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.