The Benefits of Remembering

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord . . . because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor.
–1 Timothy 1:12–13

Forgiving is a spiritual function, but forgetting is a biological function. We shouldn’t get the two confused. Our brains can store at least six hundred memories per second. Everything you do is seared into your mind electrically and chemically. So when you ask people to forget about a past failure or an offense done against them, you’re asking them to do the impossible.

There are also benefits to remembering offenses. Think about the apostle Paul. Before he became a Christian, Paul had Christians imprisoned, tortured, and put to death. That changed when Paul met Christ as his Savior. But that didn’t erase his memory of what he had done. Paul spent the rest of his life being confronted with his sins, but he saw some benefits of remembering.

If you can’t seem to forget your past sins, it doesn’t mean that God hasn’t really forgiven you. There are at least three benefits of remembering your sins. First of all, such memories encourage gratitude to God. In 1 Timothy 1:12–13, Paul said, “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor.” When God brings those memories to mind, or the chemicals and electrical impulses bring them to mind, you can use that as an occasion to thank God for what He has done for you.

Second, remembering our past offenses extinguishes pride. Look at verse 15: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.” Anytime Paul was tempted to get puffed up about being a great evangelist, he remembered what he had been–and this extinguished any pride.

Third, remembering our past helps us exhibit God’s grace. In verse 16, Paul said, “For this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.” Paul was saying, “I’m Exhibit A of the grace of God. If God can forgive me, then He can forgive anyone.” Paul used his past to exhibit the matchless grace of God.

Today’s devotion is adapted from “Forgiving Without Forgetting,” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2015.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org.