| Forget the Past |
Forget the Past
I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ
Jesus.
— Philippians 3:14
Everyone who has run a race knows that you can break your stride by
looking over your shoulder to see how your opponents are doing. Many
races have been lost when the leader looked back. When you see that
finish line, you are supposed to give it everything you have, because
sometimes it is mere inches that separate one runner from another. You
must stay focused.
This is the idea behind Paul's statement in Philippians 3:13: "Brethren, I
do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting
those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things
which are ahead." Paul was saying, "Don't look back. Don't look behind
you."
When God promises, "I, even I, am He who blots out your
transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins"
(Isaiah 43:25), He is not predicting a lapse in His memory. God is
saying, "I am no longer going to hold your sin against you, because my
Son has paid for it at the cross."
Therefore, we need to do what God does: forget our past. We need to
learn from our mistakes and remember some of the bitter lessons we
have learned. But we no longer need to be controlled by our past.
That is what Paul meant by "forgetting those things which are behind. . .
. " Think about the horrible things Paul had done. He was responsible
for the death of Stephen and had to carry that in his conscience until his
final day. He knew that he was responsible for some terrible things. But
he was able to put his past in the past. And we need to do the same.
I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ
Jesus.
— Philippians 3:14
Everyone who has run a race knows that you can break your stride by
looking over your shoulder to see how your opponents are doing. Many
races have been lost when the leader looked back. When you see that
finish line, you are supposed to give it everything you have, because
sometimes it is mere inches that separate one runner from another. You
must stay focused.
This is the idea behind Paul's statement in Philippians 3:13: "Brethren, I
do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting
those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things
which are ahead." Paul was saying, "Don't look back. Don't look behind
you."
When God promises, "I, even I, am He who blots out your
transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins"
(Isaiah 43:25), He is not predicting a lapse in His memory. God is
saying, "I am no longer going to hold your sin against you, because my
Son has paid for it at the cross."
Therefore, we need to do what God does: forget our past. We need to
learn from our mistakes and remember some of the bitter lessons we
have learned. But we no longer need to be controlled by our past.
That is what Paul meant by "forgetting those things which are behind. . .
. " Think about the horrible things Paul had done. He was responsible
for the death of Stephen and had to carry that in his conscience until his
final day. He knew that he was responsible for some terrible things. But
he was able to put his past in the past. And we need to do the same.
| C4W Devotions are used by permission from Harvest Ministries with Greg Laurie P.O. Box 4000 Riverside , CA 92514 |