Isaiah 43:25 I am the One who blots out your rebellious deeds; your sins I do not remember.
Psalm 103:12 says that as far as the East is from the West, so far has He removed our guilt. Isaiah 43:25 speaks of God not remembering our sins. Some people misinterpret these verses to mean that God erases all memory of our sins and that we should, likewise, “forgive and forget.” But that would negate parts of the Bible in which God reminds the nation of Israel of their former sins and rebellious acts – forgiven but not forgotten. It would ignore warnings from Proverbs and Jesus regarding showing caution toward fools and not throwing pearls before swine. If we have forgotten someone’s previous foolish behavior, how could we possibly heed these warnings?
‘Forgetting sins’ is meant in relationship to judgement and wrath but not in regards to remembering a person’s past behavior. When someone behaves in a hateful manner, we can forgive while remaining aware. Caution towards a person who committed an offense and wishing punishment on them are not the same. While forgiveness may restore a relationship, it does not negate many of the consequences of wrong deeds. A broken mirror is still broken, and an unwanted pregnancy remains. Broken trust, as well, must be slowly restored.
Forgiveness is a complex theme; no two wrongs are equal. We move forward in relationship with each person based on the degree of the offense. A simple mistake may eventually be completely forgotten, but actual abuse, though forgiven, should cause the victim caution. Depending on the level of abuse, wisdom might call for that relationship to be terminated. As well, it would be unwise to allow an abusive act, though forgiven, to remain unknown by others. This is often where churches get into murky waters. The actions of a person who has behaved improperly toward any child should not simply be forgotten. That would be dangerous for the victim and other children, while being negligent toward the abuser. Likewise, a church elder or government official who has stolen funds should not remain in a trusted position nor be allowed near any accounts of such institutions. This is not about forgiveness, rather wisdom regarding someone’s weakness. In reality, forgiveness is difficult and powerful because we do not completely forget. We know that a person committed a wrong, yet we choose to release them from condemnation. That act is healing and liberating, both for the forgiver and the forgiven: it is a conscious act of dynamic grace!
When God forgets our sins, they are forever removed from the ledger of debt we owe: gone, blotted out, erased. Yet, God doesn’t completely forget. God knows our weaknesses. Likewise, when we forgive it should be genuine and complete, yet never naive nor unwise. Attempting to forget that there was a problem is actually spiritual laziness and, at times, dangerous. Forgiving and working to restore trust require sincere prayer, grace, and massive inner strength.