Don’t Look Back
But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13
What does Paul mean “forgetting what is behind?” Does this mean we forget Jesus on the cross? Should we forget what the Lord has done in our life and never give our testimony? The memory of the righteous is blessed, But the name of the wicked will rot. (Proverbs 10:7) Obviously there are things in our pasts we are to remember, but we use these past events to help us strain forward.
We remember the past with reference to how the Lord has changed us, and we look at the past in light of eternity. For example I just recently visited a friend who I hadn’t seen in almost 50 years. It was very nostalgic remembering our teenager years because we are now in our seventies. Remembering our past together and the years since we have seen each other was great pleasure, however it brought to mind how fleeting my life has been. I remember the things we did, and I compared the thoughts and feelings in those days to my thoughts and feelings today. How the Lord has changed me almost brought me to tears while my friend and I were reviewing the scrapbook from the early sixties.
The Lord doesn’t want us to look at the past in any way that hinders our current and future walk with the Lord. We don’t look at the past with guilt that prevents us from moving forward, after all God has forgiven us and remembers our sins no more. The Father sent his Son to the cross to save us and remove our guilt. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! (2 Corinthians 5:17) We are a new creation in Christ, born of God, filled with the Holy Spirit, and our new life has started, because before accepting Christ our spiritual soul was dead, only the flesh was alive.
Satan wants us to remember our past and uses our guilt to convince us that God can never change us. This fills us with uncertainty about the future and creates fear in us. Using fear to pull us away from God is one of Satan’s major techniques.
Remember that you are a new creation born of God, and adopt an attitude of victory no matter what happens in life, for all things are possible for God. Read the Word, pray, fellowship with other Christians, and serve the Lord, watch as you become more Christ-like, with increasing peace, joy, love, confidence, and security. The past has gone and all things are new, and heaven is our home.
Today walk free of guilt and be free in Christ. Remember you are a new creation, filled with the Spirit, and you are in God’s family. Reflect God’s love with confidence and security to others, revealing the power of God in your life. Never forget the love the Lord has for you and that he has prepared a place for you in heaven. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. (John 14:3)
Prayer: Thank you Lord for your perfect forgiveness, for taking away all guilt from my past and making me a new creation in Christ. Guide me in the Spirit to reflect Christ with confidence and security and with a heart filled with your love. In Jesus name, Amen