No More

What does it mean that we have a God that doesn`t remember all our failings and wrongs? What does it mean that when He looks at us through the blood of Christ He sees purity, holiness, redemption? What does it mean that He thinks beautiful, good thoughts about us, every time we come to His mind? I don`t think we have a clue what it means...

...and yet the we are told that real love "keeps no records of wrong." What does it mean to be forgiven, or to forgive, so deeply that we forget the things of the past and begin believing in truths for the future?

Although I struggle often with believing I am truly, deeply, wholly, completely forgiven, I am often more concerned with wrapping my mind around how to believe I can actually truly, deeply, wholly, completely forgive others. It`s funny. The truth is, I can`t. The truth is, the more understand my own forgiveness the more the doors of my heart open to forgive others. A few days ago my dad sent me these words from a devotional he reads:

 

"I will not remember your sins." -Isaiah 43:25

          Not only has God blotted out our sins, he has further promised never to remember our sins, never to bring them to his mind again.

         Think of one of your more recent sins, of which you're now ashamed. It may have been an unkind word, a resentful attitude, or a lustful thought. Whatever it might be, God says he has put it out of his mind; he remembers it no more.

         To remember no more is God's way of expressing absolute forgiveness. In Hebrews 8:12 (which quotes Jeremiah 31:34), God said, "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more" (NIV). And again in Hebrews 10:17-18, he said, "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.' and where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin" (NIV). Note that in both passages "remembering no more" is equated with forgiveness.

              (Excerpt taken from The Gospel for Real Life)

        To remember no more expresses absolute forgiveness.

         Where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.

Lord keep teaching me to fall on my face at the sight of grace. Keep teaching my knees to buckle in humility. There is no longer any sacrifice. I will stop fighting to earn something tangible that will measure up to the cost of my sins. I cannot do it. I cannot fight it anymore. Help me to give up in complete surrender and be overwhelmed in thanksgiving and praise for the sake of the cross. For the fact that you gave up, died, you bled, you were persecuted, crushed, forsaken...THERE IS NO LONGER ANY SACRIFICE.

Thank you for the cross. Thank you for remembering my sins no more, knowing that I couldn`t even bear the thought of it not being true. Thank you for healing and forgiving. Thank you for teaching me how to forgive and love.

It is through faith, by grace alone.