Forgetting the Past - Philip. 3:13
Another year has gone by in the calendar. A year, which we all would like to forget, because right from March we were under lockdown due to the Covid-19 virus. The nation came to a halt as all educational institutions, businesses, industry, all stopped working. That was a year during which many of our dear ones passed away, struck down by the virus.
However, there was a silver lining also. Almost all churches started using the latest technology to have prayers and church services online. From pulpits all over the world, preachers started warning the people that the last days were upon us, that this was one of the plagues of Revelation. However, the much awaited event-the Second Coming of Messiah, did not happen. People have forgotten the words of the scriptures in 2Pet 3:9,’The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance’.
Isaiah tells us in Isa.43:18,’ Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old….’
The Apostle Paul tells us, in Phil.3:13,’ 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.’ Paul is telling us that we need to move on, leave the past behind and press towards the goal…to be with Messiah. So what are the things which we should forget?
We have to forget past sorrow. II Sam. 12:15-23 – We read here that the prophet Nathan rebuked David for his sin in having murdered Uriah and taking Bathsheba as his wife. After Nathan left David, his son fell ill and was sick for seven days. During this time David fasted and prayed to Elohim for the child’s life. But the child died. Then David didn't dwell on his grief, he humbled himself under the hand of Elohim. In Psalm 51 he says ‘against thee, thee only have I sinned. As long as the child was alive, David hoped that Elohim may be gracious to him and revive the child. After the child’s death, David realized that it was futile for him to dwell on this subject anymore; the child could never come back to him but that he would one day go to his child. He pleads with Elohim, in Psa.51:10-11,’ Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.’ King David was willing to forget the past and pleads Elohim for His grace.
We have to forget our past glory. Job was a great man but a humble one. His riches could rival that of a king. In Job.29:1-25, Job speaks of his past glories. In this chapter Job gave an account of his former life and wished it was with him as it was then. He recollects the favours he enjoyed, the respect and regard he enjoyed from all and the power and authority he exercised over them. He stated that all this was due to the compassion and mercy he showed to the widows and fatherless, the justice he meted out as a magistrate. He realized that even though he was a good man, his past glories could not help him in the present situation.
In chap.31 Job spoke as a landowner who has not encroached on the fields of others but honestly acquired his lands, and as a farmer who has tilled it well.
We have to forget all our past achievements and esteem we enjoyed, we have to forget all the mistakes we have made, all the sorrows that we endured, because these are not going to help us in our future spiritual life.
We have to forget all past grudges. Eph 4:31-31,’Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.’ The apostle Paul is here elaborating on verse 24..And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. In his past discourses, Paul had emphasized that love is the cure for all our moral defects. Here he is telling us all negative attitudes and characteristics of man only aggravate ill-will. Malice is a bad disposition which breaks out in bitterness and wrath. Clamour is the loud self-assertion of the angry man, who wants everyone to listen to him. All these wrong qualities are to be put away, forgotten. We should instead, forgive one another. We are exhorted to be kind to one another.
We have to forget all past guilt. In I Cor. 15:9-10, Paul acknowledges that he was the least among the disciples. He admits that he persecuted the church but by the grace of Elohim, he is what he was today-a servant of Elohim, to preach the gospel. He did not let his past life as a persecutor of the church, stand in the way of his spreading the gospel. He did not drown himself in guilt. He admits that it was the grace of Elohim that made him an apostle of Messiah, and preacher of the Gospel. He would not have declared this so boldly if he was feeling guilty about his past. He did not worry about his past sins.
In our walk as a child of Elohim, we should not enter into the newness of life with the past clinging to us like so much unwanted baggage. Rom 6:4,’… like as Messiah was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.’ When we are baptized and called the children of Elohim, we should let our old life lie in the dust and we should rise to the newness of life, a new life. Let us not have anything to do with our past life which may hinder our walk with Elohim.
‘Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old….’
