Yesterday is the Past

I still feel guilty for things I did "yesterday". "Wow! You sinned yesterday? But I thought you are a Christian." Not only that, I've been up about one-hour and I may have already sinned! That depends on what I did before I turned to my bible study. Did I look at Facebook first, or did I read scripture. Sins are things we fail to do as well as things we do!

Furthermore, "yesterday"  is more than the day before now. It also encompasses all the time previous to now. Yesterday is the past and it has passed!

Philippians 3:13b "...this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

Paul was a huge sinner. He caused Christians to be murdered. How in the world could he forget that? I'm sure others taunted him with that since some apostle's even argued his qualifications for being an apostle. "This murderer?" However, just as Jesus forgave Paul, so did the apostles. Why? Because they were men after God's own heart and forgiveness is imperative to righteousness!

Psychologists teach that by examining the past a "break-through" is made. They look for things in the past, even sub-conscious or forgotten things, which may have driven the psychosis at hand. However, unlike philosophy, Christianity teaches Christians to forget the past and to "press forward"! Why shouldn't we as new Christians? We're new people!

 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

Paul, when struck by the Holy Ghost, got a new lease on life! He no longer was the sin-filled Paul. He was clean as pure snow. All his sins were wiped away! No one should ever mention to Paul how evil he was before, for to do so would  be terror on his joy and affect his ministry.

When anyone accepts Christ, all past sins are forgiven. Some say that all sins are: past, present and future. That's not true. Jesus died for all our sins, but at the time of the new birth, only past sins are forgiven, and that is huge!

Romans 3:25 "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God..."

If the new creation was for present and future sins as well, there would be no need for continual repentance because we know that even saved people sin. As people sin, it's imperative that sorrow be experienced to the extent that repentance is made to God. Christians feel guilty after sinning. Guilt is what brings on the sorrow for repentance. Guilt is not a symptom of a person with neurosis; it's a by-product of a Christian who listens to the Holy Spirit!

Paul sinned after he became a Christian. He doesn't say what he did, but he did things that he didn't want to do because of the flesh (Matthew 26:41). Did those around him think "Paul, you sinned! I just don't trust you anymore. You're a spiritual failure and you're no longer worthy to be my friend!" That's a heavy stone to throw, but some people, even Christians, heave heavy stones at their imperfect brothers.

What if Paul sinned "this morning", but preached faithfully "this afternoon"? Is he a hypocrite? Not if he was sorry and repented! Christians repent as sin happens. It doesn't take a special place or a special person to pray along. Repentance is available "right now" and seconds later, a forgiven person can be trusted! We are never to look at the past!

1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

After our pardon, we are righteous again. Satan can't use what was before for the now. By confession, Jesus is respected and Satan is minimized. Jesus smiles and Satan scowls! However, our neighbor may still be scowling right there with the devil. They have a heavy stone in hand to heave it at the person of whom their guiltiness may be alike.

I have an observation. Our own Christian brothers are less likely to forgive than those who are not saved because of their own self-righteousness. "Unsaved" people forgive because they sin freely and without enough guilt to turn away from it. "Saved" people fail to forgive because their standard for performance is their own behavior. For instance, I can judge harshly those who use drugs because I don't use drugs. Others may judge harshly those have been overt with their lust, while their own is in secret. The purpose is on "judging" doesn't mean that others are not impure, but that one standard is to be used. We don't compare others with ourselves, but reprove them with what God says using God's standards:

Matthew 7:1 "Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?"

None are without sin. The focus in this passage is not on "judging", but to judge fairly and not harshly. Clarification comes from the Book of Luke:

 Luke 6:37 "Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:"

Herein, "judging" and "condemnation" are equated (i.e., we're not to judge harshly)! By not judging harshly, then we don't deserve to be judged harshly either!  However, the key word in this passage is on "forgive". If we have the intestinal fortitude to forgive others, then we too shall deserve forgiveness when we need it!

Christians seem to place the degree of sin of others more extreme than their own sins. "Your sin is greater than mine!" they think. However, the inability to forgive is the greater sin because forgiveness is a measurement of love, not only love for others, but to demonstrate love for God! How do I know that? Because scripture tells me so!

Matthew 22:37b "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

Face it! Many of my Christian brothers would stone me for doing no worse than what they do!   They would throw stones at you as well. This is a sorrowful rut to be in. Our only option is to pray and forgive them unconditionally.