Forgetting To Remember And Remembering To Forget

“That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments.” – Psalm 78:7

Ever since we were young we have repeatedly heard these all too familiar words, “Don’t forget your lunch,” or “Remember to pick up some milk on the way home.” These are minor exhortations in comparison with how Scripture uses the words remember and forget. Let’s take a look at a few passages.

“…forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before” (Philippians 3:13b).

“Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments…” (Deuteronomy 8:11a).

“…this do in remembrance of me” (I Corinthians 11:24).

“Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance” (II Peter 1:13).

When Scripture tells us not to forget the Lord, it is simply stating in negative terms to remember; and when it tells us to remember Him, it is simply saying in a positive way, not to forget. Depending upon what the Lord wishes to emphasize, a negative or positive statement can be employed. We must take these words ever so seriously because they are words of warning and thus have consequences if not obeyed.

There are many things in life that God wants us to forget. For instance, we must forget those things that have caused us bitterness and dragged us down. The word forget in such passages does not mean that our memory bank has been erased, but it means that forgiveness has occurred and you daily remember to forget the hurt because you have released it to the Lord’s grace. When our Lord tells us that our sins and iniquities He will remember no more, it is not to be taken to mean that He has no recollection but that He will no longer hold those against us.

When Scripture speaks of remembering, it does not mean that we have forgotten. But it does means that our focus is blurred. When our Lord says, “Do this in remembrance of me,” He is not suggesting that we have no recollection of His death but that other things have gotten in the way and dulled our appreciation. So we can’t forget to remember what the Lord has done for us at Calvary.

This is why in Deuteronomy 8 He is concerned that when Israel has built nice homes and when silver and gold has increased, they will forget who delivered them from bondage. In this case material gain was the potential culprit that could replace the Lord as number one.

In the midst of daily living, do we ever look back and remember what the Lord has done? Unfortunately America has an unstated motto, “What have you done for me lately?” which has bled into our spiritual lives. Yes Christ died for my sins, but what has He done for me lately carries over into our present state of affairs. So what has He done lately? While you go about your life, your every breath is sustained by Him. He not only saved you, but is saving you and will ultimately save you. So there you have it, past, present, and future. So let’s remember to forget who we were in Adam and never forget to remember who we are in Christ. That’s the way I see things.