Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
There comes a time in your walk with God when you must stop allowing your past to dictate your present. The old life has no authority over the new creation. You cannot continue carrying yesterday’s identity into today’s reality in Christ. Your past may explain where you came from, but it does not have the right to determine where you are going.
Some people are saved but continue entertaining old habits. They have received the new life but keep giving the old life opportunities to influence them. The Word of God calls us to put away the old nature and walk in the newness of life. You cannot continually feed what you are praying to overcome.
Think about Israel’s journey toward the Promised Land. There were stages in the journey, and there were things they had to leave behind. In the same way, spiritual growth requires movement. You cannot remain comfortable with the habits, attitudes, thought patterns, and behaviours that Christ has called you out of. At some point, you must say, “This no longer belongs in my life.”
The goal is not merely to stop doing certain things. The goal is to become more conscious of the life of Christ in you. Replace old habits with godly habits. Replace wrong thoughts with the truth of the Word. Replace bitterness with forgiveness. Replace fear with faith. Replace selfishness with love. As you yield yourself to the Spirit, the new life gains greater expression through you.
Prayer:
Precious Father, I thank You for making me a new creation in Christ Jesus. Thank You that the old things have passed away and that You have given me a new life. I am grateful that I am not bound to my past. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.