Past Sins
I have an almost infinite number of Past Sins. Some are a thought away and some are so deeply buried I don’t think I could ever bring them to light. And I don’t even want to. Relative to the question, Are You Saved Yet, when praying my Salvation Prayer must I remember all that crud, acknowledge it and ask forgiveness for each specific mistake or intentional sin? Must I individually acknowledge every Past Sin in order to become forgiven? In order to become Saved?
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‘What Can I Expect From This Page?‘
‘Must I Acknowledge Each Past Sin Before Forgiveness Is Granted?’‘
‘Our Brains – Our Subconscious’
‘How Does God ‘Forget’ Our Sins – Does God Make That Same Provision For Us?’
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Must I Acknowledge Each Past Sin
Before Forgiveness Is Granted?
Does God Really Require Me To Remember All That Crud?
Must a person identify, acknowledge and repent of each and every past sin
before God forgives and Salvation is achieved?
Friend, you should clearly recognize that your Salvation is not dependent upon your ability to identify, acknowledge and due to that itemization repent of every single sin or ill issue of your past. You need not even try to remember nor confess sorrow for each and every sin you’ve committed. Salvation is a ‘one stop’ process. When you become Born Again in the Biblically defined manner you are in fact completely and wholly forgiven of every single sin of your past, currently remembered, or not. (Salvation)
God’s grace is sufficient. Period. End of Story. (2 Cor 12: 9) At Salvation your forgiveness will be totally and utterly complete. Nothing missing. Nothing yet to say or accomplish. Still, and believe it or not it is because of that same grace… from time to time thereafter you will most likely remember this or that past sin. God absolutely does not return them to your mind to suggest you are not quite entirely Saved nor that you might not be completely forgiven. Not in the slightest!
What Does Modern Science Teach Us About Forgiveness?
The best way to understand this reasoning is to recognize that our brain’s work according to God’s design. Even before birth our brains are designed and constructed to retain every single experience we encounter throughout our lives. Both the good and the bad. That retention is called: memories. Whether we are Saved, or not, and whether we want to or not, each of us retains innumerable hidden files of memories. Both the ill and the good. The ill to subconsciously warn us of previous happenings that were not beneficial… that we might quickly begin to travel another route in life. The good to subconsciously embolden us to pursue the route we are on that we might bring forth further good.
When living according to whatever standard we’d adopted prior to Salvation, our memories would either warn or help us for at least that particular moment in life. Dependent upon our own willingness and abilities, we by whatever means or justification might work through the ill memories and lay them to rest. The problem has always been that all we’ve done is simply re-bury those same ill memories within the depths of our subconscious… their only purpose to recurrently, and negatively, remind us. Whether we want that memory or not, it remains. Other ill memories ‘attach’, align with and compound the depths of ill considerations ever more recurrently brought forth.
When you become Saved though, while those memories of regret still remain, God allows that same history to come to mind for a good purpose! Because you are at the moment of Salvation His ‘New Creation’, i.e. a Biblically defined ‘Child of God‘, when these past ill memories come to mind, you will discover three things beginning to occur. The purpose of God allowing these further reminders are not to bestow further ill upon you, but to initiate an ever more deep personal healing.
1)… Instead of following along the lines we formerly did when NOT Saved and merely re-burying these ill memories ever more deeply into our subconscious… to once again become ready and able to negatively arise at some other point in your life, after Salvation, we are to learn how to both view and deal with their automatic recurrences differently. Believe it or not… these ill memories will help us in our goal to develop characteristics which are more like God’s own characteristics. When we learn characteristics, we are to first learn how God defines them. On the subject of Past Sins, when God ‘forgives your sins’ as He does when we repent and become Born Again, He at the same time not only ‘forgets‘ them, but importantly, God doesn’t allow them to have the slightest influence on His thoughts of you in the future. Thus, for all practical purposes, whenever you honestly repent – God does indeed entirely ‘forget’ your Past Sins. ( Psalms 103:12 ) With respect to our striving to better align ourselves with His nature, God not only allows, but earnestly embrace His definition of ‘forgetting’ our Past Sins. Of Vital Importance… you comprehend, believe and act upon what God’s Biblical definition of ‘forget’ really is. REMEMBER: God’s definition of ‘forget’ simply means that because of God’s design of the brain, while you will surely remember your Past Sins… you will learn how to ensure the negative memories of those sins, specifically, subconscious memories… have absolutely no bearing on your future! In other words, from God’s perspective AND definition…
Past Sins no longer have any bearing on your future.
