Letting go of the past is, well, not so easy. Looking back over my life, I could list numerous regrets and sins which I would be ashamed to admit; in fact, some of those things have been hard to release from memory. Although I have sought God’s forgiveness from my past sins, I still find it complicated to forgive myself. How could I be so stupid? Why did I let that area slip? I knew better. This morning as I was sitting down to pray and study for my Sunday message at The Summit, something from my past popped into my head out of nowhere. At first I wondered, “Where did that come from?” In that moment, I began an honest prayer to God and claimed His forgiveness. I know God had already forgiven me, but all the memories flooded my mind again. Through the years, especially when regret plagues my soul, I have often reminded myself that the past changes for no one. The page has been turned. Yesterday is out of reach.
If your past cannot be altered, why have you been so consumed with it? Don’t get me wrong, I understand that sin brings consequences, but does God really desire for you to live in a continual state of regret for things you cannot change? I really do not think so. Once you have turned from sin (repented) and received God’s forgiveness, you must release the sin. Isaiah wrote concerning this very topic, “All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all” (Isaiah 53:6).
Listen, you have done some terribly stupid things in the past. So have I. God knew you would break His commandments and sometimes stray away from Him, so He took drastic measures 2,000 years ago when He treated His own Son, Jesus, as if He had committed those sins you actually committed. Those very sins which have consumed your life, have been shouldered by Jesus Christ. He shouldered that divorce. He shouldered that lie. He shouldered your perversion. He shouldered your secret sin. He shouldered your cheating. He shouldered your deception. He shouldered your failings as a parent. He shouldered that lust. He shouldered that bitterness.
There are a few things you should know about my past, but thankfully my past has been erased.
Great reminder. My new favorite post that I will likely refer back to more than once. Thanks
Thank you so much for reading,Sarah!
Thanks for posting this today. my past has been a reoccurring battle lately and its time I learn to let go. I love following you.r blog. Its opened .my eyes day after day
I think we will always battle this in some way, but it is freeing to know that God has forgiven us through His Son, Jesus. Many thanks for reading!
Amazing post Tom! I am reading the book, Respectable Sins, right now and this blog fits right in with that. I’ve found lately that mistakes from my past are coming to haunt me again but, like you said…I am so humbled and blessed to know that Christ shouldered that sin for me! Thanks tom!
Never heard of that book but I’ll have to check it out. Thanks for commenting!
Tom
Thank you for sharing from your heart!
We ALL have a past………..the “before” we knew HIM……
Praise God all that is gone……….forever.
You are an inspiration to me. God bless you and your sweet family!
xoxox
Dear Tom when I first saw your photo I knew you were an open type person and reading your daily small stories has confirmed that.
One of the older men at Church used to always say “we are saved to the uttermost” I have to keep reminding myself of that.
When things pop in to our mind that accuse us we know where that comes from, the accuser who is willing and able to share our past with us. I notice he comes in at times when I’m a bit low or tired, he bites my heal.
I do take advantage of these niggles and thank God that he has already forgiven me, and then ask the evil one to politely leave as he has no authority to be in my life. Trespasses must keep off the grass or they will be turfed off. Clive
Clive,
What a nice comment! Thank you for taking the time to read and write down your thoughts. I think we all struggle with ongoing guilt and regret, but we must fall back on God’s grace. He loves us and has done everything for us to receive forgiveness.
Thanks Tom for ur genuine sharing, it has blessed me personally. Thugh being a Bible teacher my past use to disturb me and guilt use to take control, but now after reading it is confirmatin for me that my Jesus has forgiven me already and I dont have to be guilty anymore for my past. Thank You once again.
Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment! It’s awesome to know that our sins have been forgiven!