Will we remember our sins in Heaven? This is an interesting question many people ask, and there are multiple views on the answer. Of course, ultimately, it will either be yes, no, or "a little bit". Personally, I fall on the "no" side, believing that we will remember that we were sinners, but not so much the sin itself.
But there are other answers, which I find quite respectable. For example, when he was asked this question, Todd Friel of Wretched Radio suggested there are two problems with the idea that we won't: 1. God would have to give us a mind wipe, which we don't read about in the Bible, and 2. "Why would we know less in Heaven than we know on Earth?" Furthermore, in his view, and I'll state I believe he is thoroughly correct in this point, one of the ways we come to love God is by understanding His grace. As we grow in our understanding of sin, therefore, we grow in our understanding (and our love) of Him. This, he says, is a recurring thread throughout the Bible.
He is, of course, absolutely right. The mercy God shows to sinners, even the reward He gives us for Christ's righteousness, is absolutely a recurring theme throughout the Bible. In fact, if you ignore that one theme, I dare say the Bible would be little more than a leaflet. The question we must ask, however, is whether that means we will remember our sins?
First, let us back up Todd's view with scripture. Friel poses an important question: Why would we know less in Heaven than we do on Earth? This fits perfectly with 1 Corinthians 13:8-13: "Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love."
This verse clearly tells us that we will know more in Heaven than we do on Earth. However, I reject Friel's conclusion that this means we will remember our sins in Heaven. Let us use this same scripture to address the "common theme" argument.
Just as mercy is a common theme in the Bible, so also are hope and faith. In fact, without faith, we cannot be saved. Likewise, hope is vital. In this passage, we are told to abide in these three things, the greatest of which is love. But I'm about to say something shocking: Love is the only one of these things which will endure into Heaven. Why? Because God will always love us, and we will always love Him. This will only grow stronger. But as Paul says i Romans 8:24, "For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?" Faith famously follows the same concept. In Hebrews 11:1, we read "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
Now, God's love endures forever, but in time, the hope we hold on to will be fulfilled, and the God we believe without seeing, we will "know as we have been known". Therefore, while they are essential aspects on Earth, they will have served their purpose in the Kingdom. They are an essential part of our relationship with God now, but will not be so in Heaven.
I have no doubt that God's mercy and grace will be important in the Kingdom. In fact, I am under the impression the Lord will forever bear some form of scarring from the cross. Perhaps even, as He showed to Thomas, He will allow us to examine the wounds. In my mind, there is no way we will ever forget the mercy the Lord has shown us. But just as faith and hope, if they are present at all, will take a different form in the Kingdom, I believe so also will mercy and grace.
I will conclude this article with scripture to back up my view, but before I do so, I want to give an analogy. In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul says "When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things." This is not the only time scripture compares our spiritual maturity with our physical maturity. In fact, we are told we cannot inherit the Kingdom of God unless we become as children (Matthew 18:3).
As adults, we have a far greater understanding than we did as children. Throughout our infancy, many things were vital for our relationship with our parents. In fact there are many things we don't even fully understand that affect the development of our relationship. But as adults, we don't remember our childhood very clearly. The earliest I've ever been told anyone can remember is from when they were 3 years old. I know less as an adult than I did as a child. As a child, I lived it, but as an adult, I have forgotten it. I don't even know certain facts about my life, such as whether I was breast or bottle fed.
Yet, I now know things I couldn't have even understood as a child. I know how I was created, how and where I was formed (as opposed to the "you were in my tummy"), I know why I wasn't allowed to eat candy for every meal, I know why I was supposed to obey my parents. It is not essential for me to remember that I pooped on my mother moments after I was born for me to love her for loving me in spite of that.
With that out of the way, I want to address the claim that we don't read about a "mind swipe" in the Bible. Of course, I do believe it is more complex than a mind wipe. It's not a red flash from a man in black. Rather, it is simply the Lord intentionally removing that which tarnished our relationship. Observe: "“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind." - Isaiah 65:17. Now, if, in the new heavens and the new earth, the former shall neither be remembered nor come to mind, it seems to me unfathomable that the most painful aspects of it shall be remembered.
Therefore, it is my belief that while we will remember that we were sinners, forever reminded of God's grace, we will not specifically remember our sin. We will undoubtedly understand what sin is, and know the lengths to which the Lord went to save us from it, but to remember sin itself just doesn't seem to fit with the promise we have of forgiveness, which includes God Himself "forgetting" our sins (Hebrews 10:17).