Forget The Past

By Tammy Lacock

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things that are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14)

In this week’s podcast, Warren Litzman continues to explain Paul’s deepening commitment to Christ. Paul’s commitment was a work in progress. In Philippians 3:13-14, Paul tells us to forget the past. He urges us to forget our old identities, the ones before coming to Christ. Paul was born into a wealthy family, a Pharisee, a Hebrew of Hebrews, and a Roman citizen. He counted all of this as “dung” so that he may “win Christ.” Christ was all that mattered to him anymore. Christ was his prize, the ultimate prize. All he wanted, moving forward, was to know Him and love Him more and more.

Warren reminds us that Paul was able to forget his past by the continual renewing of his mind by the Holy Spirit. Warren explains that the mind is the connection between our old lives and our new lives now in Christ. It is a constant process of renewing our minds so that we, too, may let go of our old identities in order to deepen our relationship, our love affair with Christ, who now lives in us. By allowing the Holy Spirit to renew our minds, we can let go of our past and not be doomed to repeat it. Through this renewal process, we are now able to live our new lives in Christ. By giving our minds over to Christ, He can now live through us. Our love affair with Him supersedes everything, including our pasts.

And lastly, but certainly not least, Paul tells us in Philippians 3:17, to follow him. This is one of eight verses where he tells us to follow him as he follows Christ.

But why should we follow him?

We follow Paul because he was the only man Christ raised up to preach our salvation by His death, burial, and resurrection. He was the only one who knew who we are now as believers in Christ. We are Christ-persons.

Christ now literally lives in us. Christ told Paul so Paul would tell us! We are brand-new creations at salvation. A whole new race of people. We are born again, bona fide sons and daughters of God in Christ. Our new life in Christ calls us to forget the past, bury the “old man” and commit to Him, just as Paul did.

For he knew the ultimate prize is found in us, right here and right now: Christ alive in us.