No one is able to escape the sin condition that distorts our minds away from God to self (Romans 3:23). God's perfect memory of our iniquity is shown in infinite justice. Hosea 9:9 says that God remembers iniquity and will punish sinners. Death is inevitable and deserved. Only God's grace can overcome our fallen condition as Christ bears our iniquities upon Himself.
THE PERFECT MEMORY OF THE REDEEMER
THE PERSONAL APPLICATION OF PERFECT REDEMPTION
(1). His Perfect Memory Of Scripture - Colossians 2:9 says that the fullness of God dwells in Jesus. This includes omniscience and perfect memory. His perfect life encompassed a perfect memory. When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness He quoted Scripture to show where Satan was either misquoting or misapplying God's Word. He remembered when Israel failed and forgot.
(2). His Perfect Memory In Prayer - Prayer is an act of remembrance. Christ's prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane showed that He had not forgotten that He came to do the Father's will. Jesus even quoted Scripture as He prayed to His Father (Psalm 22:1 and 22:18). His last words on the cross were from Psalm 31:1-5. Prayer marked the beginning of Jesus' ministry and the end of His time on the cross (Hebrews 5:7).
THE PERFECT PLAN OF REDEMPTION
(1). The Pattern - In John 3:14-15 Jesus recalled the incident in Number 21 where Israel complained and God sent serpents to punish them. God instructed Moses to make bronze serpent and place it on a stand so that who ever looked at it in trust of God's Word would live. The bronze serpent later became an idol (2 Kings 18:4). The serpent was supposed to be a reminder of salvation and Israel perverted that memory. Jesus arrived 1600 years later to redeem that image. He would be the better bronze serpent--the One who'd be lifted up so that people would look upon Him in faith and be saved. Christ redeems corrupted memories.
(2). The Accusation - For God's justice to be fully satisfied, He must remember and punish every sin that believers have committed. It was those things that were nailed to the cross--all of them (Colossians 2:13-14). Satan reminds us of our failures and accuses us. God remembers all our sin and nailed them to the cross of Christ (Romans 8:31-34). Satan now has no grounds for accusation against us because God didn't forget any of our sins.
(3). The Transaction - Isaiah 43:25 reminds us that God will not remembers our sins. Psalm 103:10-12 reminds us that God will remove our sins from us. How is it that God "forgets" when He has perfect memory? God does not forget as we do since He is eternal and omniscient. What He's telling us is that His pardon is so complete that it's tantamount to forgetting. Forgetfulness for God is not losing memory but rather it's not taking action against us for our sin. The record is cleansed. Hebrews 10:12, 17 reminds us that the NC, which centers around the Priesthood of Christ and His Sacrifice, is about total and complete pardon. The cross is the event where God remembers that our sin was placed on Christ to suffer once and for all for us. When Christ was forsaken on the cross, it was as if God had forgotten Christ for our sake so that we'd never be forsaken. This is what it means for God to "forget" our sins. Spurgeon said that forgetting means that God will never seek any other atonement.
(4). The Resurrection - God raising Jesus from the dead was the proof that Christ's sacrifice was sufficient and that the Son was not ultimately forsaken (Acts 2:24). Resurrection is remembrance. God did not leave His Son abandoned to Sheol. The resurrection if the pinnacle of remembrance. Without the resurrection our faith in in vain (1 Corinthians 15:17). If our faith is in vain then what we believe and remember from Scripture is also in vain. According to Ephesians 2:8-9 we are saved by grace through faith. These means that salvation is found in remembering the cross and empty tomb.
(5). Glorification - Christ was glorified and ascended and His continued ministry is that of intercession. This is a continual remembrance of His people (Hebrews 7:25). He does not forget us. We are continually on His mind!
THE COVENANT APPLICATION OF PERFECT REDEMPTION
God Remembers His Covenants - Keeping covenant requires memory. But as we look back and remember the covenants God made we see how they are fulfilled in Christ and that God kept His Word which requires remembrance.
(1). With Noah - God remembered Noah after the flood (Genesis 8:1). This is the first time remember appears in the Bible. God eventually established a covenant of remembrance to never send a flood to destroy the earth again. The rainbow is a reminder of this covenant and it calls us to remember what God promised (Genesis 9:11-13).
(2). With Abraham - God made a 3-fold promise of land, seed and blessing (Genesis 12:1-3). Abraham's descendants eventually found themselves in slavery and God heard their groaning. God then remembered His covenant with Abraham.
(3). With Moses - After the Exodus, God gave the law of the covenant to Moses and Israel. There were blessings and curses. Israel failed but God did not forget Israel (Deuteronomy 4:31).
(4). With David - God entered into covenant with David (2 Samuel 7:13-15). David's kingdom would be eternal. David failed and the kingly line descended towards the Babylonian captivity, after which, there was no other king of Israel--until Jesus came.
(5). With The New Covenant - God remembers that all these previous covenants point towards the New Covenant and find fulfillment in Christ.
THE PERSONAL APPLICATION OF PERFECT REDEMPTION
(1). God Remembers The Needy - Psalm 56:8 says that God has taken in account all of David's wanderings. David's tears were in a "bottle" and recorded in God's book--meaning God remembers David's afflictions. God remember Hannah and gave her a son (1 Samuel 1:19-20). We have a God who immensely cares about us.
(2). God Remembers His Sheep - Jesus knows His sheep by name, personally and specifically. He does not forget us. While on the cross the thief asked Jesus to remember him when Jesus' kingdom arrived (Luke 23:42). Our Lord tends to us.
No comments:
Post a Comment