Who I was and who I am......these are powerful words that should represent change. Meaning you have changed because you were rescued by Jesus Christ. And then after that rescue, you have to continue to grow in Christ! Changing and looking more like Christ, thinking more like Christ, being more like Christ. "Who I was" for you could represent someone from 2, 5 or even 8 years ago. Someone that you no longer look like at all. Or it could represent someone from just 2 months ago. Your past doesn't have to "years old" in order to say "I am a new creation!". If you can look back 2 months ago and say I don't look like that person anymore (for the better), than you have just as much to celebrate as the person who has been living a rescued and changed life for 10 years now. The important part is to walk in your new life and not let anything take you back to the "old person" from your past.
Along that journey of change you are going to run into obstacles. Satan is going to do things to remind you of who you used to be. Temptations are going to come along that would have caused you to fall in the past. Even people you know are going to try to remind you of how ugly your past looks and doubt that you could ever be any better. And some of that may even cause you to stumble, but it no longer has the power over you to make you fall. The important thing is that you stand firm in Christ when those times come. You stand firm in the new creation He has made you to be and you rebuke the things that want to drag you back down. Whether it be circumstances, temptations or even people that the enemy wants to use to remind of you of your past, you have no reason to go back there. Not in your actions and not in your mind. And in those moments you stop and ask Jesus to show you, remind you and/or reveal to you who HE has made you now. I am not saying there are not many lessons to be learned from our past...there are! But I am saying that NOTHING should cause you to dwell on it or look back on it and make you feel guilt and shame. If you gave all of that to Jesus then it is done....it is settled....it is dealt with....and most importantly, IT IS FORGIVEN!
John 3:17 states that God did not send Jesus to condemn the world, but save the world. If you have given it all to Jesus and asked for and received forgiveness, then Jesus not longer condemns you. So don't let anyone or anything else condemn you either! No matter your past, once it has been laid at the feet of Jesus, you have been washed as white as snow. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 talks about the things that can stop you from inheriting the Kingdom of God, but it goes on to say that once you receive the forgiveness of Jesus Christ, you have been washed, sanctified and justified in the name of Jesus. No matter what you have been rescued from, in that moment you just received the Kingdom of God.
Please don't receive the forgiveness of Jesus and then walk out the rest of your life feeling guilt and shame. Take the gift the Christ has given you and go give it to others. Let them know that Jesus is where they can find forgiveness, and once they have, nothing in this world has the power to condemn them. Then they too can walk out their new life and tell others how much Jesus has changed them.
God, thank You for washing away our sins....our past...our ugliness. Thank You for not reminding us of who we used to be, even though, if anyone would have the right to, it would be You. But instead You see us through the blood of Jesus. Your grace and Your mercy covers ALL. Help us to know that when we are dealing with others who may have a past that is worse than ours. Remind us that it is our place to show the love of Christ, not to condemn them. In Jesus name, Amen
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