Paul’s instruction to forget isn’t a blanket command to discard everything behind us, since Scripture repeatedly calls God’s people to remember[1]. The key lies in understanding what to forget and what to remember.
Paul wants to forget anything that might rob him of pursuing Jesus Christ—both failures and past victories[1]. Past victories can remind us of God’s provision and power, but they can also make us complacent if we rest in those temporary wins[1]. Similarly, past failures shouldn’t prevent today’s pursuit of Christ; we need to take them captive to His obedience rather than let them hold us back[1].
Meanwhile, Scripture consistently encourages remembering God’s love, provision, and faithfulness as part of a covenantal relationship[2]. To find healing and restoration, we must recover our past, see our story from God’s perspective, and recognize sin—which are prerequisites for forgiveness that breaks cycles of pain[3].
The resolution: For Christians, remembering and forgetting are about healing and restoration, about forgiveness for the past and hope for the future, and about God’s guidance in helping us discern when to remember and when to forget[2]. You remember God’s faithfulness to strengthen your faith; you forget past failures and achievements that distract from Christ. Paul’s own practice was “forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead” (Phil 3:7–14)—a forward momentum grounded in God’s past faithfulness, not enslaved by it.
[2] Myrla Seibold, “Remembering and Forgetting,” in Dictionary of Christian Spirituality, ed. Glen G. Scorgie (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), 715.
[3] Narry F. Santos and Xenia Ling-Yee Chan, The Past, Present, and Future of Evangelical Mission: Academy, Agency, Assembly, and Agora Perspectives from Canada, ed. Narry F. Santos and Xenia Ling-Yee Chan (Eugene, Oregon: Pickwick Publications, 2022). [See here.]
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