Sunday Sermonettes #093
Carrying the Weight of the Past
You cannot drive forward looking at your rearview mirror. You do not travel on a plane or train carrying luggage on your head.
Yet, sad to say, most of us do exactly that on a daily basis.
As human beings, we have all made countless mistakes. We have been deeply hurt by others. Left unchecked, the weight of these experiences can strangle you for life. Is there a redemption story here?
The Cleansing Power of the Blood of Jesus
Yes, there is. The power of the blood of Jesus shed on the cross is limitless. It is entirely sufficient to cleanse, wash, and transform your past—wiping away every stain, every hurt, every shame, and every sin.
Also, if you humble yourself before God, the blood of Jesus can also remove the pride of past successes. As Galatians 6:14 reminds us, the cross shifts our focus, teaching us never to boast in our own achievements, but only in what Jesus did for us.
Paul’s Secret to Moving Forward
St. Paul looked at all the great achievements of his past and confessed that, after meeting Jesus, he counted all that former glory as worthless. He chose to forget what lay behind and strain toward the goal ahead.
The Hope of a Brand New Beginning
God has not called you to dwell in the past. He is asking you to look forward with hope and run the race ahead with perseverance. Strip away the unnecessary baggage. Stop holding tightly to old hurts. The blood of Jesus has extraordinary power to deliver you from the wounds, sins, and burdens of your past.
Believe it and act on this truth: in Jesus, you are a brand-new person. Totally, absolutely new. Transformed from your former self, it’s time to let go of the past and step boldly into the hope of tomorrow.
Bible references: Philippians 3: 7–8 and 13–14, Hebrews 12:1–2, and 2 Corinthians 5:17, 1 John 1:7–9.
Galatians 6:14 (NIV 1984)
“May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”
The “Forgetting What Is Behind” Verse — Philippians 3:13-14 (NIV 1984)
“Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
Featured image coutesy: Image by Sammy-Sander from Pixabay
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