him and His provision for years to come.
The circumstance was strongly ingrained in the Israeli mind. Just mentioning God leading the people out of Egypt reminded them of the mighty works of God and His faithfulness.
Captivity Predicted
Some 735 years after God brings them out of Egyptian bondage, God speaks to the house of Jacob through the prophet Isaiah.3 The prophet is predicting another captivity because they will wander from God. Eventually their captivity would end, being delivered by God, again. In Isaiah 46:8-10, God says through the prophet:
“Remember this, and be assured;
Recall it to mind, you transgressors.
Remember the former things long past,
For I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is no one like Me,
Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things which have not been done,
Saying, ‘My purpose will be established,
And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;”
Even as God is foretelling of His disciplinary action, He reminds them of His faithfulness.
Separate from Christ
The New Testament teaches former Gentiles to remember we were once far from God. In Ephesians 2, Paul talks about our former life and that we were once dead to God. In verses 11-13, Paul says,
“Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision,” which is performed in the flesh by human hands— remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”
We are to remember we were once dead and separated from God. But now, we are made alive by God and brought near through Christ!
It is instructive to me that he does not encourage us to remember specific sins. Just to remember that we were separated from God because of our sin and without hope.
Sufferings
Our past convictions can give us confidence. In the book of Hebrews, we are told to think about our past decision to endure sufferings. In chapter 10, verses 32 & 33 we read,
“But remember the former days, when, after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings, partly by being made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations, and partly by becoming sharers with those who were so treated.”
Then, he concludes in verse 35,
“Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.”
And then adds in 39 that we can do this because,
“[We] are of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.”
There is a great benefit to building on our conviction and remembering our growth and sacrifice. He encourages us to hang on to our conviction and endure by faith.
In Case we Forget
Peter builds on this idea of growth and ties it to remembering our cleansing from sin. In the first chapter of 2nd Peter, he lists various qualities that build upon each other in our lives. Such attributes as moral excellence, knowledge, and self-control work together in sanctifying us.4 He wraps up the thought in verse 9, saying,
“For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.”
Peter is explaining that once we are redeemed through Christ, we are set apart for God to grow in grace. If we forget that God saved us and purified us, that we are His, we will not gain the qualities of a Godly character.
Peter hardly finishes his thought, and then in verse 12 says that he will always be ready to remind us of these things! (Yet another reminder!)
Remembering Not Needed
We have looked at one thing to forget and several things to remember. Now we will look at one thing that we won’t need to remember.
New Heaven & New Earth
One of the best parts of our future hope is the new heavens and earth. It is very hard to imagine something so far removed from our daily lives. The fuzzy image that God reveals is still very exciting and fills us with hope. Isaiah reveals this truth to us in chapter 65, verses 17-19:
“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth;
And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind.
But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create;
For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing
And her people for gladness.
I will also rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in My people;
And there will no longer be heard in her
The voice of weeping and the sound of crying.”
This will be a time when we won’t need to remember. In fact, we won’t need to forget the former things either since they won’t dare come to mind.
Appendix
I mentioned our future hope in the last point concerning our experience in the new heavens and new earth. I talk more about hope in the article Our Inheritance.
We should also remember that as Christians, we can be distracted. I have written about this in Paying Attention to the Right Thing.
1 Jeremiah 31:33, 34
2 This passage in Hebrews is written to folks familiar with the Old Testament practice of ‘sin offering.’ In this practice, an offering is presented to God demonstrating repentance, and God grants forgiveness. In the New Testament, Jesus offered himself ‘once for all’ as the sin offering, resulting in forgiveness.
3 The exodus from Egypt occurred about 1446 BC. The prophet Isaiah wrote the prediction concerning their captivity about 711 BC. They were taken captive by Babylon circa 605 BC.
4 2 Peter 1:5b-7 says, “applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge; and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness; and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.”