I've been going through some changes and growth spiritually and the biggest thing I've been wrestling with is my past. I didn't think so, but I realize that I have.
Galatians 6:14-16 NLT
As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died. It doesn’t matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation. May God’s peace and mercy be upon all who live by this principle; they are the new people of God.
I don't always have peace because I sometimes struggle with this principle. It's a simple one. Jesus Christ is Lord. He died for every iniquity in my family history, every sin I could THINK to commit...and yet, I still find sad about who I was, what I was exposed to, whatever residue I perceive is there from my background - worrying about if it affects me, affect s others. I know it sounds crazy, but I hope maybe this helps someone struggling with the same thing.
Galatians 3:25-27 KJV
But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
I received the Holy Spirit shortly after I gave my life to Christ. I was baptized in water a few months later.
1 Peter 3:21 KJV
The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:
Water baptism is the answer of a good conscience toward God. I realized I was struggling because once again, I had become overly conscious of self. The truth is that all of that was dealt with before I was born, at the cross. So I prayed about my self consciousness.
What I saw was myself walking toward light and periodically, I'd pick up my dead self and drag it by the feet with me. And then I'd lay down the dead man and I'd do well and then, for some reason, I'd pick it back up. Flies and the stench of that dead thing would follow. Then I looked back and people in my life were hanging on to the dead body I was dragging - the old me. They hadn't embraced who God ia crafting me into yet. They were still hanging on to (dead) me too. Then I finally saw me leaving that thing to rot and moving forward into my future, being careful not to look back.
Ephesians 4:21-24 KJV
If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Let us be renewed in the spirit of our minds, let us change the way we look at ourselves and our brothers and sisters in Christ. We are new men and women. The reason we sometimes reek of our past is not because we've engaged in anything we used to do - it's because we're still dragging the memory!! So I leave the old woman to start in her grave, covered by the blood of Jesus. My past is covered, my family history is covered. I chose life back in 2008 when I gave my life to Christ and I chose life every day thereafter. Let us not wallow in our pasts, but revel in the blessing of the present in anticipation of our glorious future in Christ.
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