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After a person is saved, his old way of living and his old conduct of the past should come to an end. Before he received salvation, he was a sinner living in sin. He was also a man of the old creation, behaving in the way of the old creation. But now, having been saved, he has become a man of the new creation with the life of the new creation; as such he should have a new beginning, a new start, and live a new life spontaneously. Therefore, his former living and conduct should be ended.
In the Old Testament, when the children of Israel were saved by their keeping of the Passover, they immediately left Egypt, forsaking all Egyptian ways of living and fully ending, concluding, all the Egyptian things. From that day, the life they lived was new, the way on which they walked was new, and all the things they did were new. The things of the past and the living of the former days were completely ended. This is a distinct type of the clearance of the past.
Although the Bible contains no plain teaching concerning the clearance of the past, it does include some passages that are pertinent to this matter. According to these passages, we may extract the following four points:
The clearance of the past is not a requirement for salvation. This is because God’s salvation is complete. No matter how grievous or deep our sins might be, they are all under the precious blood. There is no need for us to do or add anything, such as clearing the past, before we can be forgiven by God. God’s forgiveness is based upon the precious blood of the Lord Jesus, and it is also the issue of our repentance and faith. It is not necessary to add our good works and virtues or our zeal and love. Therefore, the clearance of the past is not a requirement for salvation.
Once a person receives the Lord Jesus as his Savior and thus obtains God’s salvation, the power of this salvation causes him to clear away and end his former life. This is plainly illustrated in Zaccheus’ action as recorded in Luke 19. At the moment God’s salvation came to Zaccheus, it caused him to deal with his material possessions and to clear away his past sinful life. In like manner, because of our enjoyment of God’s salvation, God’s life in us causes us to have a change in our mood, taste, and feeling toward the world. Even our taste toward daily necessities, such as eating and clothing, is changed. Therefore, we spontaneously put an end to our old way of living, that is, we clear away the things in our living which have evolved from the past to the present, no longer allowing them to persist or continue. Such a clearance is an issue of our enjoyment of salvation.
Once a person is saved, if he desires to have a good testimony for the Lord and to go on with the Lord in a pure way, he should completely clear away the things of his past. Suppose a casino operator is saved. Of course, his past sin of operating the casino has been forgiven by God. Moreover, the many dark and evil things he did in the casino have also been forgiven. However, if he desires to be a good Christian from now on and to follow and go on with the Lord, he has no choice but to close the casino. If he does not close it down, though we may not deny that he is saved, we may say that he has no way to live as a Christian. If he desires to have a good Christian life, he must close the casino. This is the clearance of the past.
If after he is saved an operator of a casino or a night club does not close down his business, how can he lead people to the Lord or witness for the Lord? Even if he tries to witness for the Lord, it will be difficult for anyone to believe. If after we are saved we desire to walk on the Lord’s way and to witness for the Lord, we need to clear away our past life and the former things. We should regard this matter as highly important. This is not a legal requirement, and there is no fixed rule or regulation as to how we should make the clearance. Nevertheless, there is a principle here: if we, the saved ones, desire to have a better Christian life, to walk properly on the way of the Lord, and to witness for the Lord, our past life must be brought to an end.
The clearance of the past is not according to the demand of outward regulations but according to the moving of the Spirit within. The Bible does not have any plain teaching telling us that we should clear the past, nor does it give us any regulation suggesting to us how we should make such a clearance. Since we are saved, however, we have the Spirit in us. If anyone would let the Spirit move and work in him and would not care for his position, reputation, and profit, the Spirit will lead him to make the clearance with all its dealings by the power of life within, that he may be a new man, living a new life and walking on the new way. Furthermore, this clearance is not a regulation in the church. The church has no such regulation or requirement. However, the life we have obtained is holy, and the Spirit in us is moving and working. Hence, the Spirit will definitely require us, by the holy life within us, to remove all demonic and dirty things and to cut off the old way of living. Our responsibility is to follow the leading of the Spirit and to allow Him to move freely.
Although the Bible has no clear teaching concerning the clearance of the past, the New Testament contains distinct examples showing us that after a man is saved, the Spirit begins to move and work in him, causing him to clear the past and to deal with the improper things of the past.
One example of the clearance of the past is seen in the case of the Thessalonians. In 1 Thessalonians 1:9 Paul said that, after they had believed in the Lord, the Thessalonians turned away from idols. Today, especially in places like China and Japan, most of the unbelieving families have idols or things pertaining to idols. After a person is saved, whether he is about to be baptized or has already been baptized, he must clear away from his living the idols and things related to idols. He may not force himself to do other things, but regarding the matter of clearing away the idols, it is all right for a person to force himself a little. If he finds it difficult to do the clearing, he may find some brothers to pray with him in order to increase his strength and boldness and thereby to help him with the clearing. However, he must do the clearing himself, and do it thoroughly, the more thoroughly the better.
Among the Chinese, there are things related to the reading of facial features, fortune-telling, horoscopes, and divination. Since these things involve idols, they should be terminated. It is improper for a believer who has been baptized to have idols or other superstitious things remaining in his home. We must abandon all things that are related to idols. The more severely we forsake them, and the more thoroughly we clean them out, the better.
