To overcome is to subdue, to prevail over, to get over or to surmount obstacles which may be physical or abstract.Your past are your actions or activities or events that are obsolete or foregone or that have elapsed.Overcoming your past is simply getting over activities that have elapsed.Your past are what you have done to others, what others have done to you, and what you have done to yourself. Such activities may be good or bad and they do have effects which may influence you for good or for bad.Not all past events are bad.
The good ones are to be used to improve on the future and be better off. The bad ones bringing sad memories, hurting and hunting are to be worked upon and overcome so that one will be set free.This sermon will concentrate on the later. Some past activities can hold one back especially those that produce negative effects. Some events can keep one from living a fulfilled life and hinder one's spiritual growth. But the scripture gives hope that is greater than one's past. Therefore there is need to rebound from one's past.We all have a past and most of us struggle with them because they keep hunting or hurtIng us. Examples are troubled childhood, abuse, broken relationship, divorce, addiction, fornication, adultery, failure, stealing, cheating, falsification, forgery, lying and all forms of work of flesh and all kinds of ungodliness. Any of these may sometimes bring about depression, rejection, frustration, regret, fear, anxiety, lack of trust, unhappiness and feeling of inadequacy.
What ever your past may be, you need to overcome it and strain ahead. You should not be held captive otherwise your tomorrow may be jeopardised. We are to learn from the past and make amend. No wonder Apostle Paul said "Phi 3: 13-14" Brothers and sisters, 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." Overcoming the past has to do with forgetting and forgiveness, that is forget the evil people have done to you, the evil you have done and forgive those who have hurt you, find a means of asking for forgiveness from those you have hurt, and seek forgiveness from God and finally forgive yourself too. After all these, you should never rehearse the episode. Dig into the word of God and live by it and keep renewing your mind.
Replace fleshly thoughts with Godly thoughts and ask for God 's mercy and for his grace to be sufficient for you and believe he has forgiven you. The Lord says "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool." Isa 1:18b. He is merciful and he forgives when one repents and asks for forgiveness. When God forgives, he does not hold the penalty of our past sins against us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1Jn1:9. He also admonishes us to forget the former things; and to not dwell on the past. Isa 43:19. The Lord says " I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more."Isa 43:25.
Brethren, you can not change your past, but you can overcome it. What should be primary is "where am I going? What lies ahead ?" To overcome the past, you need to take some actions, like breaking the power of the past and living for the future.Let us use Apostle Paul as a case study.- Phi 3 :3-14. Apostle Paul formerly known as Saul has a lot to contend with before conversion. He said " If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel. Of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless."Phi 3: 4b-6. When he was being controlled by the flesh, he persecuted Christians with zeal, and was ruled by the law. He was so proud to say" I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison. "Acts 22:4. He proudly boasts of how he used to obtain letters from associates in Damascus to facilitate how he would bring Christians he imprisoned to Jerusalem to be punished. He was so zealous persecuting Christians and was very proud of it. This was Saul's past but when he had an encounter with Jesus Christ on his way to Damascus he became a new creature, the old gone and newness came. He had to release his past identity as Saul, a persecutor of Christians in order for him to move forward in the ministry to which God called him. No more persecuting Christians but spreading the gospel. His song changed to "But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and found in him not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ. I want to know Christ - yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death."Phi 3:7-10.
Brethren, there is much to learn from Paul's complete moving away from the past that is from the life of persecuting the church, holding on to the law and basing his righteousness on the law to basing his faith on the righteousness that comes from God and wanting to know Christ and the power of his resurrection . Apostle Paul acknowledged God's grace bestowed on him and said " I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus."1Tim1:12-14.Beloved, are there issues of the past that you are contending with? Move out from a life of regrets, remorse or shame. Learn from Apostle Paul, let go, be free and move forward.To forget the past.You have to give your life to Christ and remain in him so that you can be transformed and become a new creation.2Cor 5:17.Believe that Jesus loves you and he is ever ready to forgive. Jn 15:9&12.
Dig daily in to the word of God and live by it. Jas1:22
Ask for grace to forgive those that have hurt you and live at peace with all men.Heb12:14.
Confess all you have to, repent and ask God to forgive you. He is faithful and just, He will forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness.1Jn 1:9.
Don't hold up yourself to contempt even when God has forgiven you. Forgive yourself and forge ahead.Gal5:1. And thank God for forgiving you and for mercy shown you.1Tim1:13.
Advantages of overcoming the past.
It makes one to feel free of burdens.
It enables one to learn from the past and gain strength.
It enables one to grow in wisdom and faith and be better off in future.
It enables you to move to the next level in life.
It can even enhance one's salvation having resolved all issues with people, Self and God.
Prayer.
Heavenly Father, I learnt from your word that the future is more important than the past, that one should not dwell on the past. Grant me the grace to not dwell on the past but to forge ahead and to overcome the past and strain ahead to achieve the goal you have set for me..In Jesus' name I pray.
Amen.
