"Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, "I have no delight in them." -- Ecclesiastes 12:1
THE PROMISES
Without His provision and promise, the commands weigh us down with self-reliance. 2 Peter 1:3-4 reminds us that "His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires." God's promises outlast the problems of man. The indicatives are always related to the imperatives. What God has done for you enables you to obey His commands.
THE COMMANDS
There are four groups of commands that are never far from provision and promise.
(1). Remember God - Deuteronomy 8:18 says to remember the Lord your God. Thoughts of God influence our life. Psalm 63:6-8 shows David drawing upon his own memory to reflect on God. God was his help. God's right hand upheld him. David's memories of God drove him to worship the Lord.
(a). Remember God's Actions - Who God is closely links to what He does. His actions reveal His character and will. The God who parted the Red Sea is our God. Meditate on His acts. Those OT redemptive acts teach us of His power. That same power is shown in our salvation. Remember that He has redeemed us.
(b). Remember God's Son - 1 Timothy 2:3-10 calls us to Remember Jesus Christ. Paul exhorts Timothy to remember Christ in the midst of suffering. Remember the One who suffered for us as we are suffering.
(2). Remember Yourself
(a). Remember Your Suffering - Hebrews 10:32-33 calls believers to remember the great conflict they endured. While forgetting past pain might sound like a good idea, suffering for Christ produces growth and endurance. We should not forget these past experiences. We should respond in praise. We lose the joy of triumphs if we forget our Christian suffering. Joseph knew that what Satan meant for evil, God meant for good. Joseph names his son Manasseh which means "God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father's household (Genesis 41:51). Forget does not mean erased from memory, but transformed by God into an experience in which God triumphed. It's amazing that God uses evil for our good. Memories bring to mind the sufferings of the cross and the triumph over the grave.
(b). Remember Your Roots - Israel was called to remember that they were once slaves in a land that was not their own (Deuteronomy 5:15). We must remember that we were dead in our trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1-2). This undergirds our worship.
(c). Remember Your Salvation - Don't just remember past salvation. Remember present salvation (sanctification) and future salvation (glorification). Salvation is a present reality. In 2 Peter 1:12 the apostle reminded them of these things even though they knew them. Remember the theology of your salvation and the personal story of your salvation (Acts 16:14).
(3). Remember Others
(a). The History Of Your Family - Not everyone has Christian parents or grandparents. Some of us are the first Christians in our family lineage. We must pass on the knowledge of Christ to our descendants. If we do not have natural ancestors to turn to, we can turn to our church family as spiritual ancestors.
(b). The History Of The Church Family - We should be students of church history. We need to see its triumphs and failures. We need to read their creeds and catechisms. We need to connect with older songs, not just newer songs. We learn from history (Ecclesiastes 1:9).
(c). The History Of Failures - God records failures and sins of people and nations. 1 Corinthians 10:6 says that Israel's failings in the wilderness were recorded so that we wouldn't desire evil as they did. We are prone to the same pitfalls. Let us not forget.
(d). The History Of Triumphs - The Bible is also filled with many accounts of triumphs. Hebrews 13:7 calls us to remember those who led you, who spoke God's Word to you. We are to consider the result of their conduct and imitate their faith. Biblical and extrabiblical biographies are good for our minds and memories.
(e). The Abridged Narrative - Hebrews 11 records people of great faith, people who believed and trusted God. It does not, however, highlight their failures.
(f). The Dual Narrative - The OT rarely narrates the life of a saint without including failures. The OT gives full narratives with triumphs and failures of saints while the NT is abridged and shows the faith of OT saints. In the New Covenant, our sins are remembered no more. The NT writers focus on faith, not failures. This forms the basis for how God sees us in Christ.
(4). Remember The Bible
Since God's Word is most precious truth it must be accessible to our memories. Joshua was commanded to remember the boo of the Law (Joshua 1:8). He was to meditate upon it day and night. Hebrews 11:19 shows us that Abraham remembered God's covenant with him.
SUMMARY - FORGET THE UNIMPORTANT
We are to remember God, ourselves, others and the Bible. Remembering is regarded as a virtue while forgetting is loathed. Proper forgetfulness is a friend. Forgetfulness reduces mental clutter from the and provides mental clarity for the present. What must we forget?
(1). Forget Past Accolades - Philippians 3:13-14 shows us that Paul forgot his religious credentials when it came to salvation. His self-righteousness needed to be forgotten or he'd never be saved.
(2). Forget The Past Way Of Life - Galatians 4:9 says not to turn back to the weak and elemental things of this world. They enslave us.
(3). Forget Past Offenses - Distorted memory minimizes your own offenses against others and magnifies others' offenses against you. Distorted remembrance requires a distorted path to forgiveness. Ephesians 4:32 calls us to forgive one another. See Luke 7:47
SUMMARY - HOW TO REMEMBER HIS COMMANDS AND PROMISES
What is eternal ought to be remembered while what is fading ought to be forgotten.
What is eternal ought to be remembered while what is fading ought to be forgotten.
(1). Scripture Memory - Psalm 119:11 says that David stored up God's Word in his heart so that he wouldn't sin against God.
(2). Meditation - Meditation moves Scripture from the intellect into the affections. What you meditate on shapes what your thoughts and actions. See Psalm 1:2-3. It describes the person who flourishes as a result of their being immersed in God's Word.
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