Question: “Is there any way for me to forget my past sins? I read Hebrews 9:14 that the blood of Christ purges our conscience. I believe the Word of God without question, but why does my past evil behavior keep popping up in my head?”
Answer: Sin always brings bondage. I believe the reason we are plagued with the memory of our former behavior and sinful choices is because it is the nature of sin. We do not have to live in bondage to those memories but there are “scars” that we put upon ourselves. King David was forgiven of his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband, Uriah (2 Samuel 12:13-14). His forgiveness did not erase the consequences of losing a child, rebellion in his family, and the violent death of three other sons. God forgave David but there were still “scars”. Sin is wicked and it carries a lot of mental anguish. Now, we have a sin-bearer in Jesus Christ. 1 John 2:1-2 says that He is our advocate. We do not have to be plagued by our sins. When those painful memories come up, we can do as Paul did, and thank God for Jesus Christ, Who has delivered us from this body of death (Romans 7:24-25). Isn’t good to know that those sins are long gone, removed as far as the east is from the west (Psalms 103:12)?