Featured God Eternally Existed Before ANYTHING else was made, correct?

You are most gracious, and welcome. :thumbsup:

As I said, the "seeing us through the blood of Christ" phrase is an extrapolation, perhaps a simplistic restating of those verses to preach a truth, though I would admit it could be seen as a stretch of the imagination. I don't believe there is anything essentially wrong with the phrase.

Nor do I. I was simply making an effort to explain how the phrase "seeing us through the blood ... " could arise. Again, a simplification, perhaps overly done.

I agree with that as well. Our sins are removed, as far as east is from west, no doubt. I think the use of the phrase I admit is extrapolated is a way of expressing how God can see us, essentially still sinful -- at least while in the flesh -- even though our sins are washed away. Certainly that washing continues as long as we live, because we are not perfect and will continue to sin, even in the saving faith of Christ.

Exactly. I think we agree, we're just seeing the verses we've both quote from different angles, though I don't believe they oppose one another.

Amen! When that becomes our focus, we tend to beat ourselves up over that sin rather than remembering Christ has already dealt with it at the cross. Though we need to confess it, and repent, we are nonetheless constantly washed and free from sin.

Exactly. If we are regretting our sin, it is obvious we are hating our sin, and we obviously love God, or our sin would not be an affront to us. I believe the "seeing us through the blood" statement is just another way of expressing that concept, that while we know we are washed and free, we nonetheless still deal with sin, but we cannot allow ourselves to beat ourselves up over it and drag ourselves down where Satan can continue to maul us relentlessly with our "not being good enough." If we get too far afield of the need to see ourselves as delivered from that sinful nature, then regardless of how we express who we are in Christ, we set ourselves up for self-abuse that we don't need to endure.

 

:thumbs::thumbs::thumbs:

 

I think the gist of what God says about Himself in "not remembering" has more to do with His not running over and over in His mind how we did thus and such. We as humans tend to relive the wrongs done against us by others, and it is that constant revisiting of those wrongs that prevents us from achieving a willingness to forgive. We can't forget those wrongs, but we can choose to not hold them against others.

I believe that is what God is saying about Himself. He doesn't constantly revisit them, He may be conscious of them, but they do not matter to Him, because He truly has forgiven us in far greater terms than we can ever hope to forgive in our own lives.

 

I think we may have a very slight difference in understanding, but in a practical sense, it is negligible.

This is well stated and worth repeating.

Sin is dealt with in Christ and we need to move on from being slaves to present sin in our lives, as well as guilt from our lives before Christ.

Thanks!

 

God cannot forget, neither can he willingly not remember in the same sense that humankind express with the limitations.

To be under such human constraints would present a disconnect that makes the character and nature of God inconsistent.

It is also good to remember that God does not dwell with a past or future.

He is.

Our humanity cannot fully comprehend this, for humankind is time bound, unlike God who the last of human days is as clearly present with Him as the first.

Therefore, when God stated to Israel that he would remember the sin no more, it isn't that he willingly forgot, or set it aside in not allowing it as a reoccurring thought, or any other such attribute that is time continuum and human related. Though such can be expressed in human terms - with God it is out of character - God cannot not remember.

Rather, it is as He is - the sin never occurred. In God's presence of eternity, such is possible.

Spurgeon gave a sermon on God's Non-Rememberance of Sin that I consider a great help to those who would desire to begin an in depth study.

If folks are interested - click here.

Remember that Spurgeon is often not an easy read, and I suggest taking sections at a time to work through the material.

Challenge his thinking in your mind with Scripture and Scripture principles.