…Because Jesus did the same on the cross.
WHAT I’M WEARING:
J.Crew blazer (old; try this one or this one) ; Equipment silk blouse ; Target skirt (old) ; Manolo Blahnik heels ; Fully Covered Still Fly bag (old; try this)
A few weeks ago, I preached a very in-season message centered around the following scripture:
Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. -Isaiah 43:18
It was a prophecy given by the prophet Isaiah to the children of Israel in regards to what their fathers had experienced in the wilderness plus what they would soon experience as a result of their Babylonian captivity. As I was studying and preparing for the message the Lord revealed to me many things; but I want to share only one with you today.
God requires us not to dwell on the past, because He does not dwell on the past.
As life would have it, we experience good and not so good days. Some days are so good, that we almost never want to erase them from our memory. And some days are so bad that even though we wish we never had recollection of them, they still manage to haunt us. But the Lord wants us to forget the good and the bad days, altogether because they are the enemies of the current and future days. When we dwell on the past, good or bad, we are not able to perceive what God is doing presently. Because the truth is, something new is always springing up but we must be able to perceive it spiritually, and never with the carnal eye.
The carnal or physical eye is limited. It can only see what manifests in the physical realm. But the spiritual eye is unlimited, perceiving the workings of the Spirit while in the spirit. So when God tells us don’t dwell in the past, He is essentially telling us not to dwell in the flesh. The Spirit is NEVER working in the past, good or bad. The Holy Spirit is always present (even in the future)- which might have to be explained another day.
And the best way to see Isaiah 43:18 play out is to look at the Cross. There are some truths/revelations God gave me about the Cross:
– Jesus, could forget the past (a past that didn’t even take place yet) because He was perceiving the new thing that was springing forth before it actually happened.
- All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world. – Revelation 13:8
- the Bible tells us that Jesus, Who was actually slain before the world was created, could do so, EVEN while we were still sinning. The question here is how can Jesus die for you and I while we were still sinning before we were even created and sinning? Perception is the answer. Jesus perceived that people- even before they were born and in sin, would be saved and come to the saving knowledge of Himself and that is why He was empowered to die for us. The lesson here is that while we are in the flesh, we cannot please God and do what is required of us because our perception is limited to what has happened. But if we remain in the spirit, God will grace us to perceive what He is doing now and in the future.
- But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. – Romans 5:8
- When Jesus died on the cross, He died while we were still in sin. Jesus did not only die for sins of yesterday. But He also had our sins of tomorrow in mind… and He still died. Wow, what manner of love is that?
- The reason there is a connection between Romans 5:8 and Isaiah 43: 18 is because the prophet Isaiah is telling the children of God to forget the things of the past. But this past also includes a future that will take place that he is making them aware of- their bondage in Babylon. So the Israelites have to be able to overlook their past and their future sufferings in order to perceive what God is doing in their midst. And the reason this can be done is because Jesus did it on the cross.
I don’t imagine everyone reading this blog post will understand. It takes a hearing ear and a seeing eye to truly grasp this truth. In conclusion, remember that God is working on your behalf. He is working things out for your good. But in order to perceive it, you have to forget everything in the past- good and bad- and be in the spirit to perceive the workings of the Spirit.
If this blog post blessed you in anyway, please share it with your network and social media platforms. Talk to you soon!
