As we continue our study of “Things a Christian Needs to Remember,” I want to remind all of us that “remembering” is a Biblical subject. The following quotations serve as reminders of this fact: “And you shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out of there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm…(Deut. 5:15). In the next chapter there is a great exhortation from Moses as to what the Israelites were to do in order to remember. He says there is just one God and they were to love Him “with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” He said “…these words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.” Then he said “…you shall teach them (these words) diligently to your sons and shall talk of them (these words) when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. And you shall bind them (these words) as a sign on your hand and they (these words) shall be as frontals on your forehead. And you shall write them (these words) on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (Deut. 6:4-9). God wanted His people to remember. Moses continues his exhortation by telling them when they enter the land promised by God, there would be “…great and splendid cities which you did not build, and houses full of all good things which you did not fill, and hewn cisterns which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, and you shall eat be satisfied” (Deut. 6:10-11). Moses follows that with this warning: “then watch yourself, lest you forget the LORD who brought you from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery” (6:12).
Thus these Old Testament words provide ample evidence that God wanted His people to remember how He blessed them. Now let’s consider a couple of New Testament exhortations about remembering. This first quote is from the pen of Peter: “This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the words spoken before hand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles” (2 Peter 3:1, 2). A study of the rest of this chapter will enrich one’s life. Peter closes this chapter and his letter saying “…grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen” (v. 18). Growth in “grace and knowledge” comes when we study and remember. Remembrance is seen as we put into practice that which we learn.
The second New Testament reference to “remembering” is from the pen of Jude, verse 17i: “But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. To do justice to Jude’s
epistle, we would need to study all 25 verses. Such is beyond the scope of this article on this occasion. But we clearly see the exhortation to “remember.”
Remember God, our creator. Remember we are to worship and serve Him only. Remember, a Christian is a disciple of Jesus Christ. A disciple is one who abides in the His word. Abiding in His word will greatly impact one’s ability to remember and, therefore, how we live on a daily basis.
More to follow.
— Les Ferguson Sr., S. Huntington Church of Christ
