"I, am He, who blots out your sins, for my own sake, and remember your sins no more." Isaiah 43:25
It’s miraculous what happens with the power of the Atonement, as the love of the Savior literally lifts our heavy burdens, lightens the dark, and unbinds the chains that once had a tight grip.
We remember our sins, because that helps us not to make the same mistakes, twice. It also allows us to be empathetic to others who may be struggling. I really hate it when I sin and I try to do better each day. I'm grateful for the promise that the Lord will remember my/our sins no more. This is possible through the power of the Atonement, the power from which true pure cleansing can take place. Which is why repentance must be done in the manner from which the Lord has designed, because He is the one who set the standard for Atonement.
The story is told about a retired detective. He had spent his whole life solving problems and had nothing to show for his hard work. He stated that “nothing has less value then solved problems.” He went on to explain that once the problem is solved, it is boxed up and forgotten, never to be talked about again, as if it never existed. This is exactly how the Lord handles our sins. Once they are repented of, or “solved”, they have no value. They are boxed up and forgotten, never to be remembered again.
The phrase "sea of forgetfulness" is not actually in Scripture. When people mention the sea of forgetfulness, they are referring to several passages that talk about God’s forgiveness, and how when we are justified in Christ, God forgets our sins so completely, they might as well be buried at the bottom of an ocean.
The main passage that contains the idea of a sea of forgetfulness is Micah 7:19: “He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.” Another verse, Isaiah 1:18, says that God will make our scarlet sins, as white as wool. Psalm 103:12 expresses the thought in yet another way: “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”
A sea of forgetfulness represents a place where our sins are sent so very far away from us, they can no longer condemn us. It does not mean that we, as believers, no longer sin. Further, forgiveness does not automatically give us a license to sin. If we love God, we will have no desire to sin against Him. It only means that our sins no longer have any bearing on our salvation. God's Word says that Jesus’ perfect life, sacrificial death, and glorious resurrection is the only means by which we are saved (Acts 4:12). When we trust in Christ, we come under a new paradigm. Our salvation is secure (Romans 8:1, 31–39).
Spiritual growth requires that we recognize when we sin and then ask God to forgive us and others we may have hurt, if we need to. I thank God for His total forgiveness for all, that is found in Jesus Christ, and that I can rest in that forgiveness.
Many people do not believe they require salvation. They believe they are good enough to reach heaven on their own merit, and they do not accept the truth about their own fallen state. Scripture says these people are deceived, and they do not have a relationship with God (1 John 1:8, 10). Every person needs God’s forgiveness and salvation—a relationship based on dependence on His grace and promises. If we admit that we are sinners and trust in Christ, He forgives and cleanses us (1 John 1:9). Our sins are no longer part of the equation and will not be remembered (Jeremiah 31:34; Hebrews 8:12).
YOU NEVER HAVE TO EARN GOD'S LOVE. YOU ALREADY HAVE IT.
