The Forgetfulness of God
Opening Prayer
God, help me to understand just how completely forgiven I am. My sin is gone, as if it never happened.
Read Hebrews 10:11–18
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. 14 For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
15 The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says:
16 “This is the covenant I will make with them
after that time, says the Lord.
I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them on their minds.”
17 Then he adds:
“Their sins and lawless acts
I will remember no more.”
18 And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
What position and posture do you find best for Bible reading and prayer?There’s a lot about posture in this passage—and that’s no accident. The priest stands in the Temple because he has work to do, and he has to keep standing because his work is never finished. He has to keep on offering sacrifices for sin because they can never do away with sin once for all.
But Jesus is not standing in heaven. Jesus is sitting at God’s right hand. And he’s seated because, unlike the earthly priest, his work is done. Indeed, he’s waiting to take up another position. He’s waiting for the time when (in typical Old Testament language) he can use his enemies as his footstool. And that will happen because of the once-for- all nature of what he has done.
So complete is what he has done that he has brought the new covenant into being, and he has so completely forgiven our sins that his Father has completely forgotten them!
Apply
If there are particular sins that are bothering you, confess them now. Know that they are forgiven and forgotten.
Closing prayer
Thank you, Father God, that You have completely forgotten all of my sins and mistakes. What freedom!
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