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. 13 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, 14 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)The greatest saint that ever lived and the greatest sinner that ever plagued this earth have one thing in common. All of the things they have done, good or bad, are in the past.
The apostle Paul knew this. In this passage, in the section right before it, he wrote about all his accomplishments in his former life before Jesus. Then he says: I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done (3:7).
They were all past, gone, of no use now in determining anything. They were in the past.
No matter how good you were, nor how bad you were, it is all in the past.
It is easy to get caught up in fearing that you have done too much for God to ever love you. It is also easy to get caught up in all the things you have done and how nothing you are doing now seems of any use to God.
Both are traps that God has not set. He says in 2 Corinthians 6:2: For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation. Right now is the time that matters.
You have to put aside all the things, good or bad, that you have done. You have to realize that no matter what great things you have done or what bad things you have done, God looks at you today, right now.
Past failure and past success can rob you of a present life. And dwelling in the past can take away your future. You get to thinking about how good it was in the past or how much better things were. Paul says to put it all aside. Right now, in God’s sight, is what matters.
That isn’t to say God does not look at your good deeds and the pattern of good things you have done (2 Timothy 1:13). He does. But just that pattern will not bring you to his presence.
To do good things and then do nothing thinking that you have it all under control is as worthless as having done bad things and thinking your life is ruined to God. Both are in the past.
And you have to put the past aside. You have to forget the past and look forward to what lies ahead.
Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). But we serve him today, not yesterday. And we will serve him tomorrow, no matter what we have done yesterday.
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