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No Longer Will I Remember

 

"For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” -Heb 8:12


    What's the worst thing you've done? Or that has been done to you? The event or sin you're constantly replaying in your mind and repeating in the prayer closet. I think most of us want to believe that God forgives each of our sins but oftentimes our words & actions/inactions betray us. We proclaim God's forgiveness but  continue reminding the Lord of our past failures each time they come to mind. But is this God's desire for us? To continue in an earthly state of "purgatory" until we've paid our debt? Until we feel enough guilt and shame for what we have done? Did not Jesus die for this very reason? Does not the Bible say that"God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Cor 5:21). So if the Lord already paid the price for our sins taking upon Himself any shame attached, how do we move forward when our former mistakes haunt us often? We've repented and believe God's forgiven us, but it seems insufficient. How do we enjoy the "more abundant life" that the Lord promised, when we are glued to the reminding scars that sin has left in our lives? I believe the Bible has some practical and spiritual tools that can help us on our journey and which we seek to uncover today!


A Just Balancing Scale. 

Mentally we know that God has forgiven our sins. But why do we still feel the need to confess them every time we pray? As much as we may say that God forgives us, a part of our heart remains incredulous. To counteract these opposing sentiments, we must rely on the Scriptures. The Bible is like a balancing scale. On which we must measure any thought, emotion, or word and compare it with what is actually written. On one side is the emotion we feel and the other side what the Bible says about it. Do the pair balance? Or is the Word heavier than our own sentiments? Sometimes God's Word will be contrary to what we may feel or think in a specific circumstance. We should first know the Word in order to judge our own sentiments against it. Therefore if we do not feel forgiven, yet we know that 1 John 1:9 says "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" then we must choose truth over feelings! God's Word should be the ultimate authority and truth in our lives even if it contradicts our strongest feelings, thoughts, and desires. If we allow our feelings & thoughts to rule us, we will become their slaves. However when we submit our innermost thoughts to the authority of God's Word, we will find the scale in perfect balance. But believing the Scriptures takes more than a simple memorization of verses, it requires a key element of which the Bible has much to say...especially Hebrews 11 😉


The Secret Ingredient: Faith.

Faith is to the Christian as water to a fish, an absolute necessity. Our very belief in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus requires a certain measure of faith. Likewise believing the promises written in the Word also require faith on our part. But where does this faith come from? Is it a feeling we draw up from within ourselves or is faith ultimately God-given? Here's what the Bible says about its origin, "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ" (Rom 10:17). As we hear the rhema of God, our spirit man is filled with faith. And this faith allows us to believe that which we cannot see nor prove in the natural sense. It is faith which helps us believe the Gospel message and its promises. Therefore if we are to appropriate our forgiveness, we must first seek out those Scriptures that speak on God's forgiveness. Next we meditate on those verses allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to us through them. Finally faith is born! Faith is born when we repeatedly meditate on the Scriptures and allow the Holy Spirit to plant them deep into our hearts and speak to us through them. Once logos (general word) becomes rhema (specific instruction), then we will be able to believe whatsoever He says to us...even what seems illogical to our natural man. But our faith should not be "blind" as many claim. No, the faith that the Holy Spirit produces is based on something strong, stable, unmovable...the character of God.


Get Acquainted With Him. 

Take a quick inventory of all the great heroes of the faith found throughout the Bible and you will notice a shared trait among them...they knew God's character! After seeing the 10 plagues, splitting the Red Sea, and literally eating Manna from Heaven, more than anything else Moses cried out for this very thing. The miracles and power were not enough, Moses was not satisfied to know about God but his desire was to know Him! And we should be no different. Knowing God is the reason why (I believe) some Christians, despite difficult lives and great trials, grow stronger in their walk while others with simpler, easier lives weaken to the point of turning back from following the Lord! Knowing the character of God allows us trust when we cannot see and believe for that which we don't yet feel. God's character should be the foundation of our faith! Knowing God allows us to believe that we have been forgiven. Why? Not only because the Word says it and our faith declares it, but ultimately we believe we've been forgiven because it is directly in line with God's character. God forgives us time and time again, it is His character to do so! Knowing this aspect of God will help suppress any doubt or anxiety in our hearts. Knowing God is the key to effectually following and serving Him longterm. And this is a key we cannot afford to neglect. Knowing God will radically transform your life and future and the best part is that through the blood of Jesus and relationship with the Holy Spirit, this has already been made available for us. And it's as simple as saying "God, I want to know you."


Closing Thoughts...

Dear Reader, we have before us the amazing privilege of knowing God. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, we can have relationship with the Father. It is what His blood purchased for us (Heb 9:22). This relationship comes with some amazing benefits: a love we have never known before, peace in the midst of storms, provision in times of need, and forgiveness for all of our sins, a clean slate! What could be greater than this, to spend our eternity with Him who loves and gave Himself for us (Eph 5:2). All these amazing benefits and more start with a prayer to "declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead..." (Romans 10:9). Relationship with God must first start with an invitation for Him to come into your life. Will you invite Him in? Will you say yes to spending your life with Him? For you will never make a more important decision than this. I pray that you say yes and in doing so, experience the joy, peace, and forgiveness that Jesus came to give you.













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