Forgetting the Past

Good morning and welcome in today. Today we’re going to take a look at a passage of scripture but before we do that I wanted to ask you a question.

Do you remember everything that you learned in high school? There are certain classes that I took like algebra for example that I can’t remember anything about today. I’ve completely forgotten about how to do the equations and work out the problems on paper.

To forget something means to put out of one’s mind; to cease to think of or consider,or to fail to remember. The Apostle Paul learned in his life to forget the past.

Phil 3:13-14

¹³ Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

¹⁴ I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

The Apostle Paul had converted to Christianity at one point in his life. In the past he was a Pharisee who was persecuting the Christian church but later realized that he was wrong and began to help plant churches. The Lord Jesus forgave him completely.

When we get forgiven with God we need to forget what’s behind us because God forgives and forgets our past. Instead of constantly looking behind us we need to keep our eyes focused on what’s in front of us.

Like a child who is learning to ride a bicycle, in the church we are learning how to become pleasing unto God. We may fall down a few times and make mistakes along the way, but God lifts us up with His grace so that we can get back up and try it again. Remember that even the Apostle Peter made some mistakes but Christ completely forgave him.

A born again Christian begins by taking baby steps, just like a child who’s learning how to walk. When they fall down occasionally a parent will pick them up to try again. When we confess our sins to God He can forgive us so that we can get back up and try walking once again.

When we admit our faults to God he ceases to hold them against us. It’s like a blackboard of sin that he completely wipes clean with an eraser. When God forgives us he completely forgets our past misdeeds. If you’re constantly dwelling on the past you can’t focus on the future.

As I’ve said numerous times before, the world’s concept of forgiveness is very shallow because some people claim to forgive you but they keep bringing up things from the past over and over again. That’s really not biblical forgiveness.

The truth is that when we confess our sins to God he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all of our unrighteousness. When we confess and admit sin, he forgives and he forgets them. This is so we can do His will.

Because God forgets our past misdeeds we should be able to forgive one another in the church in the same manner. God wants us to forget the past as He does.

Isaiah 43:18-19 – Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.

When we are baptized into the death of Jesus Christ we rise up out of the water to a new life. In that one act of faith, our past sins are forgiven and forgotten by God. Each of us become new creatures.

2 Corinthians 5:17 – Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Our God is so merciful that when He forgives us, He ceases to remember our wrongs anymore.

Isaiah 43:25 – I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.

In the Old Testament there was a remembrance of sins every year but in the New Testament, God completely forgives and forgets our sins by cleansing our hearts and our consciences through the blood of Christ.

Hebrews 8:12

“For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.”

Hebrews 10:17

“And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.”

Jer 31:33-34

³³ But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

³⁴ And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

When God forgives and forgets our past sins we need to as well.

Micah 7:19

¹⁹ He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

Forgivin sinners need not look behind them but focus on the path in front of them.

Ps 103:12

¹² As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

God forgives us of our past misdeeds so that we can change our lives and do a 180 and serve him. Instead of dwelling on the past we need to focus on how we can serve him today.

Let’s think about those things for right now and Lord willing we’ll talk to you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.❤

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