There are three important words that I would like to open up my heart and talk about in this HEART TALK. I was sitting in church on Wednesday evening when the Holy Spirit clearly spoke these words into my spirit. They are: FORGIVEN...FORGOTTEN and FOREVER. I will speak of each of them briefly, and in the same order.
FORGIVENESS
This preacher is convinced of several things that relate to forgiveness that I believe very few really understand. First, I doubt that we really understand the full depth of the meaning of God's forgiveness. God doesn't forgive piecemeal, or on a graduated scale as we somehow merit further forgiveness. A look at a portion of one of the psalms of David should help.
"The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide (margin, scold or find fault): neither will he keep (hold on to) his anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us." (Psalm 103:8-12 KJV)
Please...please...STOP and slowly analyze these verses...word by word...phrase by phrase. Forgiveness must be understood from the perspective of ABSOLUTENESS. From the cross, Jesus simply said: "Father, forgive them; they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34 KJV). Jesus spoke deliberately and with a tone of absoluteness and finality in His voice. Thank God that Jesus recognized that people really don't know what they are doing. We're really not as smart as we think. Jesus knew that "the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41 KJV). What if we could see forgiveness from God's perspective? Two things would happen (1) We would accept God's grace and not let Satan browbeat us constantly, keeping us from effectively growing and serving Christ -- in spite of our imperfections. And, (2) we would see others through Jesus' eyes and not be so hard on them in their imperfect state. Paul's approach to his own struggles seems to fit here -- "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin" (Romans 7:24-25 KJV).
Several things leap from Paul’s confession:
-HE SAW HIMSELF AS A WRETCHED MAN!
“Deeply afflicted, dejected, or distressed…miserable…woeful…grievous” (Webster’s Concise Family Dictionary)
-HE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT HE NEEDED DELIVERANCE.
-HE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT IT WOULD ONLY BE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD – OR BECAUSE OF HIS SACRIFICE FOR SINS – THAT HE COULD POSSIBLY HOPE FOR DELIVERANCE.
-PAUL CLEARLY ADMITTED THAT HE WAS IN A STRUGGLE – AS WE ALL ARE – A STRUGGLE BETWEEN HIS MIND WHICH DESIRED TO SERVE GOD AND HIS FLESH WHICH CLEARLY SERVED THE LAW OF SIN.
-PAUL DESIRED TO SERVE CHRIST, AND DID IT TO THE BEST OF HIS ABILITY, BUT, THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT HIS FLESH OFTEN GOT THE UPPER HAND AND HE CAME SHORT OF GOD’S EXPECTATIONS FOR HIM.
It is absolutely vital to living the victorious life, growing in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ our Lord, that we:
ACCEPT GOD’S FORGIVENESS
SEE OURSELVES, NOT AS PERFECT, BUT FORGIVEN REFUSE TO ACCEPT SATAN’S LIES and REFUSE TO BE DOWN ON OURSELVES or ALLOW OTHERS TO CAUSE US TO BE GUILT-RIDDEN
We know who we are in Christ. We know our imperfections. We know that God has a higher standard and we desire that. We also know that we’re saved. We also know that we are being saved. We know that one day we will finally attain God’s goal of perfection. We will finally be saved, saved from “the world, the flesh and the devil.” One day we will finally take on the perfection that Christ purchased for us through His suffering and ultimate death.
WE AREN’T THERE YET!
WE WILL EVENTUALLY GET THERE!
WE WILL PRESS ON TOWARD THE MARK, FOR THE PRIZE OF THE HIGH CALLING OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS!
Therefore, let us accept what Christ purchased for us on the cross. Let’s join Paul in admitting that we have the same struggles that he had. Let’s not allow the Pharisees among us to put a guilt trip on us, and let’s not go around seeing everyone as “the publican” while we beat our chest about our own higher level of spirituality. The facts simply do not bear out evidence of anyone’s claim to having attained to the stature of the fullness of Christ.
