QT 12/10/2026 Mon Titus 3 Let the Past Stay Past 让过去留在过去

QT 12/10/2026 Mon Titus 3  Let the Past Stay Past
READ https://www.esv.org/Titus+3/

Are you still carrying the weight of your past? The mistakes, the failures, the regrets? Titus 3 reminds us: you were once that person—but you don’t have to remain there. God’s mercy has given you a new beginning. So today, let the past stay past!

Scripture Focus: Titus 3:3–5 (ESV)
“For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.”

Reflections

Paul begins with a humbling reminder: “we ourselves were once…”

Before pointing fingers at others, we are called to remember where God brought us from. We, too, have had seasons of foolishness, disobedience, wrong desires, resentment, envy, and broken relationships. Our past may contain things we are ashamed of, decisions we wish we could undo, and failures we would rather forget.

But Paul does not say, “We are still those people.” He says, “we were once.”

There is a difference between remembering the past and living in the past. Our past can teach us, but it does not have to imprison us. Our failures may be part of our testimony, but they are not the final definition of who we are in Christ.

The turning point in these verses is found in two beautiful words: “But when…”

• When we could not save ourselves, God acted.
• When our lives were marked by sin, His goodness appeared.
• When our works were insufficient, His mercy was sufficient.

Verse 5 reminds us that salvation is not something we earned through our goodness. “He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy.”

That means we do not have to spend the rest of our lives trying to compensate for what we did before we came to Christ. We cannot rewrite yesterday, but through God's mercy, we can live differently today.

The Holy Spirit brings regeneration and renewal. God does not merely forgive our past; He begins transforming our present and our future.

So, let the past stay past.

• Do not keep punishing yourself for sins Christ has forgiven.
• Do not continually identify yourself by the person you used to be.
• Do not allow yesterday's failures to rob today's obedience.
• And do not use someone else's past to deny the work God may be doing in their life.

Remember where you came from—not to remain there, but to remember how great God's mercy has been.

Three Lessons from Titus 3:3–5

• Remember the past with humility.  “We ourselves were once…” reminds us that we are recipients of grace, not people who earned God's favour.
• Receive God's mercy instead of relying on our works.
• Our salvation rests on God's mercy, not our ability to make ourselves righteous.

(3) Walk forward in the renewal of the Holy Spirit.

God has not called us to remain trapped in our old ways. His Spirit brings renewal and enables a new way of living.

Reflection.  Ask yourself:

• Am I allowing something from my past to define my identity today?
• Have I truly received God's forgiveness, or am I continually condemning myself?
• Am I remembering my past as a testimony of God's mercy or as a reason to remain discouraged?
• Is there someone whose past I need to stop holding against them?

Takeaway
Your past may explain where you have been, but God's mercy determines where you can go. Remember the past for the testimony—then, by God's grace, move forward.

Prayer

Heavenly Father. Thank You for Your goodness, loving kindness, and mercy. I remember that I, too, was once lost, disobedient, and led astray. Yet You did not leave me in my past. You saved me—not because of my righteousness, but because of Your mercy. Lord, help me to stop living under the weight of things You have already forgiven. Teach me to learn from my past without being imprisoned by it. Renew my heart through Your Holy Spirit and help me walk faithfully in the new life You have given me. Give me grace to extend to others the same mercy You have shown me. May my past become a testimony of Your grace rather than a prison for my future. In Jesus' name, Amen.

QT 12/10/2026 星期一 提多书 3 让过去留在过去
阅读 http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/Tit/3/

你是否仍在背负着过去的重担？那些错误、失败和遗憾？《提多书》3章提醒我们：你曾经是那样的人——但你不必一直停留在那里。神的怜悯已赐给你一个新的开始。所以今天，让过去就留在过去吧！

经文聚焦：《提多书》3:3–5
3 我们从前也是无知、不顺服、受了迷惑、被各种私欲和逸乐所奴役，生活在恶毒和嫉妒之中，是可憎可恶的，并且互相仇视。4 然而，到了　神我们的救主显明他的恩慈和怜爱的时候，5 他就救了我们，并不是由于我们所行的义，而是照着他的怜悯，借着重生的洗和圣灵的更新。

反思

保罗开篇便以一种令人谦卑的提醒开始：“我们自己从前……”

在指责他人之前，我们被呼召要记住神将我们从何处领出来。我们也曾有过愚昧、悖逆、错误的欲望、怨恨、嫉妒以及破碎的人际关系的时期。我们的过去可能包含让我们感到羞愧的事情、希望能够撤回的决定，以及宁愿忘记的失败。

但保罗并没有说：“我们现在还是那样的人。”他说：“我们从前也是。”

铭记过去与沉溺于过去是有区别的。我们的过去可以给我们启示，但不必将我们禁锢其中。我们的失败或许是我们见证的一部分，但它们并非我们在基督里身份的最终定义。

这些经文的转折点体现在两个优美的词语中：“然而……”

• 当我们无法自救时，神动了工。
• 当我们的生命被罪玷污时，祂的良善便显明了。
• 当我们的行为不足时，祂的怜悯便足够了。

第5节提醒我们，救恩并非我们凭着自己的良善赚来的。“他就救了我们，并不是由于我们所行的义，而是照着他的怜悯。”

这意味着我们不必用余生去弥补信主前所做的一切。我们无法改写昨天，但借着神的怜悯，我们可以活出今日不同的生命。

圣灵带来重生与更新。神不仅赦免我们的过去；祂更开始改变我们的现在和未来。

因此，让过去留在过去。

• 不要因基督已经赦免的罪，继续惩罚自己。
• 不要总用过去的自己来定义现在的自己。
• 不要让昨天的失败夺走今天的顺服。
• 也不要用他人的过去，来否定神正在他们生命中所做的工作。

要记住你从何而来——不是为了停留在那里，而是为了铭记神的怜悯何等浩大。

提多书3:3–5中的三个学习

• 谦卑地回顾过去。“我们从前也是……”提醒我们，我们是恩典的接受者，而非靠自己赢得神恩宠的人。
• 接受神的怜悯，而非倚靠自己的行为。
• 我们的救恩根基在于神的怜悯，而非我们使自己成义的能力。

(3) 在圣灵的更新中向前迈进。

神呼召我们，并非要我们继续陷在旧有的生活方式中。祂的圣灵带来更新，并使我们能够过一种新的生活。

反思。请问自己：

• 我是否让过去的某些经历定义了我今天的身份？
• 我是否真正领受了神的赦免，还是仍在不断地定自己的罪？
• 我是将过去作为神怜悯的见证来铭记，还是将其作为继续灰心丧气的理由？
• 是否有某人，我需要停止因他的过去而苛责他？

学习要点
你的过去或许能说明你曾身处何方，但神的怜悯决定着你能走向何方。为作见证而铭记过去——然后，凭着神的恩典，继续前行。

祷告

天父。感谢祢的良善、慈爱与怜悯。我记得，我曾经也是迷失、悖逆、被引向歧途的。然而，祢并没有让我停留在过去。祢拯救了我——不是因我的义，而是因祢的怜悯。主啊，求祢帮助我，不再活在祢早已赦免之事的重担之下。教导我从过去中汲取教训，却不被过去所束缚。求祢藉着圣灵更新我的心，帮助我忠心地活出祢赐予我的新生命。求祢赐我恩典，使我能将祢向我显明的怜悯，同样施予他人。愿我的过去成为祢恩典的见证，而非我未来的牢笼。奉耶稣的名祈求，阿们。