Forgiveness and Forgetting
(week 29, 2007)
Olubi Johnson
In our article last week we saw that forgiveness is releasing people from the block of spiritual death that is formed when they sin.
This is effected by the confession of sin, which activates the blood of Jesus to cleanse and remove the sin substance. After this we then ask that the life of God be ministered to the person or persons and then also pray for them in tongues to strengthen or edify them spiritually so they will be able to overcome future temptations to sin.
When people sin against us we are to forgive them, by praying for them in this way even if we don’t feel it. Also we may remember but we are to relate to them in wisdom, without bitterness, but rather with good will and over time there are some things we will forget.
Now when God forgives our sins does He forget that we sinned?
Yes, for sins committed before we got born-again.
Hebrew 8:10-12(NKJV): 10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 11 None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. 12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”
However, after we get born-again we will give an account of sins we have committed:
2 Corinthians 5:9-10(NIV): 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
The sins are forgiven so we will not have to pay for them by going to hell, since Jesus has paid that price for us, also we are free from the guilty conscience sin gives by the cleansing of the blood of Jesus (Hebrews 9.14) giving us right standing with God, however a record of the judgment for the sin is kept.
Hebrews 2:2-3(NKJV): 2 For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation.
However, in this lifetime you can reduce the effect of the judgment of your sins by walking in right doing: confessing and forsaking sin and so receiving mercy, which will triumph over judgment:
Proverbs 28:13(NKJV): 13 He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.
James 2:13(NKJV): 13 For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
The more right-doing you do the more the mercy of God will triumph over the judgement of your sins.
So at the judgement seat of Christ you will be rewarded according to the degree to which your deeds of right-doing and the consequent mercy of God triumphs over the effect of the judgment of your sins.
In this sense God remembers not necessarily the details of our sins, but the effect their judgement will have on our eternal reward.
Revelation 22:12(NKJV): 12 “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.
For instance, God forgave David his sin of adultery and murder, but the effect of the judgment of the sin cost him four sons (2 Samuel 12.6) and he was denied the privilege of being able to live long enough to build the temple.
2 Samuel 12:13-14(NKJV): 13 So David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” And Nathan said to David, “The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die. 14 However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die.”
1 Chronicles. 28:2-3(NKJV): 2 Then King David rose to his feet and said, “Hear me, my brethren and my people: I had it in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and for the footstool of our God, and had made preparations to build it. 3 But God said to me, ‘You shall not build a house for My name, because you have been a man of war and have shed blood.‘
This why we should avoid sinning (1 John 2.1) and even if we sin we should be quick to confess and forsake the sin (Romans 6.15, 5.20) and walk in righteousness so that mercy will triumph over judgment for us and we will receive a good reward of gold, silver and precious stones and not suffer loss at (1 Corinthians 3.12-15) the judgment seat of Christ!
