One of Christ’s last declarations from the cross was, ‘It is finished.’ That phrase comprises just one word in Greek, tetelestai, meaning ‘paid in full’. It was the word merchants wrote on a bill when it was cancelled. It was also the word stamped on a document announcing that a prison sentence had been commuted. Jesus paid the price in full for every sin you have ever committed! ‘There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus’ (Romans 8:1 NIV). The question is, if God forgets your sin the second you confess it, don’t you think you should forget it too? How long do you think about an invoice you have paid? You forget it the minute you have paid it. Similarly, since Christ has paid your bill in full, you don’t need to remember it anymore. Paul, who once described himself as ‘chief among sinners’ (see 1 Timothy 1:15), wrote, ‘Forgetting what is behind…I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards’ (Philippians 3:13-14 NIVUK). We can short-circuit God’s power in our lives by not trusting that He has truly forgiven us or by deciding not to forgive ourselves. Why do we do that? Sometimes because of how we were raised. Our parents told us, ‘I forgive you,’ but they constantly brought it up. Good news: your heavenly Father is different from your earthly parents. When He forgives your sin, He expunges your record, cancels your past, can’t remember it, doesn’t talk about it, and will never bring it up again. So, today accept His forgiveness. And if you need to, forgive yourself and move on.
