December 31, 2023
“I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” Philippians 3:12-14
Today is the last day of 2023! What are you going to leave behind? As you reflect what will ‘you let go of’ because it’s possibly hindering you from moving forward in life and fulfilling your God-given purpose? Will you have the courage to break the patterns in your life that are no longer serving you?
This past week I was one of the guests on Dr. Mary Segar’s “Wednesday Wisdom” Podcast, along with Deborah Crowley a successful businesswoman. As Dr. Mary’s guests, we were asked to reflect on 2023 and share things/people/issues we will leave behind because they were not beneficial for us or it’s no longer adding value to our lives. She also asked us to share our approach to 2024 and what things would be new in our lives or what we would gravitate towards, i.e., new networks, new people, new opportunities, or new business endeavors.
She also shared 10 things to leave in 2023 from a recent social media post. She asked us if we agreed or disagreed with
the following: self-doubt, overthinking, self-sabotage or sabotage, procrastination, people-pleasing, low accountability, performing for acceptance and/or love neglecting intuition, expired relationships, insufficient self-care, and others. Again, will you have the courage to break the patterns in your life that are no longer serving you?
Given our theme Scripture, I wanted to focus on “forgetting” the past” as a biblical construct. Because the Scriptures, the Bible, and God’s Word are our roadmap for life and address the issues of life, I decided to consult God, the Author. Our theme Scripture gives us some insight into what we should leave in the past.
Looking at the word “forgetting,” the Apostle Paul penned in the 3rd chapter of Philippians, “forgetting” means no longer caring for, neglecting, or refusing to focus on. In my study of the brain and how God designed us, our memories store millions of pieces of information gained through our senses since birth. Some experiences are impossible to forget, and any effort to forget them only makes them more noticeable or prominent. Paul in his writing to the church at Philippi was not advising them to do a memory wipe; he was telling them not to focus on the past, but to focus on the present and the future, pressing forward toward spiritual goals and focusing on what God is doing in their lives, rather than focusing on their past.
However, we are not to forget everything in the sense of being oblivious to it. In fact, there are many times God instructs us to remember. In Deuteronomy 9:7, Moses tells the Israelites to “remember this and never forget how you aroused the anger of the Lord your God in the wilderness. From the day you left Egypt until you arrived here, you have been rebellious against the Lord.” We are encouraged to remember all God has done for us Psalm 77:11; 103:2, others who are suffering for Christ’s sake in Hebrews 13:3; and Colossians 4:18. We are to remember who and what we were before Jesus saved us in Ephesians 2:11–12; 1 Corinthians 6:9–11.
Romans 8:1 reminds us that, if we are cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ, then no judgment remains for past failures. Hebrews 8:12 tells us that, if God chooses not to remember our past sins, we can choose to set them aside as well and embrace the future God has designed just for us. He promises to those who love Him Romans 8:28; Ephesians 2:10.
Remembering the PAST Should Be ONLY to the Glory of God and for Our Spiritual Benefit.
Let’s look at What The Word of God Says ~ Why Our Past is Important?
- Out Past Influences Our Future.
In the book of 1 Samuel 7:1-17, Jacob blessed each of his sons and then predicted each one’s future. The way the men had lived played an important part in Jacob’s blessing and prophecy. Our past also affects our present and future. By sunrise tomorrow, our actions of today will have become part of the past. Yet they will already have begun to shape the future.
What actions can you choose or avoid that will positively shape your future? Samuel then took a large stone and placed it between the towns of Mizpah and Jeshanah. He named it Ebenezer-“the stone of help” for he said, “Up to this point the LORD has helped us,” 1 Samuel 7:12.
- Our Past Can Be A Reminder of God’s Grace.
1 Corinthians 10:1-13 reminds us that memorials can help us remember God’s past victories and gain confidence and strength for the present. The Israelites had great difficulty with the Philistines, but God rescued them. In response, the people set up a stone as a memorial of God’s great help and deliverance.
During tough times in our lives, we may need to remember the crucial turning points in our past to help us through the present. All these events happened to them as examples for us. 1 Corinthians 10:11 also says, “ These things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down to instruct us, on whom the ends of the ages have come.” (NRSV)
- Our Past Can Be Beneficial To Us With Helpful Lessons For Today.
Today’s pressures make it easy to ignore or forget the lessons of the past. But Paul cautions us to remember the lessons the Israelites learned about God so that we can avoid repeating their errors. From the past, we learn wise lessons of God at work. We also learn from others what worked well and what didn’t. We learn not to repeat failures and how to build on successes.
The key to remembering is to study the Bible regularly so that these lessons remind us of how God wants us to live.
Isaiah 42:23. We need not repeat their mistakes! “Who will hear these lessons from the past and see the ruin that awaits you in the future?”
