Blessed With The Ability To Forget

Blessed with the Ability to Forget

Philippians 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Jeremiah 31:34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

Hebrews 10:17 And their sins and iniquities

will I remember no more.

Micah 7:19 He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

Matthew 6:9-15 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. 14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:

15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

James 2:13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

Isaiah 43:18-19 Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.

19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

Isaiah 43:25 I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.

Often we complain about our forgetfulness but forgetting plays a major part in living a Christian life. Let’s see where forgetting is a blessing. “Blessed with the Ability to Forget”

I. THINGS IN OUR PAST THAT WE NEED TO FORGET.

A. Some need to forget past successes. These could lead to pride and give us a feeling that we have already “attained” the goal. So keep your pride forgotten and keep serving the Lord.

B. Some need to forget past failures. Satan can, and will, use your past mistakes to cause you to give up serving Christ.

C. All of us need to forget past grievances.

II. ALL OF US NEED TO FORGET OUR FEARS.

365 times in His Word God tells us to “fear not”. It is an act of unbelief for the Christian to fear anything that God has told us not to fear. Jesus told us not to fear the future: "So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:34 NASB).

Hebrews 13:5-6 I will never leave you nor forsake you.

The Lord is my helper; I will not fear what can man do to me.

Jesus told us not to fear the storms of life. Mark says, Now a great windstorm developed and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was nearly swamped. But He was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. They awakened Him and said to Him, "Teacher, don’t you care that we’re perishing?"

So He got up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace Be Still!" Then the wind stopped and it became perfectly calm.

With Christ in our boat, we have nothing to fear.

Paul tells us not to fear death: O death , where is your victory ? O death , where is your sting?" Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." (Psalm 23:4).

We need not fear the judgment to come: Romans 5:20-21.

"…But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Judgment holds no fear for the blood-bought believer.

The blood of Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son

cleanses the true believer from all sin (1 John 1:9).

Illustration – At summer camp a young boy didn’t have much spending money. One of his few, enjoyments was a box of Chiclets. One day he had a packet, and after chewing a few, he placed the remainder under his pillow. Later that day he went to get them and the box was gone. As he was leaving the cabin, a boy walked by holding a box of chiclets and giving him a “what are you going to do about it” look. His camp counselor saw how down he was. He told him what had happened and he said, “We just need to teach him a lesson don’t we?”