Does God forgive and forget our sins?

Introduction

I have heard and said myself on many occasions, "God forgives and forgets our sins, never to remember them anymore." Is that biblical true? Is God capable of forgetting? I encourage you to listen to this message to hear what God really says on this topic.

What does God say?

forget or forgetfulness— (Hebrew) to forget, ignore, wither, cease to care// (Oxford Dict): means failure to remember or recall; neglect to do, bring, or mention something; put out of ones mind; cease to think of or consider.

remember—make mention or known; recall

Songs and prayers of lament concerning God’s forgetfulness— Psalm 10 and Psalm 13. When things have gone wrong the psalmist lamented as if God had forgotten him. However, he knows God is sovereign, and both listens and sees all things. When specific attention has not been given to your situation, we do often petition God to remember as if he has not noticed. Then why do passages like Psalm 103:6-12 and Jeremiah 31:33-34 imply God forgives and forgets our sins.

Psalm 103:6-12— Does not imply God forgets our sins but that He is righteous. God is compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in love. This passage highlights the wonderful character of God. “While Yahweh does show love to those who fear Him, His love is not dependent on their faultless observance. He is aware of human weakness, and loves people even though they sin.”

John D. Barry et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Ps 103:11–14.

Jeremiah 31:33-34— Passage refers to the restoration of Israel and new covenant which God will establish. Under this covenant, His people will know Him (John 6:45). His law will be written on the heart and in their minds. He will remember their sins no more. (Heb 10:1-18). To remember their sins no more means to not bring up or use the matter against someone.

Conclusion:

Matthew 18:21-35— the king did not act like he forgot about previously forgiving the unmerciful servant

If God forgets, it would imply He is like us. Therefore, we would be reminded of the things we have done, that we asked forgiveness for, and possibly held accountable for those things along with the previous transgressions. What would be the purpose of 1 John 1:9.

God never forgets, though some fail to understand what He means when He says that He will “remember no more” (Jeremiah 31:34). He means that He will not deal with our sins in the future. Human beings forget; God doesn’t. When He determines to not remember, that means He will not bring up or use the matter against someone. Not remembering is an active thing; forgetting is passive. The two must be distinguished.