Remember!

"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain." (I Corinthians 15: 1, 2 KJV)

Salvation is connected with the Christian "keeping in memory" certain things he has been taught of the Lord in his salvation and conversion experience. There is the danger that some professing Christians will not remember, but will rather forget what they have been taught, witnessed, or experienced. So many do "lose sight of" certain things, failing to keep always in mind certain basic truths and godly principles that are necessary for his well being and salvation. Thus it is part of God's purpose, in the preaching and teaching of his servants, to improve the memory of his people.

"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." (John 14: 26 KJV)

The Holy Spirit not only instructs to salvation, but he also works in the believer to help him keep in memory the blessed truths of the gospel, the teachings he needs in order to live the Christian life. The Holy Spirit has several ways in which he works on the spiritual memories of the Christian. The Holy Spirit sends teachers to instruct the Christian in ways to improve his spiritual memory skills.

As in the natural realm, certain things are learned and are not easily forgotten. One, for instance, learns that 2+2=4, and this is not a lesson that is easily lost from memory, except in cases of brain damage. One might could even argue, that one cannot unlearn or forget such basic truths that have been forever "burned into" our memories.

Other lessons, however, such as complex math equations, are learned and then quickly forgotten. To remember these higher and more complex truths, one must regularly practice the keeping of them in memory.

So too, in scripture, and in the lives of the Lord's born again people, they have truths taught to them, and burned into their spiritual memories, that they will never forget. So Christians are often heard to sing such songs of praise where they will say - "I shall never forget the day," referring to the day when they were married to the Lord, or were miraculously saved. However, there are other truths and experiences that are not so easily kept in memory.

"Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth...Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance...Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance." (II Peter 1: 12, 13, 15 KJV)

"This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour: Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts." (II Peter 3: 1-3 KJV)

A "good minister" is one who does as Peter and makes it a leading part of his ministerial work to help Christians remember the teachings of the word of God, to help the Christian have more of the word of God to be burned and permanently impressed into the memory.

"If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained." (I Timothy 4: 6 KJV)

Notice that the things to be remembered are the "words" of faith, and the "words" of "good doctrine." The bible teacher helps people recall the words of scripture, and helps them memorize verses, and reminds them of truths they seem to have forgotten.

Notice also how, even in the Old Testament, a leading part of the work of the prophet and priest, was in reminding the people of things that were being forgotten.

"Be ye mindful always of his covenant; the word which he commanded to a thousand generations." (I Chronicles 16: 14 KJV)

"But thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt." (Deuteronomy 24: 18 KJV)

Thankfully, by the grace of God, some of the Israelites where men and women of faith, and did remember. But, most of them, tragically, were remembering things that they ought to have forgotten, and forgetting things they ought to have remembered.

"And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick: But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes." (Numbers 11: 4-6 KJV)

This is sometimes seen in the lives of professing Christians. They are (seemingly) delivered from bondage to sin, and given new memories, and then, for one reason or another, they seem to have forgotten things they ought to have remembered, and they start remembering things they ought to have forgotten.

This is why we hear Paul say such things as these to the early Christians - "What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death." (Romans 6: 21 KJV) Apparently, when a Christian is tempted to sin, and then does sin, he is suffering from temporary spiritual "amnesia," obviously forgetting what are the awful consequences (fruit) of sin and disobedience. We might say that the Christian, when he sins, has a spiritual "lapse in memory."

Why did the Israelites not remember the hard bondage? Why do professing Christians, when they commit sin, forget the misery connected with sin?

"Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them." (Ecclesiastes 12: 1 KJV)

Oh how many fail in this memory test! How tragic that only a very few remember the Lord, their Creator, in the "days of their youth"! How sad that they do not "seek God early."

"Those that seek me early (in life, in the day, etc.) shall find me," says Wisdom, says Lord God. (Proverbs 8: 17 KJV) Jeremiah said - "It is good for a man that he bear the yoke (of Christ - Matt. 11: 30) in his youth." (Lamentations 3: 27 KJV)

Oh yes, after the sin is committed, and after the consequences are painfully experienced, then the backsliding Christian recalls the warnings that he had been given! Then he remembers the divine instruction he had received!

"Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me. This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope." (Lamentations 3: 19-21 KJV)

"When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple." (Jonah 2: 7 KJV)

Oh that Christians would never forget their state in sin before they received pardon, justification, and soul cleansing from the Lord! Oh that they would never forget the misery connected with sin and disobedience! Here is a good presecription for improving spiritual memory!

When Christians fall into sin, they are remembering the "pleasures of sin" (Hebrews 11: 25), and not recalling the misery and the grief connected with those sinful delights.

"Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent." (Revelation 2: 5 KJV)

Here is another prescription. The elect will heed them, the hypocrite will not. Those professing Christians who heed the above words have their "backslidings healed." (Hosea 14: 4)

Involved in this recovery and restoration of the fallen Christian, is his spiritual memory being reworked. Truly God is the manager of the memory database of the Christian, and it is both the responsibility of God and of the Christian, in that order, to properly manage the data stored in the soul's "memory banks."

"Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee." (Revelation 3: 3 KJV)

Another prescription that involves forgetting certain things and remembering others! God help us in regard to this work of keeping the memory faculties in proper use, rather than in abuse!

"My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches." (Psalm 63: 5, 6 KJV)

"I remembered thy judgments of old, O LORD; and have comforted myself...I have remembered thy name, O LORD, in the night, and have kept thy law." (Psalm 119: 52, 55 KJV)

"If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy." (Psalm 137: 6 KJV)

Remembering good times and past blessings, and recognizing their present existence, brings such a good feeling to the soul and pleasant thoughts to the mind! It is like the good feeling one gets when experiencing positive nostalgia. Oh how many love to revert back in their minds to childhood! Both naturally and spiritually.

"Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly." (Matthew 26: 74, 75 KJV)

But, memory and nostalgia can be painful too! And, just like some medicines, which are painful to take, though it be for our salvation, so too can memory be bad and unhealthy in one sense, and yet be good and healthy in another sense.

Jesus said, in the verse above in John, that the Comforter would bring scripture to the minds of the disciples, and the words he had spoken to them during his years in public ministry. Notice all these instances where the Holy Spirit performed this work in the minds of the disciples.

"And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened? Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember? When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve." (Mark 8: 17-19 KJV)

"And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again." (Luke 24: 5-7 KJV)

"And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise. And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up. " (John 2: 16, 17 KJV)

"Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body. When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said." (John 2: 19-22 KJV)

"On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt. These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him." (John 12: 12-16 KJV)

"And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning. Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost." (Acts 11: 15, 16 KJV)

This is, in fact, one of the chief ways that the Lord "speaks to" his people. He brings the words of scripture to their minds at just the point where they need to be reminded of the specific message in the particular scriptures that are brought to mind.

"I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive." (Acts 20: 25 KJV)

"Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel: Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound." (II Timothy 2: 8, 9 KJV)

"And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come." (I Corinthians 11: 24-26 KJV)

"Remember Lot's wife." (Luke 17: 32 KJV)

Are the things mentioned in the above verses surely not things that are worth remembering? That bring great benefits in remembering?

"He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the LORD is gracious and full of compassion." (Psalm 111: 4 KJV)

"Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee." (Isaiah 26: 8 KJV)

"Because thou hast forgotten the God of thy salvation, and hast not been mindful of the rock of thy strength..." (Isaiah 17; 10 KJV)

Friend, how is your spiritual memory? Have you forgotten God?