Hebrews 8:12 “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”
Forgiveness goes hand in hand with forgetting. One cannot forgive from the heart, but refuse to forget the offence suffered. When God forgives us our sins, He chooses to no longer remember them as an act of His will, for notice in the above quoted passage of scripture that God the Father says “I will” remember their sins no more.
Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things.”
We are to follow our Father’s example, and when we forgive someone we are also to no longer remember that offence. Forgiveness is an act of our will, and forgetting is an act of our will as well. Our minds will think about whatever we allow them to think about. The above quoted passage of scripture teaches us what to think about, so clearly God expects us to control our thought life.
Romans 8:5 “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the spirit, the things of the spirit.”
Once we have forgiven someone, then we are to consciously refuse to think about that incident ever again. And it goes without saying that we are also to never mention the incident again. This takes discipline, because the flesh will want to think about the suffered wrong. But our spirits on the other hand, will not think about it at all. The key therefore, as counselled by the Holy Spirit in the above quoted passage of scripture, is to set your minds on the things of the spirit.
Revelation 12:10 “Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.”
Satan also wants to keep reminding us about past wrongs suffered, because he knows that if he can get us to think his accusing thoughts that he can keep us in unforgiveness. The above quoted passage of scripture refers to Satan as the accuser of the brethren. Your spirit and the Holy Spirit on the other hand, will never bring that suffered wrong to your attention again. They have both forgotten about it. And so, if you find your mind thinking about that particular offence that has been committed, then you know exactly where that thought is coming from. It is either coming from the flesh or from demonic spirits.
2 Corinthians 10:4-5 “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, (5) casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.”
As revealed to us in the above quoted passage of scripture, God has given us the weapons to deal with thoughts that are contrary to the word of God. As believers, we are to take authority over every thought that enters our mind by bringing those thoughts into captivity to the obedience of Christ. And so, if you find yourself thinking about the wrong committed for which you have already forgiven someone, then rebuke that thought and replace it with the word of God, i.e. love thinks no evil (1 Corinthians 13:5). You will find that as you do this, those thoughts will occur less and less frequently, till they eventually stop altogether. This particular truth is obviously applicable to all our thought life, including every sinful thought that may drop into our minds from time to time.
Michael E.B. Maher
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