FORGIVING MEANS FORGETTING...

The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust. (Psalm 103:8-14)

What mercy is shown in this passage!  What a wonderful God we have, that after all we have done against Him, can speak these comforting words to His people!  As far as the east is from the west he has removed our transgressions!  Brethren if our Lord has done this, then surely we can do this for others!  

All of us have been hurt in our lives.  All of us have hurt someone else in our lives.  This is an experience common to all sinners.  Oftentimes we hear the words said, "I forgive him but I cannot forget what he did".  In some ways this person is right.  They cannot forgive.  This is not possible for the natural man or the old man in us.  Indeed, it is impossible. But hear these precious words from our dear Lord Jesus, "With man it is impossible, for God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26) This may be many things, but it is not forgiveness.  Forgiveness means forgetting.  The Lord himself tells us this when he said, "I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins." (Isa 43:25) "For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more." (Heb. 8:12)  This is the very essence of forgiveness.  It means no longer recalling or reminding the person you have forgiven of the past offense.

Brethren do we imagine that when we are in heaven, that God will keep reminding us of our sins, or hold some inner resentment of them in his heart?  To refuse to forget means you have really refused to forgive.  All forgiveness is based on God's forgiveness of His people, by the precious sacrifice of Christ.  If Christ took our punishment for us, which brought about the complete and full forgiveness from our most holy God, who are we to hold someone's offense over them?  "But if ye forgive men not their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."  (Matt. 6:15)

To not forgive makes us a prisoner to our own hate and anger.  "For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God." (James 1:20) Do we think an injustice has been done to us?  Do we not then forget by thinking that when we sin, which we do continually, an injustice was done to God?  Was an injustice done to the most holy and beloved Son of God because of you and I?  What right then, do we have to be angry with anyone after what we were guilty of before the Lord forgave us?  No matter how right we may think we are in a matter, our anger cannot produce righteousness.  It only produces sin.  It is the Old Man in us manifesting itself.  Sinning puts us in bondage again.  It removes our joy in Christ for the moment of that anger.  It hurts us, spiritually, physically and mentally.  Where Christ has forgiven us, there is no more guilt or anger.  Similarly, where we have forgiven others, there can be no more guilt or anger.  If we have sinned, there is a simple recourse given to us in scripture - confess the sin.  "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (I John 1:9)  Indeed, Lewis B. Smedes was right when he said:

To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.

If we still feel guilt, it is because either we have not accepted the forgiveness God has promised to give us or because we have not asked the person who we have hurt to forgive us.  It is a lack of faith in God. But suppose that person is our enemy?  Then what?  The scriptures are clear:

Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.  (Matt. 5:38-48)

May the Lord use these great words to our hearts and bless us with them.