We all carry past hurts, regrets, shame, and offenses—sometimes ones we replay over and over in our minds. In our daily prayer and devotional, Rachael Adams, host of The Love Offering Podcast, vividly recounts a gathering of teenage girls invited to lay down their pains on a cross and symbolically cross them out, illustrating what forgiveness looks like in radical form.
God doesn’t just pardon our sins; He erases them, choosing not to keep a record of our offenses. As long as we confess and repent, He separates our wrongdoing from us, remembering them no more. But God’s mercy is not just for our own restored relationship with Him—it’s meant to shape how we treat others. We are called to forgive as He forgave us (Colossians 3:13).
Forgiving doesn’t always mean forgetting in the sense of erasing memories. It means removing the debt, letting go of grievances, refusing to hold someone’s past mistakes against them. Liberation comes when we choose grace over bitterness, extending to others what God has extended to us.
Bible Reading
“As high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”
— Psalm 103:10–12
Key Takeaways
God’s forgiveness is complete: He removes our transgressions and doesn’t retain them.
Forgiveness is a deliberate choice—not forgetting, but no longer holding a debt against another.
Our freedom in Christ empowers us to forgive those who have wronged us.
Keeping no record of wrongs allows relationships to be renewed and hearts to be healed.
Let’s Pray Together
Lord, thank You for pardoning me and erasing my sins. Help me accept Your mercy fully and extend that same grace to others. Show me where I hold grudges or keep score of offenses. Give me strength to forgive, to release the record, and to love as You have loved me. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Related Articles:
Why Love Keeps No Record of Wrongs (Crosswalk Marriage Advice)
Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist
It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.