Isaiah 43:18-19 says, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” God’s message to the people is to focus on the new things He is doing in our lives rather than being stuck in the past.
Deuteronomy 32:7. “Remember the days of long ago; think about the generations past. Ask your father and he will inform you. Inquire of your elders, and they will tell you.”
Psalm 78:4. “We will not hide these truths from our children but will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord.”
Now, let’s be honest, there are times we reflect on the past; however, the problem comes when we “live in the past.” In fact, regarding a past victory or pleasant memory of a loved one or experience, our minds will continually replay it over and over. Also, at the same time a past regret, tragedy, unpleasant experience, or defeat (and will if we allow it) can hang over us like a cloak, however, it should be left in the past. Modeling Paul’s writing on “forgetfulness” means we count the past as nothing. We cut the strings that tie us to that past or foregone moments.
How Do You Deal Effectively with the Hurts of the Past and Glorify God?
Whether it’s a past victory or not, nothing hinders present service quite like being stalled in another time. We MUST:
- Refuse to allow past successes to inflate our pride.
- Refuse to allow past failures to deflate our self-worth.
- Leave all regrets behind and instead adopt our new identity in Christ 2 Corinthians 5:17, which says, “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!” (NRSV) This underscores the transformative power of faith in Christ, indicating that believers should leave their old ways behind
The Hurts of the Past can be Forgotten if they are Forgiven!
Does the Bible teach us to ‘forgive and forget?’ Let’s see what it does say. First of all the phrase “forgive and forget” is not found in the Bible. However, numerous verses command us to “forgive one another” as noted in Matthew 6:14 and Ephesians 4:32. A Christian who is not willing to forgive others will find his fellowship with God hindered, in Matthew 6:15 and can reap bitterness and the loss of their reward in Hebrews 12:14-15 and 2 John 1:8.
REMEMBER: Forgiveness is a CHOICE! It is a decision of the will. Since God commands us to forgive, we must make a conscious choice to obey God and forgive. The offender may not desire forgiveness and may not ever change, but that doesn’t negate God’s desire that we possess a forgiving spirit as referenced in Matthew 5:44. Ideally, the offender will seek reconciliation, but, if not, the one wronged can still make a decision to forgive.
Psalm 51:7, 9-10. “Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me.”
Isaiah 1:18. “Come now, let us argue this out,” says the Lord. “No matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can remove it. I can make you as clean as freshly fallen snow. Even if you are stained as red as crimson, I can make you as white as wool.”
Romans 4:6-8. King David spoke of this, describing the happiness of an undeserving sinner who is declared to be righteous: “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight. Yes, what joy for those whose sin is no longer counted against them by the Lord.”
Philippians 3:13 No, dear friends, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.
Regrets are like a dirty window that keeps us from seeing clearly what is in front of us. But God is in the cleaning business. He washes away the sins of the past as well as the guilt over those sins. If He forgets them completely, so can you. It is impossible to Focus on Your Future and Glorify God While You Are Staring at Your Past!
HEART 
CHALLENGE: Do you often find yourself stuck in the past, rehearsing something that happened years ago? Is it keeping you from fulfilling your God-given purpose and glorifying HIM? What purpose is it serving in your life to remain stuck in the past and keep rehearsing and rehearsing old information? Have you asked God to work in your heart and free you from that bondage of the past?
Isaiah 43:18-19 reminds us to “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” God is saying to focus on the new things He is doing in our lives rather than being stuck in the past.
If by “forgive and forget” one means, “I choose to forgive the offender for the sake of Christ and move on with my life,” then this is a wise and godly course of action. As much as possible, we should forget what is behind and strive toward what is ahead Philippians 3:13. We should forgive each other “just as in Christ God forgave” Ephesians 4:30-32 reminds us “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption. Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.” (NRSV) We must not allow a root of bitterness to spring up in our hearts Hebrews 12:15 says, “See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble, and through it many become defiled.” (NRSV)
A REFLECTING 
HEART: Reflect on what Christ has done on the cross for us! Galatians 5:1 “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” We are warned against returning to past sinful behaviors or being enslaved by past mistakes after Christ has set us FREE!
STOP Being STUCK In The PAST And Walk In The FREEDOM CHRIST Has Provided For You!
John 8:31-37, Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, ‘You will be made free’?” Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there forever. So, if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. (NRSV)
FATHER GOD, Thank You for Your Word that provides us clear instructions on how we are not to live in the past and walk in the freedom You have already provided for us at Calvary. Help us to live by Your Word because eternity is too long to be wrong! Thank You for the freedom we have in You, in the Precious, Powerful, and Preeminent Name of Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord, Amen