By Erick Riddle
How old do you suppose God is? Daniel referred to our Creator as the Ancient of Days. That sounds old.
We are familiar with the signs of aging. Loss of physical strength. Unsteady balance. Memory loss is a big one. I have several friends in their 80s who tell me they often cannot remember the word for a common item. Maybe the words refrigerator, or file cabinet, or computer mouse are just outside their mental reach. It comes to them in a few minutes, but those few minutes can be frustrating. We regard that momentary memory loss as a sign of aging.
Most of us know the frustration and anguish of a loved one who cannot remember and, this side of heaven, will never remember. These conditions are also frequently connected to aging.
Since age and memory loss go together, I’m wondering if God is really, really old. This verse might cause us to wonder about that. “For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more” (Hebrews 8:12, English Standard Version).
Isn’t that a fantastic idea? God won’t remember your sins. It’s not short-term memory loss; he will never remember your sins.
God’s memory has nothing to do with age. Of course, he is eternal. Without beginning or end. He does not grow old. His power, his love, and his memory do not diminish. They don’t waste away over time.
God not remembering our sins is a choice. He said, “I will.” It is an act of will. Our Lord has decided not to remember our sins.
He made that choice based on the sacrifice of his own Son. Through the body and blood of Jesus of Nazareth, our sins are removed. They are cleansed. They are forgotten.
Our Communion time is a time for us to remember that our Savior does not remember.
To keep us from forgetting, we are reminded of his sacrifice in the bread and the cup. The bread reminds us of his body that bore our sins as he hung on the cross (1 Peter 2:24). The cup reminds us of his blood that cleanses our sin (1 John 1:7).
Because our sins are carried away and washed away, our Creator has no memory of them.
Erick Riddle has been ministering to churches for more than 40 years. He currently serves as the Chaplain for Golden Years Homestead Retirement Community in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Author: Christian Standard
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I really enjoyed this devotional. It was really different.