Lesson 8: Growing in Christ: Leaving the Past

[!NOTE]

Lesson Overview

Daily Reading Schedule:

Thursday: Philippians 3:12-14

Friday: Romans 13:11-14

Saturday: Joshua 24:14-25

Sunday: Mark 10:29-31

Monday: 2 Corinthians 6:14-18

Tuesday: Matthew 12:46-50

Lead Scripture:
Philippians 3:12-14 “Not that I have already

attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” It would be great if the Christian were comple te and fully perfected when he came out of the waters of baptism. As we have studied, baptism marks only the beginning of the journey. Since it is a new birth, we start out as ba bes in Christ. As grow on the milk of the word and mature, we are perfected. Although we will not attain perfection in this life, every day we become more like Jesus and less like the old man of sin. Leaving our Baggage Behind We must often come to terms with sins of the pa st before we can grow. Some who have come to God for forgiveness still have diff iculty forgiving themse lves of things they have done or said before becoming Christians. We must realize that when God forgives us of a sin, He will no longer hol d that sin against us. Our sins are washed away, remitted, and blotte d out. There is no more remembrance of them with God. If we obey His word, in which He promises to wash away our sins when we obey, and we still think that God has not forgiven us, we are showing a lack of trust in Him. God who cannot lie has promised to forgive our sins when we repent. Therefore, we must forgive ourselves. We must acknowledge the wrong that has been done and determine not to do it again. Then, since God ha s forgiven us, we must forgive ourselves. We cannot take back words and actions, so it is f oolish to spend a lot of time dwelling on past mistakes. Paul was a murderer of Christians a nd a leading persecutor of the church, yet he realized that God forgave him and did not dwell on his past. He became useful in the growth and strength of the church. Lessons learned from mistakes can keep us from future sin and help us warn others. Consider Peter’s example in Luke 22:31-34. Sata n had asked to sift Pe ter like wheat. Jesus assured Peter that He was praying for him. Jesus did not pray for Satan to leave him alone, but that Peter’s faith would not fail. He then exhorted Peter to encourage his brethren when he returned. We know the story of Pe ter’s denial of Jesus. Despite this overt denial of our Lord, Peter became one of the most influential and active members of the church. He learned his lesson and was able to teach others to be humble and to be wary of the devil, 2 Peter 3:17-18. We must learn that Jesus has forgiven us and arise and encourage our brethren. Leaving the World Behind Paul stressed to the Romans, in Romans 13:11- 14, the importance of cas ting off the works of darkness and walking in the lig ht. We have spent e nough of our life si nning and now we are closer to our salvation than when we first believ ed. Since there is much to do and little time in which to do it, we must be diligent to put away the works of darkness and put on the armor of light and get to work for the Lord. Some Christians are ineffective in the service of God because they ar e not totally dedicated themselves to God. They are k eeping some thin gs of the world with them: lust, evil speaking, covetousness, worldliness, etc. These things are weighing them down and they cannot grow properly in the Lord and are useless in hi s service. The Hebrew writer urges us to “lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us” so we can run with endurance, unencumbered by the world, Hebrews 12:1. We must either grasp God completely or the worl d completely. We will fail if we try to serve both, Matthew 6:24; 1 Kings 18:21. We can deceive ourselves into thinking that we are serving God while our hearts are devoted to the world. We must examine our thoughts and our actions to see if we are bearing fruit to the world or to the Lord. Joshua urged the people to decide whom they would serve, Joshua 24:14-25. They needed to decide that day and stick with it. When they answered that th ey would serve the Lord, Joshua rebuked them, telling them that they could not se rve the Lord because they were too fickle. A brief study of history would confirm Joshua’s assessment. They frequently declared their dedication to God only to murmur against Him a nd His chosen leaders soon afterward. Like that audience, we must choose today whom we will serve and then follow wholeheartedly.

Leaving Our Family Behind

It is truly a blessing when one can serve God with his family. A fa ithful family can have a great impact on a church and a community through its love, dedication, a nd service. Even if they are faithful to God, our family must come behind our love for God. Jesus taught that our love for Him is to be so strong that ou r family relationships are consider ed hate when compared to it, Luke 14:26. There are some who will not become di sciples of Jesus for fear of alienating their families. Some fear th at their obedience will prove that a loved one was wrong in his or her beliefs. We must follow God because it is the right thing to do. It is great if our families will join with us in service but sometimes, we may have to remain faithful and obey God without them. An unfaithful person may be won by the faithfulness of a family member, 1 Corinthians 7:16. Some may have to struggle their whole life against one who is trying to turn them from the Lord. We have responsibilities to our families as spouses, parents, and children but our greater responsibility is to God. Children must obey their parents in the Lord, Ephesians 6:1. Wives must obey their husbands and may win an unfaithful spouse to the Lord in so doing, 1 Peter 3:1. However, all of our relationships must be in subjection to our relationship to Christ. We must first do what is right, without compromise, that we may follow Jesus and provide and example of godliness to our family. Those who live in such s ituations are held to a higher standard by the unfaithful family members and must endure many trials. Yet, we have a family on this earth, the church—on which we can rely and receive strength.

Questions for Discussion & Study

If a Christian cannot forgive himself of his past, what effect can it have on him?
How can we forgive ourselves?
What things can encumber us and slow us down as we run the Christian race?
How can an unfaithful spouse be won to Christ “without a word?”
Jesus had a strained relationship with His brothers while on the earth and His mother had to see Him die on the cross. What does this prove about Jesus’s command to love Him even more than one’s family?