Remember Their Sins No More by Bryan Craig
“I, I am He Who blots out your transgressions for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins.” Isaiah 43:25
Many of you know that I am a proud father of 4 daughters. They are one of the biggest blessings in my life, and the source of many of my prayer requests and concern as a loving Father. God even communicated to me in a unique way that I would be a father of 4 girls through an interesting passage in Acts 21 where Luke mentions “Philip, the evangelist,” one of the first Deacons, who had 4 daughters who had the gift of prophecy.
Missy and I were visiting my third daughter, Isabelle, who is a 4th grade teacher in Frisco, TX, and we went to meet her class. It was such a joy to see my daughter in her element, living out her giftings in this ministry to kids as a schoolteacher. The kids thought we were celebrities, which was funny, but what struck me was this. Many of the kids kept asking me to share stories of when Isabelle was bad or got into trouble. So strange that these little fourth graders, as much as they loved their teacher, somehow were fixated on finding the “dirt”. It’s kind of sad, but to me, it speaks to the fact that Satan, called the “prince of this world” has temporary access to our hearts and minds on this earth. He loves for us to look for the bad in others rather than the good.
As I was caught off guard by their question, I had to think how to respond. Yes, Isabelle made some mistakes. There were sins, there were offenses. I know there were, but I realized that in that moment, I could not remember them. I know that at one time, these things may have been a very big deal, but here, now, they were gone. All I felt was love and joy and pride in my daughter, the 4th Grade Influencer.
All of the sudden, I had a glimpse of my Father’s love for me. Isaiah 43:25 says he blots out our sins and remembers them no more. Psalm 103:12 ESV says,
“As far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us.”
This is another example of how being a Father has helped me understand The Father. The unconditional love I feel for my children is powerful, even though it’s not even a fraction of the Love our Heavenly Father has for us. He sent Jesus to show us Love, and it was Jesus who was asked about the greatest commandment, and said:
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40 ESV
God wants us to love others He way He loves us. He loves us so much that He is willing to forgive our sins and remember them no more.
It may be a bit easier to forgive the sins of my children, since I love them so much and they are an extension of me. BUT, as I pondered this further, I know God wants us to forgive others who have sinned against us. It’s in the Lord’s Prayer.
“Forgive us our sins, AS WE HAVE FORGIVEN THOSE WHO SIN AGAINST US.” Matthew 6:12 ESV
“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Matthew 6:14-15 ESV
This is a big deal and a high calling to the follower of Christ. We must forgive others the way He forgives us.
I’ve heard people say, “I can forgive, but I’ll never forget.” Well, I don’t think this is enough. I think He wants us to be like He is and “remember their sins no more.” Some of you may be thinking this is impossible, especially those who have suffered some horrible atrocities from others. And I’m sorry, and I feel for you. But let me remind you of the example I’ve heard many times. Unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting someone else to die. Unforgiveness is a sin. It is a hindrance to God’s blessings.
This is why we must Abide. As we Abide with Jesus, He fills us with His Spirit that has so much Love and goodness that it transforms our perspective. It changes our hearts. It turns us from hating and slandering those who have hurt us or offended us and causes us to pity them and pray for them. Rather than looking for the “dirt” like these little 4th graders or like the Enemy would like us to focus, we begin to look for the good. We begin to see people the way our Loving Father sees them, with all the potential that they possess.
One way I’ve discovered to test whether I’ve really forgiven someone is this. Am I saying I’ve forgiven them, but I’m still praying and wishing they would be taught a hard lesson? Or am I thinking good thoughts about them and wishing good things to come into their life? I can test my heart and know the difference.
So, if this word reaches you today and you are harboring unforgiveness in your heart, I pray you will let go of it. Ask God to forgive you for your unforgiveness. Ask Him to help you blot it out of your story so you can not be held captive by it any longer. Ask Him to give you the faith and the love to pray for that person.
A few years ago, I heard the story of a man whose Dad was killed in a car accident when he was a teenager. His Dad was riding with a co-worker with whom he carpooled to work. On the way home, his Dad’s co-worker fell asleep at the wheel and the car ran off the road and crashed, killing his Dad, but leaving the co-worker unharmed. The young man hated this co-worker who killed his Dad. At his Dad’s funeral, he would not even stand by the casket at the cemetery because he did not want to be near the man. Years later, this young man became an evangelist and was living in Hawaii and God moved on his heart in a strong way. God helped him see that he could not move forward in his life or ministry until he forgave this man whom he hated all these years. He got on a plane and flew to the Northwest and drove to the man’s place of business. He found him in the parking lot and approached him. He said, “I’m the son of the man who was in the car with you who died in that wreck.” The man was struck with shock and emotion. He went on to say. “I want to ask you forgiveness. I have hated you all these years, and I’m sorry. I realize it was an accident, and I haven’t been fair with you. Please forgive me.”
This man, his Dad’s former co-worker, had been carrying the burden of that day for years, unable to forgive himself for this mistake and the pain he cause this family. He crumbled in tears of relief and release as he embraced the young man. This young man traveled all the way from Hawaii to finally set him free. And now the young man was free as well! Beautiful.
This is God’s heart.
Perhaps there’s someone you need to set free. If so, be obedient to this higher calling, and you will find that this will be the key to your freedom as well.