Question: Where can I read in the Bible about the sea called forgetfulness?
Answer: We have had many questions like this since I inadvertently left out the reference, when I mentioned this as being in the Bible. So here is the verse: “Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy. He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.” (Micah 7:18-19)
It does not actually us the word “forgetfulness,” but this is where the idea comes from.
Someone even asked if God can forget about our sins. My answer is, yes, this is the reason He casts them into the depths of the sea! He chooses to forgive and forget. Yes, it is a figure of speech, because obviously, you can’t take sins and put them anywhere. However, the point God is making is that He forgives and forgets. We need to forget the past when we get saved and move on. We should not go back ‘fishing up’ past sins of our own or our spouses.
This theme of forgiveness is all through the Bible in the Old and New Testament. It is interesting to note that no other religion, not even Islam has this, where God can forgive sins. In Judaism and Christianity we admit we have sinned, and ask God to forgive us. We as Christians know that this forgiveness of sins can only come through the sacrifice of Christ, God’s Son on the cross. Our pardon comes only through the blood of Christ!
When we are forgiven we have these promises in the Old and New Testaments that our sins are gone. There is even a Christian song we sing. “Gone, Gone, Gone, Gone, Yes, my sins are gone. Now my soul is free and in my heart ‘s a song, buried in the deepest sea. Yes, that’s good enough for me. Now I’ll live eternally, praise God, my sins are G-O-N-E, Gone!!!”
Have you received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, if you have you can know for sure your sins are gone. It doesn’t matter what religion you are in now, if you repent (turn from your sins) and ask Christ to come into your heart and life He will save you, and take away your sins. [Look at our tract What Does It Mean to Be Born Again? or What Happened to Shorty?]
Here are more Old Testament verses on the same theme of forgiveness of sins: “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions [sins] from us.” (Psalm 103:12) “Come now, and let us reason together, says the LORD, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
Here are some verses from the New Testament: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.” (1 John 5:13) [For more on this look at our Romans Bible Study.]
In Christian love,
Gary T. Panell
For more information email me.
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I have done all of repentance and forgiveness of past and present. I just want to move on and not feel like I don’t deserve to be alive on this earth. Not suicidal, just so much of forgiveness and wanting to forget.
Hi Samara, Going to heaven
is as simple as A B C !
Admit that we have sinned.
“…for all have sinned and fall short of
the glory of God… (Romans 3:23)
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and
you will be saved, you and your household.” (Acts 16:31)
Confess with our mouth.
“…that if you confess with your mouth
the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart
that God has raised Him from the dead,
you will be saved. For with the heart
one believes unto righteousness, and
with the mouth confession is made unto
salvation.” (Romans 10: 9-10)
Pray this prayer: God, I admit I have sinned. I believe Jesus your Son loves me and died on the cross for my sins. I am sorry for my sins, and turn from them. Right now, I receive Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. Amen. Brother, Gary
Thank you for this information on Gods forgiveness I will pass it on.
Thank you!
All the above is true, but there’s something the people of God ignore:
God does not actually have a blank spot in his memory. People get stupid about their doctrine.
Jesus tells the story about the king who forgave an incalculable debt to a man, who fell down begging for time to pay the debt. The king chose to forgive him the debt in its entirety.
But then that guy was not merciful to another who only owed him some measly amount. The news got back to the king, who called the servant back in. And he said to the unmerciful guy, “I forgave you everything, and you could not show mercy to a guy who only owed you a tiny amount?” And the unmerciful guy’s debt and sins were in fact remembered, and then the king had him thrown into jail.
Matthew 18:21-35
So let Jesus’ words be a warning to everybody. He’s not stupid and you cannot deal falsely with God nor his people. Fear God and let his teachings be a warning of the utmost to you!
Todd, Thank you for your comment. The important thing is to know from Ephesians 1, that if we are “in Christ” we will forgive others and God will not remember our sins. Not because He can’t remember them, but because He ‘choses’ not to remember them! Brother Gary
I so needed to hear your comment thank you !
Praise God!
Brother Gary, where is your bible study? Are you in Calif?
Hi Rosie, I am not in California, and I live in Washington, State. We go to Calvary Chapel, Toppenish. I only have online studies. Write when you can. Brother, Gary
Please explain to me if the Bible is referring to our sins being cast out to the “sea of forgetfulness “before salvation or after salvation.?
If after salvation, does this give weight to “ once saved always “ and sin can be repeated and repeated over and again?
Hi Christie, Thank your for your questions. I really don’t believe God is talking about a literal sea or sins being cast into a sea somewhere. This is an expression of God’s love in giving assurance of salvation when someone calls on the name of the LORD for salvation. It is not a discussion on eternal security or any such thing. Just a kind of strong assurance of salvation. I hope this helps. Brother Gary
I too wanted to know where the sea of forgetfulness was in the Bible. Thank you for the explanation. The Bible tells us to study so that we can rightly divide the Word of truth and it’s good to find a site where I can ask questions and obtain clarity. May GOD richly bless you.
Thank you Joan for your nice comment. God bless you! Brother Gary
This is beautiful! But I love how Psalm 103:12 indicates how He’ll remove our transgressions from us as far as the East is from the West! Indeed, we can’t do anything with our sins, except crucify the deeds of our flesh, but He definitely CAN remove them. God bless you guys, take courage in spreading God’s matchless love & forgiveness, for this is awesome!
Hi Aretha, thanks for your nice comment. God bless you! Gary & Marlene Panell
Hi, so are we christians gonna be judged for coming short,our failers, we repent wholeheartedly and move on trien not to do them again. How we lived according to the word of God. Thetes more than one book. Thanks ,Margaret.
Hi Margaret, We as Christians are not judged for sin in heaven. All our sin is already forgiven when we receive Jesus as our Savior. We do confess our sins as we are told to do in 1 John 1:9, but that is to keep a close relationship with God in fellowship. When in heaven Jesus will give us rewards for even giving a cup of cold water in His name. We are not judged for sin in heaven. Be blessed, Gary
Is it possible for God to remove our most horrible sins that we do not want to remember if we ask him to remove them from our memory like it says in Isaiah 54:4 ?
Hi Amy, God has forgotten them. When we bring them up, He says, What sin are you talking about? I died for those and they are forgiven and forgotten, you forget them too. God bless, Brother Gary
This was the song we were singing at a Brethren Assembly when the burden suddenly lifted. I knew my sins were gone, I was saved.
That was November, 1965 when I was a student @ UNC Chapel Hill . It still works!
Amen!
Yes He Absolutely forgives and then forgets our sin so much that after He tells us in Micah 7 that He casts our sins into the depths of the sea, He then tells us Revelation 21 in the new earth there will be no more sea!
That is a good one, Brenda, God bless you! Brother Gary