I Can't Remember

Yesterday I began a new series of messages at Rainsville First Baptist Church "The God Who Forgives."

According to Scripture, the definition of God's forgiveness is that He no longer remembers our sins against us (Jeremiah 31:34).

Brennan Manning was a Catholic priest who wrote some great books including The Ragamuffin Gospel:  Good News for the Bedraggled, Beat-up and Burnt Out.  In the book he tells this story:


A few years ago, rumors spread that a certain Catholic woman was having visions of Jesus. The archbishop decided to check her out.
'Is it true, m'am, that you have visions of Jesus?' asked the cleric.

'Yes,' the woman replied.

'Well, the next time you have a vision, I want you to ask Jesus to tell you the sins that I confessed in my last confession. Please call me if anything happens.'

Ten days later the woman notified her spiritual leader of a recent apparition.

Within the hour the archbishop arrived. 'What did Jesus say?' he asked.

She took his hand and gazed deep into his eyes. 'Bishop,' she said, 'these are his exact words: I CAN'T REMEMBER.'

Praise God our God will no longer remember our sins against us when they are under the blood of Jesus.