The past surely is the past.
God’s Will is… ‘any lasting residue of those sins
remain in the past – not hindering your future.
In that that is His Will for you…
He has indeed not only forgiven, but He, Himself,
doesn’t hold ANY past sin OR multiples of sins against your future. (Jer 29:11)
Naturally, the question arises wondering how in the world won’t these past ill memories no longer have bearing. The whole idea presented by God is that as we continue to draw ever more close to Him and by so doing begin to progressively better understand the height, width and breadth of His personal Love and forgiveness. (1 John 4:16) As we focus more upon Him through His Living Word we’ll more clearly recognize that in His mind and heart the ills of our past really don’t exist. They are gone! They really are as far as the East is from the West! He nurtures us like a loving mother toward her newborn baby ever intent on helping us strike forth toward the accomplishment of that which will better us. Friend, the more we identify with Jesus… the more we comprehend the past that still tries to captivate us really is NOT sufficiently important enough to sidetrack our future. (Jer 29: 11) God nurtures us accordingly. We are to strive to be like Him. After all, how much good might we do when we are no longer hindered by the bindings of our past? Doesn’t it make sense God desires we strive to learn to more resolutely forgive that we might then better love? Of course! That is His nature! In that we strive to take His nature upon us, won’t we also become better loved?
2)… When you are increasingly better able to define ‘forget’ in the same manner God desires of you, i.e. the same manner He does, you’ll find yourself becoming increasingly better able to rid yourself of the recurrent negative memories which now might harm your future.
3)… Believe it or not though, it doesn’t stop there. After Salvation, God allows you to learn how to turn those very same ill memories (both conscious and subconscious) into extremely constructive opportunities… for your internal betterment – and – the benefit of others. The reasons, how to, pros and cons, etc. will be dealt with at another time and on another Site, though. Relative to this Page, the end result of all these points is that you’ll grow to more easily discern the all encompassing cleansing God has given you begins by your choosing to repent of your sins and become Born Again. Then you’ll be able to begin progressing toward wholeness as you progressively study and comprehend His ever more profound Will… all that accomplished by increasingly better comprehending His Word.
The idea for now is to begin to grasp the reality that as these past ill issues come to mind you will become increasingly better able to view them from the perspective of actually being a ‘New’ Creation. A New Creation within His Spiritual Realm knowing God has already utterly and completely forgiven you. And that’s exactly what He desires… because He is now ‘in you’ and you are now ‘in Him’. (John 15:4-8) You’ll also increasingly become better able to more easily comprehend in what individual manner is best to lay those past issues wholly behind you. Have no fear – God, Himself, will guide you. Principally by means of His Word. Surely also, His Spirit.
Though in rare cases He does, God doesn’t usually take from our minds all of those ill things which are held within our subconscious. But as noted above, their retention is for a very, very good reason. God will unceasingly dedicate Himself to helping you come to peace with issues that He has allowed to reenter your mind. His purpose? Again, that you might ever better grow ‘in Him’ by more thoroughly recognizing His reality and the reality He is in fact instrumental toward enhancing your internal peace. God is on YOUR side for YOUR sake. And as always, there is a somewhat hidden bonus God also offers you… As is evidenced by your enhanced inner and outer healing, God might well touch others through you! Yes, those who also seek relief, seek peace from their unforgotten and sometimes unrelenting past might also discover peace because they see peace… and even joy …in you.
Can We Really ‘Forget’ Our Sins AND The Sins Of Others?
