In Matthew 18:21-22, Peter asked Jesus this question about forgiving others: "Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times." In other words, we should always forgive. Always. Now suppose you're working in the front yard, and a friend of yours pulls up in the driveway. He gets out of his car, walks up to you, and punches you right in the face. Then he says, "I'm sorry, I was angry after a really bad day at work, I shouldn't have done that." You say, "It's ok, I forgive you." The next day, you're working in the yard, he shows up and punches you in the face again. He apologizes again and you forgive him again. The same thing happens every day for weeks on end. Now at some point, when he gets out of his car, you're going to take a few steps back. Eventually, when he shows up, you'll run in the house and lock the door. Forgive and forget? Forgive yes, but not forget. The point is this: when someone sins against you repeatedly, you may forgive and forget at first but eventually (understandably) you won't forget, and out of necessity you will maintain a safe distance from that person.
Here's the good news for humanity: God isn't like that. When we repent and God forgives, he forgets. Period. Forever. We see this in Jeremiah 31:33-34, where God says this about the new covenant he will establish: "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." Jesus is the high priest of this new covenant, and Hebrews 7:24-25 tells us that "he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them." So when we sin and we repent, not only is God willing to forgive and forget; but rather than keeping his distance, he allows us to draw near to him through his son Jesus Christ. That is the God we serve. May his name be forever praised.
One important point to take from the preceding passage in Hebrews: Jesus "is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him". Jesus is able to save us (and therefore, God will forgive us), but only if we draw near to God through him. As Jesus himself said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6) And again in Acts 4:12: "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." If you're here tonight and you're not a Christian, not all roads lead to heaven, only one, and that is the one provided by God through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Come forward, repent of your sins, confess your faith, and be baptized for the remission of sins, and God will forgive your iniquity and remember your sin no more. If you're here tonight and you are a Christian but you're struggling with sin, 1 John 1:9 tells us "if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Come forward, there are people here who can help you no matter what you're struggling with. God is always willing to forgive and forget if we truly repent. If you have any need, come as we stand and sing.
