Someone once said that memory is a way of holding onto the things we love, the things we are and the things we never want to lose. Memories have more to do with moments than with days or years, and consequently, rarely give us a realistic perspective. For example, by only remembering the pleasures associated with sin, rather than the brokenness that accompanied that pleasure, we cloud the rose-colored glasses with the pinkest possible hue. Memories can be bad or good. As Christians, we often carry too many memories of our sinful pasts. When God gives us new lives in Him, we should forget the actions of the old man who has been left dead in his sins and focus on the new man. Del Tackett, the creator of “The Truth Project,” shared this statement in one of the lessons:
“We often forget what we should remember, and remember what we should forget.”
History tells us to “Remember the Alamo” and “Remember the Maine,” but after many generations have passed, we have forgotten those events. Certainly, most alive today remember 9/11, but someday, that will be forgotten, as well. As history repeats itself, by focusing upon the past, we can learn lessons. Unfortunately, most of us have great difficulty in learning lessons from the experiences of others and must learn lessons the hard way, through the “school of hard knocks.” The Greek word “ginosko” points to that experiential knowledge. As Christians, we first should remember that God remembers His promises! Consequently, we should remember those promises and stand firmly upon them. We also should remember God’s faithfulness, His goodness, His blessings, and the miracles He has worked in our lives. Additionally, we should remember who we are in Jesus Christ, and especially, we should remember the cross, the person, place and moment that gave us life and made our lives worth living. Especially in the midst of battle, we should remember God’s promise of Satan’s future! God tells His people to remember.
Just as God parted the waters of the Red Sea during the exodus of the Jews to the Promised Land, He also parted the waters of the Jordan River to ease their passage. God gave the Jews specific instructions concerning that event:
4 Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the children of Israel, one man from every tribe; 5 and Joshua said to them: “Cross over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of the Jordan, and each one of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, 6 that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ 7 Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.”
Joshua 4:4-7
Those stones today are forgotten, and needless to say, most Jews have forgotten the miracle God performed in their lives that day. In the same manner, after giving them the Law, He commanded them to pass down those Laws and stories to the next generations. At Passover, that is the point of the Seder, to remind those who did not directly experience His hand of salvation what God did to save them, as well. For if God had allowed the Jews to be destroyed that day, they still would be gone! Psalm 78 emphasizes what occurs when we forget God’s personal and miraculous accomplishments in our lives.
What should we forget? Certainly, our sins are at the top of that list. If God can forget those sins, why do we keep dredging them up? There is a benefit in the healthy reminder of who we used to be before that knowledge of Jesus Christ changed us in the twinkling of an eye. Yet the memory of that sin should not be a burden to weigh us down. Let go and let God! In the same manner, we should forget the sins of others.
“Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
Luke 6:37
We need to let past mistakes go! One of the titles of Satan is the “accuser of the brethren.” (Revelation 12:10) Because that title describes his actions, we should not mimic Satan when dealing with self or others. Jesus has forgiven us, and also forgiven our Christian brothers and sisters.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9
If your past is weighing you down, God is not the one placing that burden on your shoulders. When Satan reminds you of your past, remind him of his future! Remember what you are to remember and forget what you are to forget!
And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Ephesians 4:32
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