REDEEMING THE BAD MEMORIES OF YOUR PAST SINS

A REACTION PAPER SUBMITTED TO:

Dr. Frank J. Catanzaro, III

in partial fulfillment of the requirements

for M 4346 Counseling and the Church

BY Ted D. Manby

SEBTS Box # 14043

Wake Forest, North Carolina

Introduction

Robert D. Jones, "Redeeming the Bad Memories of Your Past Sins, "The Journal of Biblical Counseling 22:1 (2003): 40-47. This article by Robert Jones addresses the debated issue of what to do with those bad things that occurred in our past from a biblical exegetical and theological basis. Pastor Jones courageously challenges pastors and counselors to forsake the unbiblical methods of teaching other to deny the past or to attempt to erase it. Then he sets the stage from the Scriptures to show a believer in Christ how to redeem those ugly memories into tools to be used to glorify God. Pastor Jones shows that the believer’s goal in dealing with memories is not to attempt to erase them or deny them. It is to transform them into tools for Christian growth, worship, and ministry. A biblical perspective that transforms and redeems our sinful past memories includes at least three realizations: 1) God was “in” my past. 2) My past might influence my present beliefs or conduct, but it does not determine them. 3) My memories are my interpretations of past events that can be reinterpreted in light of biblical truth.

Weaknesses

The author of this article has a wonderful grasp of Scripture and masterfully exegeted and clearly explained the meaning of all the texts in this article. However, on page 42 he writes: “Paul recalls his own call to ministry,” using terminology that is also used for the call of a pastor into the ministry in modern literature. I would suggest the adding of the word "as an apostle of Christ" after the word ‘ministry’ quoted above based on 2 Cor. 1:1; Eph. 1:1; 1 Tim. 1:1; Acts 26:9-23, 22:6-21, 9:1-22; 2 Cor. 11:5, 12:11-12; 1 Cor. 15:7-10. In this heatedly debated topic of “the call to the ministry” one will need to demonstrate from Scripture that a pastor’s call is the same as an O.T. prophet and an Apostle of Christ to use Paul’s experience as a pattern. Even more problematic is that Jesus visibly showed up at Paul’s call and audibly spoke from the bright light, issuing a call to salvation and ministry simultaneously. The only pastors I know who have made such claims to having a similar experience to that of Paul have also embraced unbiblical teachings and heresies, so I simply do not believe them. In this article on past sins, the addition of the above words would keep the author from being on one side or the other on this debate when his writing purpose is in a totally different area.

Strengths

"Redeeming the Bad Memories of Your Past Sins” removes one of the false stereotypes leveled at Nouthetic counselors. Biblical advice is not to live in denial, as suppressing the truth in the Bible is always sin (Rom. 1:18), but in reinterpreting events in light of biblical truth and using these redeemed memories to glorify God. Furthermore, Robert Jones wisely reminds us that our recollections of the past are actually our own interpretations of past events. Our minds do not contain video tapes that recorded the events from every possible angle. Our memories do not give us “bare facts, but interpreted facts.” Therefore, these memories can be reinterpreted through the lens of the Bible. This brings great hope and a proper reinterpretation using God’s true truth can often uncover the “good” God has brought out of even dark and painful events. Joseph’s words make this clear when he stated that what man had meant for evil, God had meant for good (Gen. 50:20). Also see Rom. 8:28-29; Num. 11; Psa. 78:11, 106:13; and Ezek. 16. Surprises I was surprised and thrilled to finally read someone who exegetes Phil. 3:13 correctly and to admit that a just-forget-the-past agenda is both misleading and insensitive to people who are suffering. The past Paul is referring to in this text does not include past sins or dark providences. “He recalls his past ways of trying to get right with God based not on Jesus, but on religious achievement.” Paul not only shows his instant recall and biblical use of his past sins in other texts (i.e. 1 Tim. 1:12-17), but also recalls traumatic and difficult events at a moments notice (2 Cor. 1:8-11, 7:5-7, 11:23-33). Evaluation The heart of the article is the author’s exegesis of 1 Tim. 1:12-17. This text shows us how to interpret our past sins in such a way that they can be redeemed by a biblical reinterpretation of them. A gospel-centered remembrance or our sins can have three benefits according to the above text.

First, redeeming our past will deepen our repentance with God and with man. This deep repentance will aid us in being more humble and will fortify our fight of temptation in areas of which we are now ashamed. Aware of our past sin and weakness, we can refuse to take even the first step again on that destructive path.

Second, a biblical interpretation of our past increases our gratitude to God for His amazing saving grace. The greater our awareness of our past depravity and rebellion against God; the greater our love for the One who saved us from the broad road that leads to death. To live in denial of our past causes us to loose this means for proper thankfulness and humility. Third, reinterpreting our past with the lens of the Bible expands our effectiveness in helping others with wisdom and compassion. We can comfort others with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. Likewise, we can testify of God’s power to deliver from sins that the world calls permanent illnesses, because God in His powerful grace has delivered us from these sinful choices and lifestyles. We can say like Paul said of the Corinthians, “Such were some of you.”

Conclusion

This article was a wonderful reminder and challenge to think biblically about my past. Especially helpful was his section on the biblical use of shame. Instead of taking the world’s methods of fighting shame, I can redeem it and use it to glorify God and to fight sin in my life. This is a very refreshing biblical truth along with the many other reminders of the benefits of redeeming our pasts as tools to bring glory to God.