THE PAST IS PAST

19th May 2024

THE PAST IS PAST

Romans 8 v 1 – So now the case is closed. There remains no accusing voice of condemnation against those who are joined in life-union with Jesus, the Anointed One (TPT).

The finished works of Christ say we have been forgiven. So, why do we find it so hard to forgive ourselves? We condemn ourselves and convince ourselves that the words in our heads are the Lord accusing us of the sins we have committed before we knew Him; but Romans 8:1 says otherwise. As long as you are in Christ Jesus, you are forgiven, no more condemned, and liberated!

In fact, we have a cloud of witnesses cheering us on, but in order for us to complete our race and finish strong, the word of God says that we must let go of every wound that has pierced us and the sin that we so easily fall into (Hebrews 12 v 1, TPT). We must pray against every arrow tip of the past that is stopping us from running our race in freedom. The Lord has designed your life for His glory, everything the enemy planned for evil for you, God has, and will continue to turn it around for your good (Genesis 50 v 20 NKJV). Such was the story of Joseph when his brothers wanted to kill his dreams and silence his destiny.

However, God used his past of pain & betrayal and turned it into prosperity and influence to rescue the same people that wanted him dead (Genesis 37 – Genesis 50).

Can you imagine what Saul who turned into Paul was going through after he met Jesus? The guilt and shame of his past from being the advocate for the death of the followers of Christ. He approved of the death of Stephen, which began a great wave of persecution against the Church (Acts 8 v 1). He was a terrorist, a murderer and a persecutor of Christ – the very same Christ who later revealed himself to Saul and wiped away his past, giving him a new name – Paul.

The Bible relates to the pain of our past in so many ways – there are multiple Bible characters who suffered with the guilt and shame of the past. 1 John 3 v 20 (TPT) puts it clearly ‘Whenever our hearts make us feel guilty and remind us of our failures, we know that God is much greater and more merciful than our conscience, and He knows everything there is to know about us’.

Therefore, there is a greater power above the condemnation of our hearts, He is our Father, Our Lord, the One who is more merciful and greater than our conscience. Beloved, the past is past. Jesus wants us to move forward in forgiveness, freedom, and boldness towards our future. This will allow us to finish strong.

Confession:
The past is past. I move forward in forgiveness, freedom, and boldness. I experience the mercy of God, and I thrive in fulfilling my destiny without the chains of guilt from my past holding me back.