Not only should we discard the idols that are obvious, but we should reject even the idols that are not obvious. Not only should we throw out other images, but we should give up even portraits or statues of Jesus. All the so-called paintings of Jesus today are false. The Bible says that, when He was on earth, the Lord Jesus had no form nor comeliness (Isa. 53:2). However, the images of Jesus most commonly seen today look very beautiful. These are artists’ false portrayals of Jesus. Not only Catholics but even many Protestants have this kind of picture in their homes. Furthermore, many books in Christianity contain such pictures. These pictures represent human superstitions, and in the eyes of God they are blasphemous; hence, they should be disposed of.
We should discard any image of Jesus, not merely because it is false. Even if it were to bear the original semblance of Jesus, it still should be rejected. We should use our spirit to worship the Lord, who is Spirit (John 4:24); we should not use our physical body to worship a visible image. The Catholic Church teaches that man should worship a visible image with his physical body in order to help him to worship the invisible God with his inner spirit. This is a heretical teaching which mixes leaven into the fine flour (Matt. 13:33). We should not follow such a teaching. We should worship the Lord in spirit and not have any outward images.
A second example of the clearance of the past is seen in the case of the Ephesians. Acts 19:19 tells us that the Ephesian believers who practiced magic brought their books together and burned them. This is the basis for our practice of burning for the destruction of the demonic and dirty things, the improper things. Examples of these things are the candlesticks and censers used in idol worship, ornaments and clothing with the image of the dragon, sacred writings of heathen religions, books and charms pertaining to divination, and tablets related to ancestral worship. Other examples are gambling instruments, utensils for alcoholic drinking, pipes for smoking, obscene books, and pornographic pictures. All these things are demonic and filthy. We all must follow the leading of the Holy Spirit to remove all such things from our lives and our homes.
Unbecoming clothing also is in this category of demonic and dirty things. Perhaps some items of clothing are too short; in this case they should be lengthened. Other items may have a peculiar appearance; these items should be altered to appear normal. Still others may be demonic and defiled by sin; such items should be burned. No one can decide the extent of our dealing with these things, but the Spirit will guide us inwardly.
In brief, anything related to idols and any demonic and filthy thing, however valuable it may be, should be burned. The biblical principle is that such things should be burned with fire. The Bible, records, in particular, that the price of the items which were burned by the Ephesians was fifty thousand pieces of silver. This is to show us that, when they destroyed the demonic and unclean things, the early believers burned a number of valuable things. Therefore, when we destroy the demonic and dirty things, we should not count the cost or the loss.
A third example of the clearance of the past is seen in the case of Zaccheus, in his restoring of what he owed others. As soon as he was saved, Zaccheus said to the Lord that if he had taken anything from anyone by false accusations, he would restore four times as much (Luke 19:8). To restore four times as much is neither a law nor a principle, but an issue of the dynamic salvation of the Lord, the moving of the Holy Spirit, and the inner urging of the conscience. This sets a good example, disclosing to us the way to deal with material indebtedness.
After we are saved, it is not necessary to dig up our past life to see whom we owe and to repay them. But if the Holy Spirit in us makes us conscious of the fact that we owe others in material things, then we should follow His leading to properly restore them.
As to the way of making restitution, there are a number of practical points that need consideration. First, perhaps at the present time you are financially unable to repay your debts. If you feel that the Holy Spirit is requiring you to deal with the matter immediately, though you cannot make the full restitution, you should still do your best to restore what you owe and confess your sin to the one whom you owe. This is the first point for consideration.
Second, when you restore what you owe, sometimes you should make it known to the party whom you have wronged, but at other times you should exercise wisdom and not let him know. If your making the matter known to him will not benefit everyone involved, then you may restore what you owe in secret. For example, suppose you have stolen something, and the victim knows that it is you who did the stealing. If this is the case, then you must let him know that you are restoring what you stole from him. On the other hand, suppose he is not aware of your wrongdoing, and suppose that by informing him about it you may cause further complication and involve other parties, so that you may create more problems and wrong more people. Under this circumstance, you should simply pay him back in secret so that the victim will not suffer any material loss and at the same time others will not be implicated.
Third, if the person you have wronged is no longer alive, in principle you should reimburse his nearest relative, such as his wife or children. In other words, you should reimburse his legal heirs. If no one can be found to receive the reimbursement, in principle it is best to give the money to the poor.
Fourth, how much should the compensation be? Should it be the amount owed, twice the amount, or several times the amount? Perhaps your feeling is not clear. In such a case, the best thing for you to do is to fellowship with the older ones in the church. In general, try to take the middle course. Avoid underdoing, not doing enough, so that your conscience is still condemned. Also avoid overdoing, doing in excess, so that your conscience is overburdened. There are no fixed regulations on such matters. We must try to do the most suitable thing by carefully weighing the situation and following the leading of the Holy Spirit.
