Does God Forgive, But Not Forget?

Link H · 09-23-2005, 12:51 PM

Does God Forgive, But Not Forget?

I have heard it taught that God literally forgets our sins after He forgives them. Is this Biblical?

When David confessed His sin with Bathsheba, God forgave the guilt of His sin, but then proceeded to warn him, through a prophet, that because he had done this, various terrible things would happen to him that were fulfilled in Absolom's rebellion.

ChrisHarbison · 09-23-2005, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Link H

Does God Forgive, But Not Forget?

I have heard it taught that God literally forgets our sins after He forgives them. Is this Biblical?

When David confessed His sin with Bathsheba, God forgave the guilt of His sin, but then proceeded to warn him, through a prophet, that because he had done this, various terrible things would happen to him that were fulfilled in Absolom's rebellion.

I don't think God literally forgets our wrongs, else He would cease to be omniscient. I think God speaks figuratively when He says that He removes our sin as far as the east is from the west. I think the point He's making is that He doesn't simply forgive us, but removes utterly all guilt of that sin forever.

exo · 09-23-2005, 02:01 PM

26 At this I awoke and looked around. My sleep had been pleasant to me.

27 "The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will plant the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the offspring of men and of animals. 28 Just as I watched over them to uproot and tear down, and to overthrow, destroy and bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant," declares the LORD. 29 "In those days people will no longer say,
'The fathers have eaten sour grapes,
and the children's teeth are set on edge.'

30 Instead, everyone will die for his own sin; whoever eats sour grapes—his own teeth will be set on edge.

31 "The time is coming," declares the LORD,
"when I will make a new covenant
with the house of Israel
and with the house of Judah.

32 It will not be like the covenant
I made with their forefathers
when I took them by the hand
to lead them out of Egypt,
because they broke my covenant,
though I was a husband to [d] them, [e] "
declares the LORD.

33 "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel
after that time," declares the LORD.
"I will put my law in their minds
and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.

34 No longer will a man teach his neighbor,
or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,'
because they will all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest,"
declares the LORD.
"For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more."

35 This is what the LORD says,
he who appoints the sun
to shine by day,
who decrees the moon and stars
to shine by night,
who stirs up the sea
so that its waves roar—
the LORD Almighty is his name:

36 "Only if these decrees vanish from my sight,"
declares the LORD,
"will the descendants of Israel ever cease
to be a nation before me."

37 This is what the LORD says:
"Only if the heavens above can be measured
and the foundations of the earth below be searched out
will I reject all the descendants of Israel
because of all they have done,"
declares the LORD.

Just presenting the verses used as support for this idea. I'm not sure that I have a strong opinion on this issue yet.

Crafter333 · 09-23-2005, 02:30 PM

I'm not sure that we can ascribe these human attributes (of forgetfulness), to God. It's an anthropomorphism.

God "forgets" our sins, in that he doesn't hold them against us, and there may be some divine "slate" that he wipes clean (our record of works), but to say that he "forgets", is a statement given to humans, in human language, to make us understand that he does not hold our sins against us, or "remember" them, as a judge would "remember" your offense in court.

Just my feelings on the issue.

InGodsWill · 09-23-2005, 02:31 PM

This may offer even more discussion, but shows that the omniscience does not forget.

2 Cor. 5:10
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

rheo · 09-24-2005, 04:08 PM

I agree that saying that God just forgets it is wacky theology, but I don't think that saying "God chooses to forget" is assiging human attributes to God. We certainly can't do that.

J.W4Christ · 09-24-2005, 08:01 PM

What I learned is that God did not really forget our sins. What he means is that he won't brought it up again.

Like you forgive and forget your friend's mistakes, you still remember your friend's mistake but to forget it means not to bring it out again.

ChrisHarbison · 09-25-2005, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by J.W4Christ

What I learned is that God did not really forget our sins. What he means is that he won't brought it up again.

Like you forgive and forget your friend's mistakes, you still remember your friend's mistake but to forget it means not to bring it out again.

Exactly. If I forget how to do something, then I am physically unable to bring to mind what is necessary to perform that action. I don't think God loses the ability to bring to mind an action performed by his creation. I think God "forgets" it the same way we use the phrase "forget about it" in reference to when a friend's wronged us - we consider it as having never happened and do not hold them in guilt.

guitarczar · 09-25-2005, 10:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Link H

Does God Forgive, But Not Forget?

I have heard it taught that God literally forgets our sins after He forgives them. Is this Biblical?

When David confessed His sin with Bathsheba, God forgave the guilt of His sin, but then proceeded to warn him, through a prophet, that because he had done this, various terrible things would happen to him that were fulfilled in Absolom's rebellion.

May I add that even though he forgives and forgets (used in a loose manner) he does not necessarily take away the consequences of our sin. In fact, we can be forgiven completely and deal with the consequences of our past sins for years. I can personally attest to that from my own experiences.

**adamwagg** · 09-25-2005, 11:08 PM

I have always thought that it refers to teh following

- God chooses to forget. He decides to not bring it to mind, so that it has no further impact on our dealings with God.

The consequences on this earth are still there.

Bryan · 09-25-2005, 11:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by J.W4Christ

What I learned is that God did not really forget our sins. What he means is that he won't brought it up again.

Like you forgive and forget your friend's mistakes, you still remember your friend's mistake but to forget it means not to bring it out again.

But the thing is, God does remember our sin, it's just that he pours out his wrath on his Son when remembering the elect's sin. Let's not forget why God is able to forgive mankind.