Looking Beyond Our Past

Overcoming our past starts with me. For many of us, our past becomes an anchor from progress, from healing, from becoming more like Christ. Although we’re told that “all have sinned and have fallen short of God’s glory” (Romans 3:23), Satan can use our own “worthlessness” against us if we’re not careful.

A powerful illustration of Satan’s attempt to use our sins against us to keep us from seeking God more diligently is found in Zechariah 3, where Satan accuses Joshua of sin. In that vision of something like a courtroom, it’s very comforting to hear God’s response to “the Accuser’s words.” God says in Zechariah 3:2, “I, the Lord, reject your accusations, Satan. Yes, the Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebukes you. This man is like a burning stick that has been snatched from the fire.” Instead, God had new clothes put on Joshua to replace his dirty ones.

Sin has always separated man from God, but God has consistently made avenues to lay aside our old ways, and He gives us new ways that allow us to continue our walk with God. The folks in Colossae were no different than Joshua or the Israelites who came out of their years of captivity, nor were either of those situations different than our own. They needed hope; we need hope.

The “Good News” of the gospel is that Christ has made progress possible. The Holy Spirit becomes our guide when we put on Christ in baptism. A gift from God that helps us “understand” what God wants from His children. He sees something different in us than we often see in ourselves.

As we grow in our understanding of God’s will, we are not only motivated to say NO to our own sins, we also, because of the pattern left to us in Christ, eagerly seek out how to help others who are bogged down in poor choices, and bad lifestyles; just as Jude 23 describes, “Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.”

This week I want to challenge you to consider the different areas you may have to dedicate more time to, or humbly lay aside so that you can become the child of God that you were designed to be.