"Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 3:13-14
A minister visited an inmate in prison. The man said to his minister, "I wish that I could change my past, but everyday that I sit here, my mind goes over and over what I did wrong. Even if I wasn't an inmate, I would still be a prisoner of the past. What can I do to change my past?" The minister replied, "God has forgiven your past. You have confessed your sin to Him. He has given you new life in Christ. You have asked the forgiveness of others. In your mind, it's time to forget the past and reach forward. God has a purpose for your life. Press toward that goal in Christ."
The apostle Paul was well aware of his sins in the past. They are recorded in the New Testament for all to read. He changed his past when God changed his heart. God forgave all of his sins. He died to the old way of life and became a new person in Christ. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" (2 Cor. 5:17).
Is there something that you would like to change about your past? You may say, "There's no way that I can go back and make it right now. It's too late." It may be too late for you to go back and change it, but it's never too late for God to change it. There is a cross where Christ died for all the wrongs in our past. By faith we come to Christ, that we may die to our old life of the past. Our past is buried with Christ. Through the power of God, we are raised to walk in a new life. Changing your past is in Christ at the cross. Changing your past is rising with Christ to live a new life.
Prayer: Father, we cannot change our past but You can. We come to the cross of Jesus to die to our old way of life. Raise us up to live a new life in Christ our Lord. Amen.
