Dictionary of Bible Themes  »  4000 Creation  »  4900 Time  »  4963 past, the

Jesus Christ transforms the past and sets people free to live in a new way. God's people should remember former blessings but not return to former sins.

Recalling God's work in the past

Remembering God's work of creation

Exodus 20:11; Psalm 104:5-9; Psalm 136:1-9

Remembering God's saving works

Psalm 105:5 pp 1 Chronicles 16:12 See also Deuteronomy 8:2; Joshua 24:2; 1 Samuel 12:6; Nehemiah 9:7; Psalm 106:6; Psalm 114:1; Psalm 136:10; Psalm 143:5; Isaiah 51:1-2; Micah 6:5

Remembering God's work in Jesus Christ

2 Timothy 2:8 See also 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 One of the purposes of the Lord's Supper is to remember Jesus Christ and his death on the cross.

Learning from the past

Romans 15:4 See also Deuteronomy 4:9; Deuteronomy 32:7; Zechariah 1:4; 1 Corinthians 10:6,11; Hebrews 12:16; 1 Peter 3:5-6; 1 John 3:12

Rediscovering God's word from the past

2 Kings 22:8-13 pp 2 Chronicles 34:15-21 See also 2 Kings 23:1-3 pp 2 Chronicles 34:29-31; 2 Kings 23:21-23

Leaving the past behind

Jesus Christ sets believers free from the past

2 Corinthians 5:17 See also Isaiah 65:16; Galatians 4:3-5; Colossians 1:13-14

Warnings not to rely on or be preoccupied with the past

Isaiah 43:18 This can mean either that God is not to be restricted to his past actions or that Israel should forget their former sins. See also Philippians 3:13-14

Dangers of the past

The danger of ignoring the past

Psalm 78:11 See also Exodus 1:8; Deuteronomy 32:18; Psalm 106:13,21; Hosea 2:13

The danger of lapsing into past sins

Galatians 4:8-9 See also Hebrews 6:4-6; 2 Peter 1:9; Revelation 2:4-5; Revelation 3:3

Jesus Christ supersedes God's revelation in the past

Jesus Christ supersedes earlier expectations

Acts 17:30 See also Acts 14:15-16

Jesus Christ supersedes earlier covenants

Hebrews 7:22 See also Hebrews 1:1-2; Hebrews 8:13; Hebrews 9:14-15; Hebrews 10:15-18; Jeremiah 31:33-34; Hebrews 12:24

Jesus Christ reveals God's past mystery

Colossians 1:26-27 See also Romans 16:25-26; 1 Corinthians 2:7; Ephesians 1:9; Ephesians 3:2-6,9

See also

1020  God, all-knowing
1345  covenant
4945  history
4966  present, the
5694  generation
5854  experience of God
6227  regret
6728  regeneration
7933  Lord's Supper
8670  remembering
8763  forgetting
9130  future, the