i was chatting to my buddy rob today about a talk he heard where the guy said ‘when God forgives your sin, He forgets about it completely and it’s like it never happened’

and i don’t think that’s precisely true. i think the point is that despite not forgetting about your sin (if God is all knowing then surely He still remembers that you did sin) He chooses to treat you and regard you as if you had not sinned (if you have repented and received forgiveness) and i think that is a more exciting and overwhelming thing

if i hurt my wife – the beautiful Val – by dropping a scaffolding on her car for example (almost a true story) then if she was to develop amnesia and forget that the whole incident happened she would treat me as if i hadn’t done anything wrong (and to her i wouldn’t have) BUT, if she, knowing and remembering that i dropped a scaffolding on her car, still chooses to love me and forgive me and not hold it against me (not continually bringing it up and whining about it and using it against me) then that is a much bigger thing of greater significance and promises far greater relationship.

so i don’t want a God who is amnesious (it’s a word!) [now.] but a God who, despite knowing all the horrible things i have done and do – and all the amazing incredible things i fail to do – still chooses to love me and call me His son and treat me as if i hadn’t and never hold that sin against me (again, assuming i have confessed and repented and accepted the free gift of Jesus dealing with the sin in my place) then that is just a mind-blowing thing

and that has to compel me to go and do likewise…