So far it’s been about forgetting the negative stuff in Paul’s (distant or immediate) past. But there were good things that also needed to be forgotten. Paul was a gifted, energetic founding apostle of the church of Jesus Christ. He had been used by God to bring many to faith. He had established church after church on his missionary journeys. He’d been faithful through many a persecution. He could have become very proud of his past achievements and been tempted to rest on his laurels. But no – these things too, Paul chose to file in ‘forgetting’. I have to ‘forget’ whatever has been achieved in Exeter. A new chapter is waiting to open before me in Worle. I must look ahead. Exciting!!
A Bit of Explanation … “It’s all very well,” I hear someone say, “this talk of ‘forgetting what is behind’ – but doesn’t Scripture encourage us to remember the past?” Quite right. We are indeed to draw strength and encouragement from what the Lord has done and to remember the lessons of the past. So what does ‘forgetting what is behind’ mean?
Forgetting in the Scriptures often carries the sense of breaking the hold that the past might otherwise have over present behaviour and attitudes. A classic example of ‘forgetting what is behind’ is found in the attitude of Joseph towards his brothers. There was nothing wrong with Joseph’s memory, but in his treatment of them he demonstrated that he had ‘forgiven and forgotten’ (Genesis 50:15-21).
When we read that God will remember our sins and iniquities no more (Hebrews 10:17), it means that our forgiven sins do not affect our standing with God nor do they influence his attitude to us.
Alan Bailyes 