Deliverance from the Past
Dearly beloved of God, if we are to live a more abundant life in Christ Jesus, we must put the past in a casket, bury it, and leave it in the grave. “Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching for those things which are before we must press toward the mark for the prize of the upward calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
Each of us has to decide if we will carry around the baggage of the past with us day by day, or if we will press toward the mark for the prize of the upward calling of God in Christ Jesus.
The Apostle Paul lost what most people would consider to be success, but he counted all that had previously been a gain to him as a natural man as loss for Christ.
“Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for Whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, not having mine own righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ: that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; if by any means I might attain unto the [out] resurrection of the dead.”
On one side of the ledger Paul cited his achievements in the flesh. On the other side of the ledger was the knowledge of Christ Jesus the Lord, and his accomplishments: justification, the power of his resurrection from the dead, his identification with him, and his hope of the out-resurrection from the dead.
Paul considered whatever was previously gain to him, as loss for Christ. He counted all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus his Lord. He counted them as dung.
He pressed toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. We should be thus minded, dearly beloved.
At the end of the chapter he writes, “For our citizenship is in heaven, from where we look and patiently wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.”
How did the Apostle Paul overcome his past; his unworthiness in the flesh, his past sins, his past persecution of the Church?
He kept his mind fixed on who he was in Christ, and the hope of his calling. If he could overcome his past certainly we can overcome our past, also.
Forget what is behind, and reach for what lies ahead. You cannot forget by trying to forget; you forget by pressing toward the mark by living every day as though Christ could return today.
You cannot live in the past, with your thoughts on auto play, looping over and over on your past losses, your past sins, your past failures, your past hurt, your past unworthiness, your past regrets, or on anything else that is past.
We were justified freely by God's grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. God set him forth to be the payment for our sins to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through His forbearance.
God does not bring up your past sins and throw them in your face to remind you of your unworthiness, so stop thinking about them, and think like Paul thought; imitate him as a model.
Let go of the past, and press toward the mark for the prize of the upward calling of God in Christ Jesus. Renew your mind to the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus the Lord, and his accomplishments. Be fully persuaded of who you are in Christ, and of the hope of his calling, and live in this reality.
The Dead Sea is dead because it has no outlet. Think of how you can give such as you have to minister to others. Get outside of yourself, and give of yourself. Give the love of God to those in need. Give the Word of God to those who need to hear it. Give forgiveness to those who have hurt you. Give compassion to those in need, give service that needs to be done. Give your all in the contest that deserves your all. Let us not love in word only, but in action and truth.
Dearly beloved of God, present yourself a living sacrifice, holy, well-pleasing to God, which is your logical divine service as a child of God. Walk in the newness of life you received in the new birth. Serve in the newness of the spirit. Instead of past thinking, say, "Father what may I do for you today?"
Live in the complete new birth reality that is yours in Christ, which includes your sonship rights, your privileges as a child of God, and the spiritual ability you received in the new birth. This is your reality now, dearly beloved of God. Live in this reality, not in the past.