What God Forgets
Does God forget? It seems like an easy enough question. Straight forward and fair. I think our gut responses and the way we were taught would say, "of course not, he is God, and if God is God how could he forget?" And honestly that's what most of us not only think, but what we probably hope as well. If God can forget, then it opens up the door to all kinds of things he could forget. Will he forget to provide? Or to protect? Or to lead?
Will he forget me?
As much as we may wish that God did or didn't forget anything, Scripture would tell us that he does. Multiple times Scripture tells us that God does forget. He ceases to remember. In fact it is God himself who brings up his own forgetting. But each time he mentions what he forgets, it is always the same thing:
"I will remember their sin no more." Jeremiah 31:34
"I will not remember your sins." Isaiah 43:25
"And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins." Hebrews 8:12
Somewhere along the way I picked up the notion that God remembers all things. This was meant to comfort me. But the truth is, is that God does forget and that truth has become the greatest comfort to my soul. Because I am a sinner. If God were to remember the innumerable times I have loved other things before him I would be hopelessly lost.
But God does forget, and he forgets for our sake. God is all-knowing, and yet in his mercy has chosen to remember our sins no more. To forget our sin. To not hold them over our heads. To put our sins on Christ and to put on us his righteousness, so that we can stand spotless and blameless before him. To forget them as though they were never committed. But because they have been committed, a debt is owed that must be paid to win for us this forgetting.
And so Christ has taken the punishment.
Christ has washed your blemishes.
Christ has paid the debt.
Christ has clothed you anew in his own right-standing with God.
And because of this your sins are remembered no more because they have been made no more.
So yes, God forgets. He forgets your sins. But take heart beloved, he does not forget you.
Remember these things, O Jacob, and Israel, for you are my servant;
I formed you; you are my servant; O Israel, you will not be forgotten by me.
I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like mist;
return to me, for I have redeemed you. [Isaiah 44:21-22]