Forgive and Forget
Jeremiah 31:31-34
Tuesday— December 6th
Forgive and forget. A noble goal, but that’ s not always the way it works in our world. A young woman who in a moment of anger betrayed her friend’ s secret to the whole class might wish that her friend would forgive and forget. A young man who stands in the courtroom because of one terrible decision might wish that the judge would forgive and forget. The problem is, it isn’ t likely to happen. One of the hardest facts about earthly living is that when people know our sins, they may never forget them. However, the worst consequence for our sin is not earthly punishment from earthly people. Instead, it is eternal punishment from an almighty God, who should rightfully send us to hell for each and every sin we have done.
As the Israelites sat in exile in Babylon, they had plenty of time to reflect on their sins. If only they hadn’ t worshipped idols again and again. If only they hadn’ t completely ignored God’ s Word spoken through his prophets. But they had done those things – and there was no way that a perfect God was going to forget about it. They deserved to lose not only their place in the Promised Land, but also their place in eternal life.
But instead of that, God sent the prophet Jeremiah to speak beautiful words of comfort to the Israelites, to you, to me, and to every person in the world who feels guilty for sin. Through Jeremiah God said,“ I will forgive their wickedness, and will remember their sins no more.” Because God sent Jesus to take the sins of the world upon himself and die for them on the cross, God considers the sins of his children to be really and truly gone. So far gone, it’ s as if he doesn’ t even remember what they were!
Let this be your comfort as you look back at a life which, like mine, is far too full of sins, regrets, and failures. Even if there are earthly consequences for your sins, even if there are people who will never forget what you’ ve done, in God’ s sight your sins have already been paid for and are blotted from his memory. Each morning when you wake up and each evening when you go to bed you are now righteous in Christ Jesus.
PRAYER:
Lord, thank you for your faithful love which forgives our wickedness and remembers our sins no more. Help us to live each day in the peace of your forgiveness, and show the same forgiveness to others in our lives. Amen.
ACTIVITY:
Have each person in the family write down a sin they’ ve done on a scrap of paper, fold it up, and put it into the bowl. Then light them on fire and let them burn completely to ashes. Because of Jesus, this is how God views our sins – they are so completely obliterated that he doesn’ t even see or remember them anymore.
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