As we continue our Q&A session the next question is, “Will we remember our lives when we’re in heaven?” I want to address this question from the perspective of what we will ultimately remember in eternity. By this I’m referring to what we’ll remember after we face judgment before Christ as believers and receive our heavenly rewards.

In the “After Party” series we reflected on the passages in the Bible that speak of all believers standing before Jesus and receiving rewards in Heaven based on our action in life. Paul speaks to this issue in his second letter to Corinth, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” (2 Corinthians 5:10) Again, we don’t stand before Jesus to be judged as to our entrance into Heaven. This judgment speaks to rewards that we receive from Christ. However, we will reflect at this time on the totality of our lives and therefore will remember everything about our lives during this judgment.

After we stand before Christ at this judgment the question of our memories then becomes an interesting theological discussion. Those who claim that we will, from that point on, forget the sins of the past, refer to the passage in Revelation that states, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:4) Therefore, the argument goes, we cannot possibly remember sin and tragedy if we will live a life without tears or sadness. After all, how could we remember the tragedies of life and not experience sadness?

Paul helps us here a great deal. Paul commend s believers to forget the past when he write to Philippi, “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14) Yet, he tells the Ephesian church to remember their former lives: “Remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh...were at that time separated from Christ.” (Ephesians 2:11-12) Even though Paul is speaking here about our earthly lives while we’re still on the earth, we can draw form this some application to eternity.

Paul seems to condone the forgetting or remembering of life’s circumstances based not on the condition of “bad” or “good,” or even the remembrance of “righteous” acts and forgetting “sin.” Instead, he implores us to remember the moments in our lives that remind us of God’s love and leads us to worship him. So, if the memory of a tragedy leads us to worship God, then we’ll remember it. If the event does nothing to increase our appreciation or worship of God then we may forget.

I say “may” because it is not clear exactly how our memories will work and yet it seems clear that we will remember at least most of our lives. In other words, the memory of our earthly lives will continue, but it will be altered in light of being in a resurrected state free from sin and death and being in perfect fellowship in the presence of Jesus.

Carpe Deum! (Seize God!),
Todd Phillips