Focusing on the Future - Lesson 2 - Forgetting

We do not need to be caught between the tension of the person we have been and the tension of the person we want to be. We can move forward without discouragements, without being lazy and always keeping our eyes on the goal. We are going to attempt great things for God and expect great things from Him.


To you dads…
Is a child being selfish if they expect daddy to go to work each day?
Keep them safe from strangers?
Keep them safe while they sleep?
No… they are expecting that.

To you moms…
Is a child being presumptuous to think that
mommy is going to have dinner ready before they go to bed?
If they fall and get hurt that mom will hug them and kiss their bo-bo?
No… they deserve that treatment.
Their expecting it…
And, they are going to get it.

What should we expect from our Heavenly Father?





Paul gave very wise advice in…

Philippians 3:13-14, “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

Let us consider what Paul taught.
‘forgetting those things which are behind’.
Choosing to not remember…
Sins committed for which we have received forgiveness.
God is faithful and has forgiven them.

Ephesians 1:7, “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;”

Synonyms for the word redemption:
salvation, deliverance, rescue, release, liberation, emancipation, recovery,

Antonym to the word redemption:
downfall

Have you ever prayed or had someone pray aloud and feel a comfort come over you,
a burden flush out of your body?
Why don’t we feel that release every time we pray?

Is it God or us?





God’s forgiveness is a forgetfulness.
He chooses to not remember.

Hebrews 8:12, “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.”

We have all agreed that we have a hard time forgiving ourselves.
Can you give us any advice in this area?





We also need to forgive and forget the ones who sin against us.
All forgiveness is based on repentance.

Luke 13:3, “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”

I believe Jesus is telling us that ‘sin is sin’.
Why is it that we sometimes think there are acceptable sins and bad sins?





Luke 17:1-3, “Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.”

Have you ever said, ‘I’ll be able to forgive, but I won’t forget?’
Have you truly forgiven?





I would encourage you to read Psalm 25,
if you have a problem with someone you cannot forget.

I believe what Psalm 25 says about…
“let not mine enemies triumph over me…”
“let them be ashamed which transgress…”
“Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee…”

If we are holding a grudge if we are holding back from total forgiveness,
I believe God will hold back from taking care of the matter.

Forgive that person or those people,
And let God take care of them…


Matthew 18:21-22, “Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.”

So I only have to forgive you 490 times?





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:”

The bible also says in Matthew 7:2, “…For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged…”

What do you do when you hear someone say,
‘I know I shouldn’t be saying this, but…’?





I’m not judging and I do forgive you,
I’m just going to bring it up in conversation every time we fight.


Matthew 6:14-15, “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:”
“But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

That’s a little scary isn’t it?





Forgiving ourselves.
This is often the most difficult area of forgiveness.
We should not have guilt feelings.

Matthew 9:2, “And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.”

‘I’ll try it, but it’s not gonna work…’
‘I’ll pray but God won’t answer it…’
‘I’ll forgive him, but he’s just gonna do it again…’

How is your faith when you pray?





Romans 4:7-8, “Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.”

We are not discussing those sins for which we need to seek forgiveness.
We cannot allow ourselves to become self-righteous over the good we have done.
We need to continue in that good.
But, in forgetting we learn from what has gone before.
We cannot change it.

Romans 15:4, “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”

What are we to be hopeful of?





This applies to the Scriptures.
The Bible was written for our learning.
And we are expected to…

It is a principle that can apply to our lives.
We have been allowed to go through, our past,
And we had better learn from it…


In conclusion

We do not need to be caught between the tension of the person we have been
and the tension of the person we want to be. We can move forward
without discouragements, without being lazy and always keeping our eyes on the goal.
We are going to attempt great things for God and expect great things from Him.

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