Remember It No More (Reflection from Heb 9)

I fell unwell on a Friday morning. 

My husband, Timothy, urged me to go to the clinic to see the doctor. But in my stubbornness (and refusal to take medicine), I ignored his advice. 

Came Saturday morning, I was down with slight fever yet I still refused to go see the doctor, again ignoring Timothy's advice. I spent Saturday feeling really tired and not fully well. I slept and took vitamin C, thinking and praying for the unwell feeling to go away. 

Came Sunday midnight, I awoke in the middle of the night with a high fever, cold shivers and body ache all over. It was a horrible experience - burning hot on the head (face and forehead especially) yet shivering cold uncontrollably. 

I took Panadol but still felt really sick. Needless to say, I had a restless night and only fell back asleep at dawn. 


Because of that, I couldn't get up to go church the next day. And my husband stayed home to take care of me and to bring me to the clinic once I regained some strength to get out of bed. 


Now, all through that Sunday, I was remorseful and all I could think of was how much I regretted my decision for not listening to Timothy. 

If I had gone to the clinic earlier, perhaps I would be well enough by Sunday. And the entire family could have been in church and had a great time worshiping and fellowshipping in the house of God. 

Not only that, he wouldn't have to take care of a really sick wife and care for the children at same time.

I apologised. 

I thanked. 

Profusely. 


But my husband was not upset or disappointed at all. Not one bit. 

All he wanted was for me to be well.

He reassured me, telling me not to feel regret or guilt. 

He didn't want my repeated apologies nor any proof of regret and determination to never repeat the same mistake in future.

He took care of me and simply love on me.


All he wanted was my well-being. 


It dawned on me that Sunday as I pondered on this.

God had ordained and designed husband and wife to be a picture of Christ and His Bride.

Husbands are to be to his wife how Christ is to His Bride, the church. 


I reflected on this truth - 

If my earthly husband loves on me like this, not wanting to punish me nor making me feel guilty over something I've done but simply, fully want the best for me, how much more my Lord? 



What my husband showered on me and showed me was merely a fraction of what my Jesus has done for me. 

When He died on the Cross, when He bore my griefs and carried my sorrows (Isa 53:4), when He  was wounded for my transgressions, bruised for my iniquities, chastised for my peace (Isa 53:5), when He healed me by His stripes (Isa 53:5), He did not, in turn, wish to inflict punishment on me nor did he accomplished all that so that I will feel guilty and remorseful for what I put Him through.


I had been reflecting on the truth from Heb 9:14 recently. 

how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?


You see, when I fell sick after ignoring my husband's advice, I was filled with remorse and guilt. And while I wallowed in regret and guilt, my heart was restless and I couldn't rest. I couldn't recover. It was only after repeated reassurances from my husband that I was able to let go of and put away my self-condemnation and guilt. And rest and recover. 

But the fact is I was the one condemning myself. My husband, on the other hand, simply wanted me to be well. He wasn't upset with me at all. 


Beloved in Christ, similarly, the Lord does not condemn us. He did more than just taking away our sin, sanctifying us and obtaining for us an eternal redemption (Heb 9:12-13). 

He purifies our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God (Heb 9:14, NLT).

He does not want us to live in any consciousness of what we did or of who we were. He has cleansed our conscience from dead works (Heb 9:14, NKJV). 


O beloved in Christ, He doesn't remember them (our old man) anymore. Why should we remember them or dwell in them still? 

We are a new being in Him. 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new (2 Cor 5:17). 


We are a new creation. Not a modified creation. 

Old things have passed away - the reality, the memory and the consciousness of it! 

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