Originally Posted by Tj3
This is a good question, and one which I think is on the minds of many people. Let me address a few points/questions which are raised in each of the verses and then I would like to add some comments at the end.
Romans 8:1
Let's also look at Romans 8:2, which I believe brings some clarity to the context:
Rom 8:2-5
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
NKJV
I believe that this passage is a reflection of what Paul was teaching in Gal 3:19-25. Many people depend upon the law and the keeping of the law (i.e. doing good works) for their salvation, but those who do are lost because Romans 3:23 tells us that they have failed. That law, the law of works is intended to show us that we cannot be saved that way and that its purpose is to point us to Christ, through whom, when we are saved, we receive the indwelling of the Spirit, and we receive life, and can live according to the intent of the law.
Gal 5:17-19
18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
NKJV
Therefore, those who try to live by the law are already condemned under the law, but we who are saved, are not condemned by the law because we are no longer under the law, but we are led by the Spirit.
Isaiah 43:25 / Phil 3
Though this is regarding Israel, there is much in scripture which speaks of Israel which can also be applied, in a prophetic sense, to believers, since we see God's character revealed in how He deals with and has dealt with Israel. I do believe that in fact God does "forget" our sins and they will be remembered no more - we have that promise in the NT also:
Heb 10:16-18
16 "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them," 17 then He adds, "Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." 18 Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.
NKJV
In reality, God does not "forget" in the sense that He loses the memory, but rather He chooses to forget because when He looks at us after we have been saved, He does not see our sin, but He see the righteousness of Christ which has been imputed to us (Rom 4:22-25). It is His righteousness, not ours.
Now to the key point - why are our deeds brought back up if they are forgotten? Each and every person is brought before the judgment seat. For those who are unsaved, I believe that it is clear why their deed are judged:
Jude 15
15 to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him."
NKJV
As indicated previously, there are only two ways to get to heaven - be perfect and never sin and be saved under the law, or be saved through receiving Christ as Saviour and through His righteousness. The first approach is a non-starter. Only one man has even led a perfect sinless life and that is Christ, therefore for those who choose to live without Christ, they are judged under the law, by the deeds that they have done. We know their fate.
For those who are saved, we know what our fate will be, but the deeds still matter. The sins are all covered so, for us, it is not our sins that will be judged - they have all been washed, but rather it is those deed done for him. Throughout scripture we find that those who are saved receive crowns for different things:
Crown of Rejoicing: 2 Tim 4:8
Crown of Life: James 1:12
Crown of Glory: 1 Pet 5:4
Crown of Life: Rev 2:10
There may be others. But the glory all belongs to Him, and from what I read in scripture, I believe that the end result, after the judgement will be that we will take these crowns and cast them at the feet of Him who deserves the glory:
Rev 4:9-11
9 Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying:
11 "You are worthy, O Lord,
To receive glory and honor and power;
For You created all things,
And by Your will they exist and were created."
NKJV
So the judgement of the deeds of those who are saved, I believe will be a judgement of what we have done for Him, not a remembrance of the sins which were covered by blood of Christ.
