Lesson 2, Week 4: Getting Pass the Past

Today’s Scripture Focus:  Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls, all Your waves and billows have gone over me.  Psalm 42: 7 NIV

*Before you begin, ask the Holy Spirit to teach you as you study God’s Word.

A group of neighborhood women had completed a Bible study on God’s grace.  The key point had been that we are saved by grace and not by works.  Throughout the study all the women had seemed to understand.  But as they were winding up their final summer session, one of the ladies said, “Well, I sure hope I make it to heaven, I’m trying to do right.”

Her comment revealed that while she had shook her head at the right times and said she had understood; she still hadn’t grasped the concept of grace.  Sad to say, there are many more like her who are missing the joy of their salvation.  They are still trying to earn their way to heaven.

Think on These Things

Read Zechariah 3:1-9

We can learn many things from this passage, which relates Zechariah’s vision of Joshua the High Priest.  In the vision, Joshua is standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan is present, accusing Joshua of many things.  The Lord rebukes Satan and tells him to quit accusing Joshua.  The Lord says he has decided to be merciful to Joshua and his nation, that they are like a burning stick He has pulled from the fire. 

We are told that Joshua’s clothing were filthy rags, but the Lord gives him clean new garments and a turban. Then the Lord gives Joshua a charge to walk in His way. 

What does this passage say to us?  We, too, stand before the Lord in filthy rags (sin).  Satan is always there accusing us.  But we must choose to accept the garment of Jesus’ Righteousness, which He gives to us when we accept Him as our Lord and Savior.  Jesus is Righteous (without sin).  If Jesus is our Savior, when we stand before the Lord, God no longer sees our filthy rags (sin), He only see Jesus’ clean garment of Righteousness.   To believe this, is to believe that the shed blood of Jesus had the power to get rid of our sins. 

I used to teach when purple ditto machines were “the copiers.”  Any teachers of this era know that the purple ink would get on everything, especially our clothes.  One day I had gotten a big blotch of purple on the sleeve of a silky blouse.  A fellow teacher told me to apply hairspray to the paint and it would come right out.  When I went home that evening, I tried it, and watched as the purple stain disappeared before my eyes.  I thought, that’s what the Blood of Jesus does to our sins—makes them disappear as if they had never been. 

Let us return to Zechariah 3:9 and the phrase, I will remove the sins of this land in a single day.  The single day that sins were forgiven was the day Christ died.  On that day, sins past, present, and future were wiped away for those who accept Jesus as Lord.  To refuse to believe that Jesus’ one time sacrifice washes away all our sins-- past, present, and future--is to deny the power of Jesus’ Blood.  We must choose to accept the gift of God’s grace and no longer listen to the accuser (Satan) who wants to steal our joy by filling our minds with doubts. 

God commands us to, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a new thing! (Isaiah 43:18-19)  Again, we see God’s Wisdom, for dwelling on past sings and regrets will poison us and make mental wholeness impossible.

O Lord, have mercy on me in my anguish.  My eyes are red from weeping; my health is broken from sorrow.  I am pining away with grief; my years shortened, drained away because of sadness.  My sins have sapped my strength; I stoop with sorrow and with shame. 

(Psalm 31:9-10 GNB)  Here we have a picture of how we can cause our own mental affliction by refusing to obey.

Points about Grace:

v  We don’t deserve it—“There is no one righteous, not even one.”  Romans 3:10 NIV

v  It is why Christ came—Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law, rather through the law we become conscious of sin.   (Romans 3:20 NIV)

v  We accept God’s grace by faith—This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.  (Romans 3:22 NIV)

v  It is the good news (gospel)—“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.  (Romans 3:23-24 NIV)

What I Learned

Who is our accuser?_____________________

When were our sins (past, present, and future) forgiven?_____________________________

In regard to the past, God commands us____________________

but look________________________________.

What is grace?______________________

Who deserves it?________________________

How do we get it?_______________________

We accept the gift of grace by ________________________

Why is grace the good news?__________________________

How I Will Apply What I Have Learned

When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, He quoted Scripture and Satan went running.  I will choose to do likewise.  When Satan accuses me, I will refute his lies with affirming Scriptures, such as

Romans 8:1 NIV Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  Begin now to gather affirming Scriptures that state you are saved by grace and forgiven by the Blood of Jesus. 

I will refuse to cling (to dwell) on the events of the past.  I will mentally choose to let go of past regrets and dwell on the truths of God’s Word.  I will claim His promise in Joel 2:25 RSV, I will restore to you the years which the swarming locus has eaten.

Both of these actions of faith will become easier with practice.  We don’t change a lifetime of negative habits overnight, so forgive yourself if you stumble.  But each time you choose to obey God’s principles for mental wholeness, you will become mentally stronger.

Dear Lord,

            I choose by faith to believe in the power of Your Blood to cleanse me.  I am saved by Grace.  I forgive myself, and others for past sins and release the regrets I am holding.  I will obey Your command to not cling to the events of the past, but to look to the new thing You want to do in my life.  Your mercies are new every morning.  I will walk in mental wholeness because of Your gift of

Grace.  In Jesus name, Amen.