Press On!

Have you ever made a terrible mistake or gave way to sin in your life, and found yourself unable to get past it?  In Phil. 3:13-14 the Apostle Paul gives the prescription for getting untangled in the snare of your past.  To paraphrase, he is basically saying, look I may not have arrived to the full measure and stature to which God has called me, BUT one thing I am going to do is forget those things which are behind and press on toward prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus.  It's as if he's saying, I don't know how I'm going to get there, but I know I can't go forward if I keep looking back at my past.  I believe this statement is telling of what I believe was a tremendous struggle for Paul - and for good reason!

Paul had committed some of the most heinous crimes against God and his people.  He was a murderer - an assasin of all things Christian.  His life-changing encounter with the true and living God occurred just after Stephen was stoned to death.  Of all the killings Paul had been party to, this was the most heinous of them all.  Something in Paul snapped.  He was absolutely out of control...until one day while travelling on the road to Damascus.  

I know the enemy taunted him daily with his past persecution of Christians and, most painfully, the memory of Stephen's death. When you consider the calling on his life, what could most surely hinder him from preaching the Gospel to the gentiles, than to neutralize him by keeping his past sin ever before him.  The enemy desired to sift him as wheat, but Jesus was interceding that his faith fail not.  And indeed it did not fail, and he went on to become one of God's most anointed ministers of the Gospel who authored most of the New Testament, to the glory of God the Father! 

God has an amazing plan for your life.  As Way Makers - Sons of God, we can't afford to allow the enemy to keep us from reaching the lost because we're living in the past.   No matter what you've done, God is able to deliver you from the enemy of your soul.  He said, if you would just confess your sins, He is faithful to forgive you and cleanse you of all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).  Every time the adversary brings up your past, make declaration that you are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus and there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ!  It's under the blood!!  You have been forgiven and cleansed of all unrighteousness!  When you do that, the devil will flee!!!

Listen, make amends to those you've hurt if you need to; make restitution where appropriate.  Then follow Paul's example:  Forget those things that are behind!  Let them go!  Press on!!