Jesus Forgives and Forgets

Praise the Lord there is mercy in heaven,
In that land where the sun never sets.
For the Savior forgives, not as mortals,
But our Jesus forgives and forgets.

Chorus:
He forgives and forgets,
He forgives and forgets.
Not as mortals forgive one another,
But our Jesus forgives and forgets.

When we bowed at the footstool of mercy,
When we knocked on the door to get in,
Jesus not only freely did pardon,
But forgave and forgot every sin.

Oft we hear people say, “I’ll forgive you,
But I cannot forget if I tried.”
But our Savior’s own blood sealed our ransom,
To forgive and forget He had died.

When our Book shall be opened for judgment,
May we find there no record of debts.
We’ll not fear if our sins have been pardoned,
For our Jesus forgives and forgets.

I was reminded of this hymn recently while attending the New Hope Crisis Pregnancy Center annual dinner in Cleveland.  A volunteer at New Hope shared her personal testimony of how she received forgiveness from God regarding the decision to have an abortion at the age of 17.  She talked about the pain and guilt she felt for many years regarding that decision, but also testified as to how she felt God’s forgiveness while in a Bible study.  The passage of Scripture that impacted her is found in Isaiah 43:25 which reads “I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.”  The Lord is speaking in this passage and telling His people about how great His forgiveness is.  But He also told us that He not only forgives, but He forgets too.  This particular lady’s testimony at the New Hope Banquet was powerful, but even more powerful, is the great grace and forgiveness we all have received.  Psalm 103:11-12 reminds us “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”  I am grateful today for that kind of forgiveness, and forgetfulness, aren’t you?

Couple of comments on the lyrics:

• Not as mortals – I grow up in the 1970’s and as a kid was a big fan of Superheroes.  Every Saturday morning, my brothers and I would get up and watch cartoons about Superman, Batman, Aquaman, The Green Lantern, and many others.  These heroes were “no mere mortals.”  They had superpowers.  Powers like super-strength and X-ray vision.  Ability to swim underwater like a fish or fly through the air like a bird.  I thought these heroes were cool because they could do something us “mortals” could not do.   In regard to the “super-power” of forgiveness, I found a great verse that describes that power.  Micah 7:18 says “Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.”  However, this “super-power” is not just for God.  There are other verses that provide some admonition for us “mortals” regarding how we should forgive.  Jesus told us how to pray in Matthew 6 – “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”  He clarified the “how” we forgive in the following verses of Matthew 6 by saying “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”  In many ways, we are “mere mortals” who struggle with sinning.  How much more we probably struggle with forgiving and forgetting.  But the standard of forgiveness for all of us is clear.  It is to forgive as we have been forgiven – to forgive and forget.
• Sealed our ransom – You typically find the word “paid” with “ransom”, but not sealed.  I liked that thought so I decided to highlight a couple of verses that use these two specific words to illustrate this powerful Biblical truth.  Ephesians 1:13-14 (The Message) says “It’s in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this Message of your salvation), found yourselves home free — signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit. This signet from God is the first installment on what’s coming, a reminder that we’ll get everything God has planned for us, a praising and glorious life.”  Mark 10:45 says “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”  I also thought the Message translation of this verse was powerful too.  “Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not to be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for many who are held hostage.”  Aren’t you glad you no longer are a hostage to sin and death, but your ransom has been paid and you have been sealed?

How do you remember things?  Are you one that has an electronic gadget to remind you of appointments, birthdays or your anniversary?  Are you a calendar person – you keep track of everything on your trusty day timer?  Maybe you are like me – a “Post-it” note person.  I need those little yellow pieces of paper to help keep me somewhat organized.  Or how about the person that ties a string to their finger to help remind them?  Did you ever notice in the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life” that George’s uncle had about a half dozen strings tied to his fingers, but couldn’t remember to make the bank deposit?  We all use a variety of things to help us to remember.

Jesus, on the other hand, has reminders to forget.  You see, the wounds on His hands and feet are reminders of His forgiveness and sacrifice on the Cross, but they are also reminders to forget.  Reminders to forget our trespasses and our iniquities.  To forget those times when we have sinned against Him.  Reminders to keep His promise – His promise to forget.  His forgetfulness, however, is not because He has a bad memory or is distracted with too many things going on.  No, His forgetfulness is an extension of His great kindness and great mercy.  A compassionate Savior whose love and forgiveness is deep enough to “forgive and forget.”  That is a level of forgiveness that I hope we all can try to emulate to this lost and dying world.  I also hope that it is a forgiveness that we never forget.