We’ve all made mistakes and done things we’re not proud of, but we don’t have to let our past hold us back in life. When we got born again and received new identities in Christ, old things passed away and we became new creatures in Him. Life changed drastically for us, and we exchanged our old existence for abundant, joyful lives in Christ. We no longer have to let our past paralyze us from moving ahead into our future.
The apostle Paul refused to let his past hold him back from fulfilling God’s plan for him. Paul’s personal history was one of energetically persecuting and killing Christians. After his personal encounter with Jesus, Paul refused to associate with his old self. He could truthfully say he had wronged no man.
Despite his previous actions, Paul received God’s mercy and grace. The unmerited favor God showed Paul changed Paul’s life and made him a powerful minister of the Word. He wrote to the church at Philippi that although he hadn’t yet achieved perfection, he was pressing on toward the future and forgetting what lay behind. Paul had a past, but he refused to live there.
Likewise, it’s just as vital for us to forget what’s behind us. The devil is an expert at trying to tie us down to our pasts and reminding us of our sins. Our futures are on the line, and he doesn’t want us to know that God’s plans for us are of peace, not evil, to give us a hopeful future. God tells us to forget the former things because He’s about to do a new thing in our lives; if we’re willing to let go of our past, we’re free to reach out and claim our future.
Prayer:
God, when we became your children, our past became far less important than our future. You want the best for us, and Your plans for us are all good. Thank You for giving us hope through Your Son. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Scriptures:
- 2 Corinthians 5:17
- Acts 8:3
- 2 Corinthians 7:2
- 1 Timothy 1:12-14
- Philippians 3:12-14
- Jeremiah 29:11
- Isaiah 43:18, 19