Not Knowing or Forgetting?

While I would have loved to have chimed in on the post modern discussion, and I am anxious for Jake to fire up the conversation on Sex, I have decided to take a stab at this. First let me repost the verse Jake included, with the correct reference...

"34And 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."
Jeremiah 31.34

My personal struggle with this verse doesn't so much rest on God's "forgetting", but more with the inclusiveness that we see here. I am unsure how all of this works out, but I'll give it a shot. Looking at the cross references that are provided in the NASB translation in reference to this verse I am taken to one place in regards to God not remembering sin...

1. Isaiah 43.25
"I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake,
And I will not remember your sins.

This verse intrigues me b/c we see God actively wiping sins away, and his ability to remember these sins is taken away b/c they are no longer there. (side bar#1 relatively elementary interpretation of this verse I'm sure.)

Now, this is where I assume Jake sees this conversation going. Do we believe that God can forget things? If He can't, does that mean He stores up all our sins in His head. Most Christians would say, "God forgets all our sins," and I agree that God does "forget" our sins. Here's where the argument starts up, "If God is all-knowing, the only reasonable way for God to forget our sins would be that He choose to forget our sins. Therefore if God can choose to forget our sins (or limit Himself) isn't it reasonable that He could choose to limit Himself in other ways." I would say that yes it is reasonable to believe that God could choose this in light of what we see hear, but I don't know that it proves he does.

Maybe this isn't the direction that Jakes' going, and if it's not, then I'm sorry for assuming things. When we're done talking through the idea of God forgetting I would like to talk about the idea that all would know God from the least to the greatest and there would be no need for evangelism. When is this? Why nomore evangelism? How does God forgive everyone's iniquity? hmmm...

posted by Anonymous @ 9:24 PM