Friday, January 2, 2025
Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12-14
Turn the Page
As with any new year, we have new opportunities. A new year is an opportunity to start fresh. We tend to look at a New Year as a time to think of things we would like to accomplish. The New Year is also a time to turn the page on some things you should put behind you. To start something new, we first have to let go of the past.
Lessons From Paul on our Past
1. We all have an imperfect past.
All of us have things in our past we are ashamed of. We all have blemishes and stains that we’d just as soon no one knew about or that we’d just as soon forget. The apostle Paul was no different. He had a pretty ugly past in persecuting the body of Christ, and he probably dealt with some shame as he reflected on his past.
Paul was a "religious" guy even before he met Christ, although not a Christian. He was a Pharisee; he was an up and coming religious leader who had the trust of the religious establishment during the early days of the Church. He could quote Scripture, he attended the synagogue probably every week; he had it going. All of his religion didn’t keep him from having a past that he didn’t treasure as time went by.
You might have grown up in church, you might have been involved in church, you might have been a church leader of some sort; but just the same, you have an imperfect past. It might be imperfect because of the presence of sin in your life. It’s imperfect because you may have chosen your way over God’s way many times. Whatever it is that causes you to feel shame when you reflect is covered by the blood of Jesus and washed away when you repent and ask for forgiveness.
2. We don’t have to be a slave to that past.
Paul could have said, “Look. I put people in prison, and I voted for the death penalty for Christians I arrested. There is no hope for me, and there is no way I could ever be used by Christ.” But he insisted here that he had something worth moving on for.
Instead he looked back on the fact that Christ redeemed him from his past, and was continually working in him. He says here that in spite of his past, he was moving on. “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what’s ahead.” He recognized his past, but he refused to be a slave to it. Even now as a mature believer he knew there was more.
How many people look at their past circumstances and decide that it’s just not worth trying anymore? Way too many, that’s for sure! And Satan loves for believers to give up. Some might think they’ve got it all together and don’t need to work on strengthening their relationship with Christ. But if we look to Paul here as our example, we can see that it’s never too late, and our circumstances don’t need to stand in the way of our effectiveness for Christ.
Reflect, but then repent and lay it at the feet of Jesus where it belongs. After confession, repentance and forgiveness the past belongs in the past. As you reflect and make new commitments and goals, move forward unencumbered by the heavy weight of the past. Walk in the forgiveness and freedom that Jesus died to give us. Forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. 2 Peter 3:18