In brief, the restoration of material things should be done with much discretion because it often involves others. Sometimes it may involve the government, at other times it may involve private individuals, and at still other times it may involve the relationship between husband and wife in a family. Therefore, when we carry out such dealings, we should not merely care for the peace of our conscience and our guiltlessness before the Lord and disregard the safety of others. We must avoid putting others in a difficult situation through our dealings. Therefore, we need to exercise wisdom to carry out the dealings properly, so that those whom we have wronged will receive compensation while other parties will not be damaged. We should keep in mind that the underlying principle in restoring what we owe is that the Lord may be glorified and that others may be profited together with us. We must handle the matter of making restitution according to this principle so that no damage will be done to anyone.
After we are saved, we should conclude our old way of living. Although we cannot find a definite example in the Bible concerning this point, we can see a hint of it from the revelation of the entire New Testament. That is, after we are saved, God’s desire is that we bring before Him every person, thing, and affair in our living and see if we still can be related to them as we were in the former days.
If we are willing to go before the Lord in this way, we will see that after we are saved through regeneration, we not only should abandon the idols, destroy the demonic and dirty things, and restore what we owe, but we also should conclude entirely our old way of living and have a new beginning. Since regeneration causes a new life to be imparted into us, spontaneously it also ushers us into a new living. The old way of living is terminated with the old life, and the new way of living is germinated with the new life. This does not mean that we cease to be husbands, parents, or students; rather, it means that we can no longer be husbands, parents, or students as we were in the past. Neither does it mean that from now on our homes should be devoid of decoration; rather, it means that the decorating should be different from before. Concerning these things, our inward taste, our mood, and our feeling have changed. This means that our old life with our old way of living has been ended.
Such an ending does not require us to dig up the past. It is not a matter of asking ourselves about our wrongdoings in the past; it is a matter of asking ourselves whether we, as children of God, should be the same as before. Some people are saved strongly, and they immediately end their old way of living. Their worldly ambition and interest are changed. Their evaluation and concept of persons, things, and affairs also are changed. Even the purpose of their human life is different from before. Thus, they can rid themselves of all entanglements and remove all the weights that they may press forward on the way of the Lord. This is not a teaching but the work of the Holy Spirit. It is altogether a matter of the new man with a new living, having everything of the past living ended. This is the clearance of the past.
We must bring these four categories of things—things related to idols, demonic and dirty things, things we owe others, and the entire old way of living—before God in order that they may be properly ended. Anyone who does not allow the Spirit to do a proper work in him in these matters cannot go on with the Lord in a proper way. Although dealings with these matters are not based on teaching, law, or regulation, they will surely issue forth if a person lives in the spirit and is worked on by the Spirit.
The extent of clearance of the past is the “life and peace” spoken of in Romans 8:6. We have seen that the basis of the ending of the past is the moving of the Spirit, which is the feeling given to us through the inner anointing of the Holy Spirit. If we walk according to the Spirit, the result will surely be life and peace (Rom. 8:5-6). Thus life and peace are the degree to which we are required to clear the past. If we follow the demand of our inner sense to restore what we owe, to confess our sins, to eliminate improper, demonic, and dirty things, and to end our old way of living, we will have the sense that we are strengthened, enlightened, satisfied, and enlivened; we will also have the sense of peace, security, and God’s full presence. If we have made a clearance of the things of the past and we still sense the lack of fullness and manifestation of life and peace, we may be sure that we have not followed the Spirit to the uttermost; we have not sufficiently satisfied the demand of the inner feeling. We must look to the Lord for the supply of grace that we may clear up things more thoroughly, until we are full of life and peace.
The sense of life and peace within is not sufficient, of course, to prove that all our past that needs to be cleared up has already been dealt with. It only indicates that we have attended to everything according to the demand of our inner feeling. It is possible that later, when the life within has grown and our consciousness has increased, we will sense that there is more that needs to be put to an end. At this time we must again follow the leading of this feeling and deal with these matters until we again sense life and peace. After several thorough clearances and dealings, we will have cleared away to a much greater extent those things, deeds, relations, and concepts of the past which are not pleasing to the Lord. We can then follow the Lord and go on without hindrance.
The clearance of the past after we are saved refers to the ending of our former living and past conduct. This is not a requirement for salvation, but an issue of the enjoyment of salvation. It is needed in order that we may have a better Christian life, bear a good testimony for the Lord, and follow the Lord in our going on with Him. The practice of the clearance of the past is not according to the demand of outward regulations, but according to the moving of the Spirit within. If we would let the Spirit work in us, He will lead us to make the clearance and carry out the dealings by the power of life within. Although the Bible has no clear teaching concerning the clearance of the past, the New Testament contains some distinct examples: 1) abandoning idols and things pertaining to idols; 2) destroying the demonic, dirty, and improper things; 3) restoring what we owe; and 4) ending the old way of living. These will certainly issue forth if we live in the spirit and are worked on by the Spirit. The extent of clearance of the past is life and peace. We must thoroughly make such a clearance and carry out such dealings until we are inwardly filled with life and peace.
