He was a rigid, prejudiced, Jewish militant, hating all Christians and wishing them dead, making it his goal to hunt down and persecute them. He enjoyed watching a Christian stoned to death (Acts 7:54-8:1).
That was the Apostle Paul before he came to the Lord (Philippians 3:4-6).
You can imagine how much he regretted his past.
But Paul didn't let his past control him.
"Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead" (Philippians 3:13-14), Paul moved beyond his past sins by doing these things:
1. He honestly admitted who he had been.
"Forgetting" our past doesn't mean we literally forget it. It means that we humbly and honestly repent. Paul shared his past sins honestly and without excuse (1 Corinthians 15:9). Note what Paul called himself in 1 Timothy 1:15.
2. He served God faithfully in the present.
When we are serving God faithfully in the present, we prove to ourselves and others that we are no longer the person we used to be (Philippians 3:7-14).
3. He understood that God was his judge.
Paul didn't care if men still judged him based on his past. He let God judge him (Ezekiel 18:21-22; Galatians 1:10; 1 Corinthians 4:1-5).
If you're struggling with past sins, follow these three steps to freedom.
But Paul didn't let his past control him.
"Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead" (Philippians 3:13-14), Paul moved beyond his past sins by doing these things:
1. He honestly admitted who he had been.
"Forgetting" our past doesn't mean we literally forget it. It means that we humbly and honestly repent. Paul shared his past sins honestly and without excuse (1 Corinthians 15:9). Note what Paul called himself in 1 Timothy 1:15.
2. He served God faithfully in the present.
When we are serving God faithfully in the present, we prove to ourselves and others that we are no longer the person we used to be (Philippians 3:7-14).
3. He understood that God was his judge.
Paul didn't care if men still judged him based on his past. He let God judge him (Ezekiel 18:21-22; Galatians 1:10; 1 Corinthians 4:1-5).
If you're struggling with past sins, follow these three steps to freedom.
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These one-minute devotions will also encourage you:
God Can Use Our Scars
Against the Odds
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Bible Love Notes
Against the Odds
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We all need to know gods word and thank you for taking the time to remind us.
ReplyDeletethank you Jesus!
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