Forgetting God in the context of works refers to the neglect or omission of acknowledging God's sovereignty, commandments, and presence in one's actions and daily life. This concept is addressed throughout the Bible, where the consequences of such forgetfulness are often depicted as leading to spiritual decline, moral decay, and divine judgment.

Biblical Instances and Warnings

The Bible frequently warns against forgetting God, emphasizing the importance of remembering His deeds, laws, and covenant. In Deuteronomy 8:11-14 , Moses cautions the Israelites: "Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God by failing to keep His commandments and ordinances and statutes which I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses in which to dwell, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud, and you will forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery."

This passage highlights the human tendency to become self-reliant and prideful in times of prosperity, leading to a forgetfulness of God's providence and commandments. The Israelites are reminded of their dependence on God and the importance of obedience to His laws as a means of maintaining their relationship with Him.

Consequences of Forgetting God

Forgetting God often results in a departure from His ways, leading to idolatry and sin. Judges 3:7 illustrates this pattern: "And the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD; they forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs." This forgetfulness led to a cycle of sin, oppression, repentance, and deliverance, demonstrating the spiritual and societal consequences of neglecting God.

The prophets also addressed the issue of forgetting God, often linking it to the moral and spiritual decline of the nation. In Hosea 4:1, 6 , the prophet declares, "Hear the word of the LORD, O children of Israel, for the LORD has a case against the inhabitants of the land: There is no truth, no loving devotion, and no knowledge of God in the land... My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you as My priests. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children."

Remembrance as a Remedy

The Bible provides guidance on how to combat the tendency to forget God. Regular remembrance of God's works and commandments is encouraged as a means of maintaining faithfulness. In Psalm 103:2 , David exhorts, "Bless the LORD, O my soul, and do not forget all His kind deeds." This act of remembrance serves as a spiritual discipline, reinforcing the believer's relationship with God and commitment to His ways.

The institution of feasts and memorials in the Old Testament, such as Passover, served as tangible reminders of God's deliverance and faithfulness. These practices were designed to instill a continual awareness of God's presence and actions in the lives of His people.

New Testament Perspective

In the New Testament, the call to remember God and His works is echoed in the teachings of Jesus and the apostles. Jesus warns against the cares of the world that can lead to spiritual forgetfulness in the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:22): "The seed sown among the thorns is the one who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful."

The apostle Paul, in his letters, frequently reminds believers of the importance of living in a manner worthy of their calling, rooted in the remembrance of Christ's sacrifice and the hope of the Gospel. In 2 Timothy 2:8 , Paul instructs, "Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David, as proclaimed by my gospel."

Forgetting God in works is a recurring theme in Scripture, serving as a cautionary tale of the spiritual dangers of neglecting God's presence and commandments. Through remembrance and obedience, believers are called to live lives that reflect their faith and dependence on God.Psalm 78:7,11
That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:
Nave's Topical Index

Psalm 106:13
They soon forgot his works; they waited not for his counsel:
Nave's Topical Index

The Origin of Idolatry is Similar. The Soul, Materialised by ...
... temporal and bodily; so turning away and forgetting that she was ... than the Creator
[116] , and deifying the works rather than the Master, God, their Cause ...
/.../athanasius/select works and letters or athanasius/section 8 the origin of.htm

That in the Time of this Word all the Creatures that ever have ...
... of unknowing is betwixt thee and thy God: but surely ... Him when thou hast no cloud
of forgetting betwixt thee ... creatures themselves, but also all the works and the ...
/.../anonymous/the cloud of unknowing/here beginneth the fifth chapter.htm

Select Works and Letters or Athanasius
... The soul, materialised by forgetting God, and engrossed in earthly things, makes
them into ... How the Word and Power of God works in His human actions: by casting ...
//christianbookshelf.org/athanasius/select works and letters or athanasius/

Written from Rome
... Day by day God works with him, perfecting the character that is to stand in ... to have
apprehended," Paul wrote; "but this one thing I do, forgetting those things ...
/.../white/the acts of the apostles/lesson 45 written from rome.htm

A Good Declaring of Certain Doubts that May Fall in this Word ...
... meditation of God's wonderful gifts, kindness, and works in any ... him to press betwixt
him and his God; although they ... him with a thick cloud of forgetting, be he ...
/.../anonymous/the cloud of unknowing/here beginneth the eighth chapter.htm

That God Only, the Creator of all Things, is to be Worshipped, and ...
... and are void of sensibility; who, when they admired the works of God, that is ... and
fountains, struck with admiration of these things, and forgetting the Maker ...
/.../lactantius/the divine institutes/chap v that god only the.htm

Abandonment to God --Its Fruit and Its Irrevocability --In what it ...
... He shall direct thy paths" (Proverbs 3:6). "Commit thy works unto the ... of ourselves,
both outwardly and inwardly, in the hands of God, forgetting ourselves, and ...
/.../chapter v abandonment to godits.htm

The Full Measure
... Thus does S. Paul say, Forgetting the things that are behind, and pressing forward
to the things that are before,' for it is ... God it is who works the works ...
/.../bevan/three friends of god/chapter xxv the full measure.htm

Letter i. The Christian's Mark.
... "Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things
which are ... indeed the work of the Holy Spirit; but the fact that God works in us ...
/.../letter i the christians mark.htm

Matt. xxiii. 1-3.
... Since they were continually forgetting God's benefits, He commanded His marvellous
works to be inscribed on little tablets, and that these should be suspended ...
/.../homilies on the gospel of saint matthew/homily lxxii matt xxiii 1-3.htm

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