17 Then he adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.”
Once we have trusted the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross to take away our sins, God never takes them into account when He thinks about us. I know some people who always remember the other person’s faults when they think about them. In fact, that is the first thing that comes into their minds. They never get over or past the sin of the other. Sometimes this is an actual survival mechanism. For some remembering saved their lives. They were able to flee abuse and violence. They survived. We sometimes hear a story in the news about a death-row inmate who has become a Christian, and is using remaining their time here on earth as preparation for eternity. They are writing letters, not to judges, the press, or their lawyers, but to the families of those they hurt. They are not trying to reverse the court’s decision, but trying to live in such a way that their life and testimony match. Because from God’s perspective, those sins, no matter how heinous, have already been forgiven by God. These inmates are working to help with the process of earthly forgiveness. They recognize that earthly justice needs to take place and at the same time recognize that heavenly justice has already taken place. Their sins are forgiven in heaven and they are not taken into account. They willingly serve their earthly sentence, knowing that heaven awaits. They find freedom in prison and they learn to live free. Some of us who are not behind bars need to learn an important lesson from those who are. We need to live our lives in the true freedom that comes from knowing that our sins are forgiven, that God no longer considers us guilty, that whatever payment needed to take place to make things right, that payment has already been made and accepted in full. We can live free. You are forgiven.
The Arnold Journey 