What does the Bible say about putting the past behind?

Bible Topic · WEB

The Bible teaches that believers need not be defined or imprisoned by their past, because God forgives sin, makes His people new in Christ, and calls them to press forward in faith. In Philippians 3:13-14, Paul describes forgetting what lies behind and straining toward the prize of God’s upward call. Through Christ, the old has passed away and reconciliation with God is given freely, as 2 Corinthians 5:17-18 declares. Confession brings real cleansing through God’s faithful mercy in 1 John 1:9. Yet leaving the past behind is not denial or self-salvation; it is trusting Christ’s finished work and setting the mind on things above. Isaiah 43:18-19 reminds God’s people that He is able to do a new thing.