“all things are yours, whether … the present or the future—all are yours, and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s” (1 Cor. 3:21-23).

What if someone gave you a time machine, allowing you to jump back in the past or leap into the future? Sounds like a way to solve lots of problems in your past and future, but it’s not so simple. You could go back to the past, but you’d still keep replaying regrets. You’re stuck, trapped in what was.

Then you leap to the future and find yourself paralyzed by anxiety. Again, you’re stuck, but this time in what might be. Finally, you land in the present, but without the past resolved or the future trusted, the present feels empty. You lack clarity and wisdom about your life, leaving you lost and adrift in the now.

“Redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Eph. 6:16, KJV).

Beginning with stories about an imaginary time traveler, this year’s EPIC Bible studies with our young people focused on Scripture’s teaching on time. Why does the apostle Paul say to forget the past (Phil. 3:14)? And what does he mean when he declares that the present and the future belong to the Christian (1 Cor. 3:21-23)? The Christian approach doesn’t escape time — it redeems it!

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil” (Eph 5:15-16). God wants to set you free from the past, give you peace with the future, and give you purpose in the present.

Free from the Past

No one ever used a flux capacitor to get Back to the Future, but that doesn’t mean no one ever got stuck in their past. Sadly, it happens all the time. People get stuck in: 1) regrets — as the guilt and shame of our sin and folly won’t let us go, 2) resentment — as the pain of the past — whether caused by others or circumstances — eats away at us, and 3) comparison — which happens more with older people who look back and say “the former days” were the good old days (Eccles. 7:10).

“But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal” (Phil. 3:13-14).

When Paul says he presses forward like a runner “forgetting what lies behind” (Phil. 3:13), he doesn’t literally forget his sins, injuries, or accomplishments. But he dealt with them before the Lord, so they couldn’t keep a grip on him. He found pardon from Christ, grace for others, and something much better than all the glory of his past.

Christ redeems our whole selves, including our past. On the cross, Jesus didn’t just die for your future salvation. In a way, he rewrites your entire timeline. God remembers our sins “no more” when he forgives us (Heb. 8:12). Likewise, we must deal graciously with others who have wronged us (Eph. 4:32), as we learn from our past trials (James 1:2-5).

Peace with the Future

The past isn’t the only time when people can become trapped. Like a multiverse of fear, we can get stuck in possible futures. We get so caught up in our anxieties and fears that we can’t live in the present moment. We’re enslaved to what might go wrong in the future. When you find yourself in this kind of time trap, go read Philippians 4:6, 1 Peter 5:7, Romans 8:28, and John 11:25, and find peace through God’s precious promises.

Purpose in the Present

Time travel stories create paradoxes because time moves forward, one moment at a time. When the Bible says to “make the most of the time” (Eph. 5:16), a more literal translation might say, “redeeming the time” (like the KJV), meaning to “deliver, liberate” or “buy” it.

Like Jesus redeems and transforms us, making us holy, we can redeem our time. We can’t save time, but we can invest it in eternity. The Bible principle of seasons teaches us that we must discern — not only the right thing to do — but also the right time to do it (Eccles. 3:1-11). If “God makes everything beautiful” in its appropriate time, and “there is a time for everything,” the question to constantly ask is, “What is it time for now?” Each present moment is an opportunity, not to do it all, but to do what matters. So don’t ask, “How can I get through this day?” Ask, “How can I live with wisdom and joy right now?”

“He has made everything beautiful in its time” (Eccles. 3:11).

Going back to the idea of time travel, what if the answer was never about traveling through time, but redeeming it? God doesn’t want you trapped in your past, crushed by your future, or adrift in your present. He wants you anchored in Christ (Heb. 6:19), walking through time with discernment and confidence.

Your past — with all its guilt, grief, or even its glory — no longer owns you. Scripture says the past, present, and future belong to you, as you belong to Christ (1 Cor. 3:21-23). Because our Lord redeems our past story of failure, secures our future in hope, and walks with us today.