FORGOTTEN
That God FORGETS what He forgives is a truth that doesn’t get enough recognition as one of the really important doctrines of the Word of God. David waxes eloquent in describing just how great God’s mercy is toward us – “as high as the heaven is above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him” (Psalm 103:11 KJV). He takes the thought further – “as far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us” (v. 12).
Since there is no east or west pole, it is clear that our transgressions have been totally removed from God’s mind and three is no record kept of them. ONLY PEOPLE KEEP RECORDS OF OTHER PEOPLE’S TRANSGRESSIONS, AND CHRISTIANS MAY BE THE WORST PERPETRATORS. Realistically, it is not wrong to believe that those who fit this description really don’t care what Jesus said – “And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any: tht your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 11:25, 26 KJV).
CHRIST IS OUR EXAMPLE AND OUR TEACHER. What part of what He said do we not understand? How dare we not DO IT THE WAY JESUS DID IT AND THE WAY HE TAUGHT IT? Hard? Indeed it is very difficult for the flesh to forgive. Impossible? No! Not if we are prepared to obey the teachings of Christ.
There are some powerful words in Psalm 130 that really fit well at this point in this message. Note:
“If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared (margin, reverenced).” (Psalm 130-3-4 KJV)
The Prophet Isaiah really establishes the fact that God is good at forgetting our sins – “Behold, for peace I had great bitterness; but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.” (Isaiah 38:17 KJV)
WHERE DO SINS GO? Behind God’s back…out of His sight…as far as the east is from the west…TO BE REMEMBERED AGAINST US NO MORE. GOD FORGETS WHAT HE HAS FORGIVEN! This truth is the very heart and soul of the Word of God…what GRACE and MERCY provide for us every moment of every day.
FOREVER
This final point has been carried in the background through this very important message. God is not like the woman that agreed to “bury the hatchet” but tagged her saying with, “But I left the handle sticking out so I would know where to go just in case I need it.” GOD DOESN’T PLAY GAMES WITH THE GRACE, MERCY, AND FORGIVENESS ISSUE…AND HIS FORGIVENESS COST TOO MUCH FOR US TO PLAY GAMES WITH IT! At no time in this message has this preacher had the intent of justifying sins. All I’ve done is tell you what God’s Word says…”for there is no man that sinneth not” (1 Kings 8:46 KJV).
I have told you that God knows that the flesh is weak and that every man and woman struggles and falls into Satan’s trap. I have also told you that God does not cast us away, does not retain His anger toward us, BUT IS PLENTEOUS IN MERCY. GOD’S FORGIVENESS IS AN ONGOING PART OF HOW HE EXPRESSES HIS LOVE TO US. Thank God for His grace and His mercy, otherwise none of us could ever hope to ultimately stand in His presence…FINALLY CHANGED FROM CORRUPTIBLE TO INCORRUPTION, FOR MORTAL TO IMMORTALITY.
IN CONCLUSION
Where Do Sins Go?
A little boy asked his teacher where marks on the blackboard go once they are erased. “They just disappear” she answered. “But where,” he pressed her. “They just vanish!” The boy persisted, “But where do they go?” Impatiently the teacher said, “They are blotted out.”
Have you ever wondered where our sins go once they are forgiven? It has been determined that man can live some 40 days without food, approximately 3 days without water, 8 minutes without air, but not a minute without hope. We need to know our sins are forgiven and to have the hope of Heaven. WHERE DO SINS GO ONCE WE HAVE ASKED GOD’S FORGIVENESS AND HAVE BEEN BORN AGAIN? “They are buried in the depths of the sea!” (Micah 7:19 KJV) – BLOTTED OUT!
A boy who had recently become a Christian could not contain himself in class and even burst out with, “Hallelujah” from time to time. The teacher asked that he stop disturbing the class. He told her that since his conversion, certain things in his book reminded him of what had happened, causing him to praise the Lord.
This kind of joy will fill us – and often erupt from deep within us – when we contemplate the miracle of sins forgiven, forgotten, and that FOREVER!