The older people get, the more forgetful they become. That’s a fact of life. It can be depressing when we begin to lose our memory. My wife and I humorously remind each other that as we get older we can watch our favorite movies over and over again as if seeing them for the first time. We have forgotten all the plots and dialogue since we watched them last.
What about in heaven? Will our memories of earth, especially bad ones, be wiped from our consciousness? We all have memories that are painful to recall. Perhaps it is a loss of a loved one that brings back deep sorrow, even after many years have gone by. Or it could be a memory of an embarrassing situation that haunts us every time we are reminded of it. Then there are sins that we have committed that we completely regret. Will these be in our memory for eternity?
In the Old Testament, King David of Israel secretly committed adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of a man named Uriah, a soldier in David’s army. Bathsheba became pregnant, so David made arrangements for Uriah to be placed in the very front lines of battle, and he was killed. Then David took Bathsheba as his wife, and the pregnancy was thought to be the outcome of their new marriage. But David’s murder and adultery were exposed by a prophet of God. Later the story was recorded in Scripture for millions of people to read, even to this day.
Will God in eternity do away with some of the stories of Scripture? Isaiah claimed, “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever” (Isa. 40:8). We will always know about David’s sin, and he himself will always remember that he acted wickedly. But these sins will be remembered in light of the grace God gave David in forgiving him. How will we fully be able to appreciate Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross for us unless we remember our sins?
Will the apostle Paul remember who he was as a nonbelieving Jewish man? Or will his memory be wiped clear of the fact that he himself said he “was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man” (1 Tim. 1:13)? How will we understand who Paul is in heaven if we can’t associate him with his persecution of the early Christian church before he came to faith? This is part of his identity. How could we remember this in heaven, but not Paul? Will we not remember that Peter denied Jesus three times on earth? Could we remember this but not Peter? Will this incident be expunged from the memory of the other disciples? All this seems unlikely.
It seems clear that not all memories, if any, are erased in heaven. It is more likely that God will heal all our memories by expanding our knowledge, rather than decreasing our memory. Because of our sin on earth, we have learned many valuable life lessons while alive. These important lessons will not vanish or be lost but will be expanded in eternity.
In heaven, God may give us unforeseeable explanations for our sorrows that we could never have seen on earth. Look at the underside of a skillfully woven quilt. The patchwork seems shabby and the stitching is odd. There is no clear image or attractive design. But on the topside, the quilt is absolutely beautiful with matchless artistry. God in heaven is weaving a quilt. We are on the underside. Not all of life makes sense. But one day we will be on the heaven side of the quilt, viewing the sovereign but marvelous handiwork of God. We will be satisfied with both the love and justice of God.
John pictured a group in heaven who will be martyred on earth. He pictured how God “will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (Rev. 7:17). Be assured of this. In eternity, all sorrow will be gone. All righteous desire for revenge will be satisfied. All conviction, all regrets, and all embarrassment for our own sins will be taken away. There will be only thanksgiving for Jesus’ cleansing of our guilt. Nothing will rob us of the most stupendous joy the earth has ever known.
FOR FURTHER STUDY
Isaiah 43:18; 65:16–18; Jeremiah 31:34; Luke 16:25; Hebrews 10:17; 1 Peter 1:25; Revelation 21:4