"DOESN'T REMEMBER"

The minister of a church in Tulsa, Oklahoma carried the burden of a secret sin he had committed many years before. He had repented but still had no sense of God’s forgiveness.

In his church was a woman who claimed to have visions in which she spoke with God and He with her. However, the minister was skeptical. To test her he said; “The next time you speak with God, I want you to ask him what sin your minister committed while he was in bible college.” The woman agreed.

A few days later the minister asked, “Well, did God visit you in your dreams?”

“Yes He did," she replied.

“And did you ask Him what sin I committed in bible college?”

“Yes," she replied.

The minister asked, "What did God tell you about my sin?"

“He said He doesn't remember."

Regrettably, there are many Christians who rob themselves of the joy of God's immense grace and forgiveness by hanging onto the guilt from previous sins. Instead of experiencing the jubilant delight of God forgiving our sins and that includes all sins, some of us just cannot seem to accept God "doesn't remember" our sins after confessing them. Again, God wants to forgive us and for us to be happy about his forgiveness. (Psalms 51:8)

Yes, some people are addicted to feeling bad. They feel "their sin" was so bad it cannot be true that God would forgive them.?Others feel "their sin" must be punished in some form before they can give up the guilt.?News flash; Unlike our mothers and fathers when we were growing up, the Heavenly Father doesn't use corporal punishment. Instead of God wearing out our rear ends with a switch, He uses compassion, mercy and grace to give us clemency for our sins.

Whether the sin is adultery, abortion, prostitution, cold blooded murder or any of thousands of other sins, God forgives them all if you trust Jesus and confess your sins to Him.

Salt down this fact about God's forgiveness leading these Bible sinners to be Bible saints:

A man confesses that he gave his wife to another man to sleep with. Yet another plotted with his mistress to kill her husband. Another murdered a man and is still on the run from the law. One is a prostitute. Another has a lifestyle marked by violence – he even killed people to impress a girlfriend and his prospective father-in-law. Yet another confesses that he cheated his brother out of his inheritance.

Abraham is the man who gave his wife to sleep with another; David is the one who plotted to have his mistress’ husband killed. Moses is the one who murdered an Egyptian and was never brought to account for it. Rahab was the prostitute. Samson is the man whose life was marked by violence and who killed to impress his girlfriend. Jacob is the person who cheated his brother out of his inheritance.

God made saints out of sinners who committed murder, lived a life of sex for money and a litany of other sinful behaviors. He not only forgave them of their sins but used them for His will. God wants you to be joyous about His washing away your sins regardless of what sins they were. (1 John 1:9) Remember, God wanted to forgive us so bad, He sent His Son Jesus to die so we could be forgiven. We do not have to worry about God grading on a curve as Jesus made it a simple pass or fail.

The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin, (1 John 1:7) so we do not need to go digging where God has buried our sins. Once we confess our sins, God doesn't remember them anymore so why would we want to?

Merciful and Forgiving Father, thank You for your abundant love, mercy, grace and forgiveness. Thank You for making it so easy to ask You for forgiveness and reassure our thick skulls we do not have to ask but one single time. In fact Lord, tattoo it on our brain we don't need to confess our sins a thousand times but we need to confess them once and thank You a thousand times for forgiving them while we rejoice, dance and sing "This Little Light of Mine, I'm gonna let it shine, shine, shine."