A Prayer About God’s Forgetfulness
“Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin. Hebrews 10:17-18
Heavenly Father, what an unparalleled, heart-pounding, hands-raising joy it is to begin this day remembering your forgetfulness! You promise never again to remember my sins and lawless acts against me. You will never again deal with me, or any of your children, according to my sins nor reward me according to my iniquities. For you dealt with Jesus according to my sins and rewarded him according to my iniquities on the cross.
But that is not all, gracious Father. Because the gospel is true, you now deal with me according to Jesus’ righteousness and your reward me according to his obedience! What an exchange! What a salvation! What a God!
This is why I can pray back to you today these staggering words of hope and peace, written by Germans Christians in the 16th century: “How are you right with God? Only by true faith in Jesus Christ. Even though my conscience accuses me of having grievously sinned against all God’s commandments and of never having kept any of them, and even though I am still inclined toward all evil, nevertheless, without my deserving it at all, out of sheer grace, God grants and credits to me the perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ, as if I had never sinned nor been a sinner, as if I had been as perfectly obedient as Christ was obedient for me. All I need to do is to accept this gift of God with a believing heart.” (Heidelberg Catechism – Question 60)
With awe, wonder and praise, I say thank you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, for such a legal, lavish and lively salvation. Rescue me in those deceiving and delusional moments when I act as though Jesus’ sacrifice for my sins wasn’t enough. What could be uglier and more foolish than to think there is anything I can do to add to the work of Jesus on my behalf?
May the outworking of this gospel free me, and all your children, to live to the praise of your glorious grace-loving your glory above all things, trusting totally in your grace, not one bit in our grit. So very Amen, we pray, in Jesus’ name.
