If people were to look into my past, they would find the dark and dreary pit from which I came from. But it would not be to my shame, but to His glory, that He can take somebody who was so low, lift them up, clean them off, and then make them useful for the kingdom.
Wherever you are today, whatever your state, no matter how much sin still reigns in you, just look to Him. He’s the one that can save you. He’s the one that can turn your life around. God can make the most vile man or woman into a saint for the kingdom.
God created you, be sure that He can change you. “Whoever is a believer in Christ is a new creation. The old way of living has disappeared. A new way of living has come into existence. God has done all this.” (2 Corinthians 5:17-18 NOG).
His nature can change your nature. “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26).
God is the One that can do everything you need such that you can have a new life. His Spirit can reign in you. His Spirit can cause you to live a righteous life. You do not have to try hard, but to surrender all. God is the power and He is waiting for you to yield to Him.
There is nothing God can’t change in you once you let Him. “Get rid of all the sins you have done. And get for yourselves a new heart and a new way to think.” (Ezekiel 18:31 ICB).
Never despair with where you are at, but only trust in where He is taking you. “The Lord says, ‘I will instruct you. I will teach you the way that you should go. I will advise you as my eyes watch over you.” (Psalm 32:8 GW).
Often, we will look at our current state and cannot imagine how we can be anything more than we are. Stop looking at your current state and keep your eyes on the Lord.
Nobody would drive their car focused on the rear-view mirror. It is not because we do not care about what lies behind us, but rather we must keep our eyes focused on where we are going. The same is true in your life. Remember the past as your lesson, but keep your eyes focused on where you are going.
Our past is an anchor and can prevent us from moving forward. We must cut the lines to the anchor of our past and let the currents of heaven carry us forward into that life we were meant to live.
So long as you think your best days are behind you, they will be. “Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it?…” (Isaiah 43:18-19).
Sometimes you need to just write “the end” so that you can begin a new story with your life. “You were taught to change the way you were living. The person you used to be will ruin you through desires that deceive you. …become a new person created to be like God, truly righteous and holy” (Ephesians 4:22-24 NOG).
Often, we cannot see how God can see us as righteous. We cannot imagine how we could ever be considered righteous in our life before others. Child of God, nobody is righteous, but the one who is covered by the righteousness of Christ Himself. Step into the righteousness of Christ and you will have a new Spirit wrapped around you by which the Father would look upon you and say, “righteous.”
God changes those who let Him. “…If you choose to love sin, it will become your master… But if you choose to love and obey God, he will lead you into perfect righteousness” (Romans 6:16 TPT).
To be in Christ we must die to our flesh because our flesh has no place in Him. “For He made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him [Jesus]” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
The most righteous person is not the one who has sinned the least, but the one who has been forgiven the most. Jesus told the story, “The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men’… And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man [the sinner] went down to his house justified rather than the other…” (Luke 18:11,13-15).
Child of God, if you are a believer in Christ Jesus, then you are a new creation. As a new creation, you are pronounced righteous. This is never based on what you did or what you can do, but on Christ alone can you be justified and named righteous in the courts of heaven. Living your new life is achieved by realizing it is by Christ alone that you can live it.
“Whoever is a believer in Christ is a new creation. The old way of living has disappeared. A new way of living has come into existence. God has done all this.” (2 Corinthians 5:17-18 NOG). God has done it, but will you accept it?
Blessings to you,
Paul Balius
All Scripture is quoted from the New King James Version unless otherwise noted. Please use the version you prefer to review the verses shown here. The best version is the one you read. An even better version is the one you live.
This is so true! Every morning I put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:13-17) and one of the pieces of armor is the Breastplate of Righteousness. Not my righteousness but Christ’s. Amen, thank you Jesus!
That is a wonderful way for you to start each morning, by putting on the whole armor of God! There is so much freedom when we realize our righteousness comes from Christ.