INTRODUCTION

Most people are familiar with the phrase forgive and forget, yet likely not that familiar that its origin is the Bible. Jeremiah 31:34And 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.
See All... refers to a condition yet to be enjoyed by the Jewish people in the kingdom established on this earth following the second coming. Some of these benefits are already enjoyed by the born-again child of God. In this verse, the Lord says that He “will forgive their iniquity, and . . . will remember their sin no more.” Notice that God said He will not only forgive but also forget. What a day that will be! True forgiveness also forgets the transgression. To claim that someone is forgiven and still remains accountable for a wrongdoing suggests that he was never actually forgiven. It is important to note that God’s forgiveness and forgetfulness is not based upon what a person deserves, but an act of God’s mercy (Hebrews 8:11-12 [11] And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. [12] For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
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DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS

• (For children): Joseph's brothers cruelly treated him. When they asked for forgiveness, he was willing to forgive them and treated them kindly (Genesis 50:17So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him.
  See All..., 21). Because of Joseph’s close relationship with God, Joseph forgave them even before they asked. Notice what Joseph named his firstborn son and what the name means (Genesis 41:51And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house.
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• (For everyone):  How is forgiveness tied to forgetting? Can something truly be forgiven if it is not also forgotten? Can we truly forgive others if we will not forget the wrong that they did to us?
• If you are saved, what does the fact that God has forgiven and forgotten your sins mean to you? Can those sins ever be brought up again if God has chosen to forget them?

PRAYER NEEDS

• Thank the Lord that He forgives and forgets.
• Ask the Lord to help you learn to forgive and forget.

HYMN

ARE YOU WASHED IN THE BLOOD?

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