Thankfully, God’s own Biblical definition of ‘forget’ is considerably different than our own. In God’s economy, ‘forget’ specifically means… ‘to have no bearing on your future.’ God is able to accomplish that because once Born Again, God views you through the ‘filter’ of Jesus Christ. That means that whether past, present or future, God views all your sin as already having been paid for by Jesus Christ by reason of His dying on The Cross. Thus, you as well as your previous sins are no longer held to your account. In that God, Himself, established that ‘system of payment’, a Biblically defined ‘Child of God‘ has the specific advantage of God, Himself, throwing any remembrance of your sins as far as East is from West. ( Psalms 103:12 ) He has given His Word to us for the purpose to alleviate any concern we might have that He might still harbor ill against us. The position He has taken though, puts Him in a place of mind and heart that He may always view you as a ‘New Creation’ (2 Corinthians 5:17) Therefore, God always maintains not the slightest hindrance regarding His willingness and ability to recurrently remain 100% on your side for the benefit of your… progressively better future. IMPORTANTLY, in that by reason of becoming a ‘Child of God’ according to His established Biblically defined manner, that same mindset is precisely the mindset to which our Father, God, wishes you to ALSO identify and cling. That is, looking ahead, not behind. (2 Peter 1-11) For that reason, both He and you will view your sins as…
no longer having any bearing
on your present or your future.
…In order to completely fulfill His own responsibility to His definition of ‘forget’ God, holds Himself accountable. He well knows He cannot become divided in the Standard He has established. (Matt 6: 24) Therefore, after every repentance prayer He receives… no matter how many or how often, God is able to look at you as, in a very real sense, a newborn babe who has simply made another mistake – no matter how grievous. In the same manner God is also dedicated… and able …to bring you toward a point within which you’ll increasingly become completely at peace with whatever past ill your conscious or even your subconscious brings to the fore. Remember, God has orchestrated our mind in such a fashion that to one degree or other we subconsciously remember every facet of our lives. Surely, when we try to forget the sins of our past we can’t help but believe God made a mistake in arranging our brains that way, but in that He brings everything in existence to work toward His and a Believer’s good… think of the huge step we’ve taken when we finally learn to sincerely ‘rest in Him’ accepting the fact that He has brought us to peace in spite of our sins. (Isaiah 1:17-18) Importantly though, as time goes along you’ll likely remember past sins to some decreasingly evident degree, and when you do you’ll become ever better able to lay the ills of your past behind. You’ll accomplish that because in Christ you’ll learn to bring toward God’s good… what satan initially created for bad. With God, that’s just the way it works! (Rom 12: 21)
Remember, by means of becoming Born Again in the manner defined within God’s Word, the Holy Bible, (Salvation) you will have entered into His prescribed enhanced life process because you will have availed yourself to having your entire future governed principally according to the rules of the superior and all encompassing Spiritual Realm Existence. Through the process of God prompted remembrances of past sins and then by following His lead to ascertain how to best place behind you each of whatever ill issue comes to mind, you’ll become increasingly better able to not only more deeply recognize and personally understand God’s sure cleansing of the ‘sin, sickness and infirmities’ of your past, but of equal importance, become progressively able to effectively eliminate their influence over any and every aspect of your life in the future. (Phil 3:12-16) Friend, you are not to overtly focus on past sins. Rather, focus on Jesus Christ and strive to learn to progressively accomplish in your lives the enactment of the old saying, ‘What would Jesus do in this or that situation’. By striving to focus on Him in that manner the ‘how to’ resolve and really forget past sins in a Biblically defined manner is more apt to arrive. (Forget according to God’s perspective: Past sins having no effect in your present and future life.)
Keep looking Up, friend…
As time moves along each of us by means of actively and diligently
learning to make His Written Will a greater part of our own worldview and lifestyle
will as a result also better experience a personal understanding that His reality
of actually and honestly forgetting our past sins surely is a profound Truth.
From His perspective
a Believer’s past sins have absolutely no bearing on his or her future!
Importantly, as we further embrace the reality of His Word, the Holy Bible…
From our perspective
a Believer’s past sins will have less and less bearing on his or her present and future.
After all… in that we’ll progressively embrace the reality
that our worldview and lifestyle increasingly identify with the Will of Jesus Christ…
God’s definition of ‘forget’ will in truth also become our own definition.
(Matthew 6: 33)
Once I’ve become a Believer, will a loving God with whom I seek forgiveness forsake me if throughout much of my life my actual exhibit of life clearly shows that I recurrently do not wish to pursue Christ’s example of both His worldview and lifestyle? The answer to that takes a thorough, honest understanding of the entirety of the Holy Bible. It simply can’t be provided herein. Note below though, a few Pages of this WebSite which will prompt your thinking…
After understanding how God can forgive you and forget your past sins, you may also be interested in…
