While I was listening to the local Christian radio station on the way home, Jon Courson touched on Hebrews 8:12:
For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more. (NIV)
Courson said, "Man cannot do this. We have the capacity to forgive, but not to forget. Only God can actually erase His own memory, and truly not remember your sins."
Now I'm a Biblical literalist, but this makes no sense to me. Even Biblical literalists believe that the authors of Scripture used figures of speech, such as hyperbole, and I'd always assumed that this was one such example. To take this literally makes no sense to me alongside the doctrine of God's omniscience.
CARM agrees with my view, too. So does every preacher I've heard up until today. They all teach that it means He will not hold our forgiven sins against us. His judgement will be as if He doesn't remember them.
But if a nationally syndicated preacher can make this claim, it leaves me to wonder if his take on this is common.
My question isn't whether or not this is hyperbole or if God can really wipe His own memories.
What I'm interested in knowing is whether or not this is a common view/teaching, or supported by established traditions or denominations.