Remember Your Sins Redemptively

I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief.

1 Timothy 1:13

You may know someone who is bored with their Christian life. There isn’t any joy in it. They will agree that Christ came to save sinners. But if you were to ask, “Oh, which sins of yours has Jesus forgiven?” they would be stuck for an answer.

If you can’t think of anything that needs to be forgiven, you won’t have much love for Christ, you won’t feel much need of the cross, and you will quickly become bored with your faith.

Remembering your sins is important. But use discretion in sharing your past sins with others. Some people may be helped by knowing how Christ redeemed you. Others would be better helped by not knowing. Consider the degree of trust, the depth of the relationship, and the maturity of the other person in discerning how much to share.

Paul’s sins were public. Everyone knew what he had done. And he uses that for the glory of God. Paul is not afraid to face his past sins. He is not in denial. He makes no excuses. He knows that he is a sinner. The gospel produces this kind of honesty.

Satan will be happy for you to forget your sins. Because if you do, you won’t love Christ much, and you won’t grow much either. But when you remember your sins, he will try to tell you what a failure you are. But there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1)!

Let the memory of your sins be a means of magnifying God’s mercy. Paul says: “Look at what I was! If God’s mercy can save me, you can be confident in His ability to change your life, and the lives of others, no matter how broken or resistant they may be.”

Have you become bored with the Christian life? Let the memory of your sins magnify God’s mercy.