Pride is blindness, and only Jesus can break that.

Philippians 3:13-14, “Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
You may not hear it in the places you travel, but I have heard it so many times I actually find myself finishing people’s sentences for them. They don’t believe in Christianity because of the Crusades, something a pastor once did, the behavior of the television evangelist, or the behavior of some denomination. They have examples of abuse by Christians, past, present, and future, that exclude them from having to question their own life and allow them to discount Jesus and every positive example of a believer. Make a list and put in the left column those things Christians have done wrong and in the right column the contributions of believers. From talking on the phone, to turning on the lights, to getting vaccinations, to women’s and children’s rights, to everyday great inventions that have become commonplace, to getting an education, the world is indebted to Christians. The unbelieving world stands on the back of the believer, reaps the benefit of believers, and makes their complaint against the believer. I just can’t think of all the scientific contributions of Hindus or Atheists. The argument against Christ because of the behavior of a few is flawed, if not ridiculous. Horses have killed people, so will I never own a horse? Electricity has killed people; do I not want electricity in my house? Cars kill people; should I never own a car? Doctors have immoral procedures; I will never go to a doctor. People kill people; I will never listen to another person. The Crusades took place; I will never listen to a Christian. It is really absurd. Why write such an article? It is just polemic preaching telling you what you already believe. Just to make a simple point. The issue is not the Crusades; the issue is pride, and no argument will break pride. Pride is blindness, and only Jesus can break that. Before you ever speak to a proud person, it is pre-determined that you will lose. The only reason for speaking is the revelation of the heart and a coming judgment.

“He again fixes a certain day, ‘Today,’ saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before, ‘TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS.’” Heb 4:7

Man, for certain, possesses the present and in a measure the future. Man does not possess the past, ever! If we choose to live in the past, we choose darkness, and we exclude God. God will not move to the past with us.

Therefore, every time we venture into the past we venture there alone. In fact God calls us, always, to move from the past. To dwell in the past is to find yourself dwelling in a place where there is no hope. The Jews were in the world without a hope. That is, they were trusting on the things of the past, the law, the security of ritual and formula, neglecting what God was presenting to them in the present–Jesus.

Doesn’t it make sense that God wants to be the God of the NOW? We speak of a personal relationship. How can a relationship be personal if it is not a present relationship. To move into the past is to move away from God, and it is sin. Many today are counseled to relive the past, to mourn over it, work through it, and even warned that if they do not their life will remain in constant turmoil.

Here is my question. If the past created my problems why would I want to go back and live there again? In my office I spend up to one hour looking at the past. The lone reason, being, to understand it so we will never go back to it. Living in the past will always thwart growth. Start acting like a five year old and see how much those around enjoy you.

We are called from the past into the present. In the past you had wonderful successes and terrible failures, times of victory and times of defeat, times of great joy and unbelievable depression. Fine, now what? Today, hear his voice! The issue is today.

God says do something today and don’t live out of the past. “AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME.” Heb 3:15 You provoked Him in the past, true, but I refuse to discuss that. I want to discuss today. Yesterday is no excuse for today! Many use it as such. “I can’t love today because of emotional hurt yesterday,” “I can’t give today because of all my rejection yesterday; I need to take”, and “You wouldn’t expect that from me today if you only knew about yesterday.” As the plumber once said to the distraught lady, “Sorry, that just won’t flush”! It just doesn’t flush that past behavior and experience are keeping you away from a God who lives in the present.