NIV Spiritual Renewal Study Bible PlanSample

From the Past to the Future

Spiritual transformation moves us out of our sinful past and into a better future. As we cooperate with God’s process of redeeming our past, we must honestly evaluate our lives and repent of our sin so that our course will be transformed according to his design.

Jesus said, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). The path to freedom always leads through the truth, including the truth about our past. Paul examined his past, honestly reviewing his earthly accomplishments, his wrongs, his mistakes, his gains and his losses. It was from this broad perspective that Paul wrote: “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me” (Philippians 3:12).

Freedom from the past also involves facing up to the instances when others have harmed us and turning these situations over to God. The apostle Paul once wrote to young Timothy: “Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done” (2 Timothy 4:14). Paul readily admitted the truth about someone who had hurt him, but he left the matter in God’s hands.

When we hand over our past to God and ask him to work it out for the best according to his will, we can let go of both the past and the resolution of its problems. Then God can transform us and move us toward a brighter future.