Who I Was and Who I Am
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. II Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV)
This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! II Corinthians 5:17 (New Living Translation, NLT)
When we’re born again, receiving Jesus as our Savior, our old sin nature dies. We become a brand new person in our spirits. As we live for Christ, spending time in His Word and presence, that spirit is strengthened and becomes more and more dominant over our soul and body. This means the new person we’ve become on the inside begins to work its way to the outside where it is noticeable. After a time, we won’t really show any resemblance to the person we used to be before Christ.
Like everyone else, in my BC (Before Christ) days, I was a sinner. As a matter of fact, I was a devious, selfish person involved in some very sinful things. You could say I was headed down a wrong road at a high rate of speed. Then, I gave my life to Jesus at age 25. When I did, my spirit man was instantaneously changed into someone entirely new. I found a good church and began to learn the Word, and I began to change on the outside too. Now, when I look back to my life before salvation, I really cannot recognize the person I used to be. I have no condemnation about my past. My life and nature have so drastically been altered that thinking about my old life is like watching a movie about someone else. That’s the only way I can really describe it. I simply cannot identify myself as that person anymore. I know in my heart as well as experientially, that I am a new creation.
As believers, as we are transformed more and more into the likeness of Christ, we can see a clear distinction between our old man and our new man. We should not consider ourselves sinners saved by grace, because we are not sinners at all. Instead, we understand that we are the righteousness of God in Christ. There is no need to look back with regret or with any sense of condemnation. And looking back for the purpose of wishing we’d done things differently or with regret over things we did to ourselves and others is counterproductive. If you are saved but you find yourself constantly going back in your mind and wishing you could do things over, you need to get II Corinthians 5:17 deep in your heart and begin to identify with the new person that you became at salvation. The old you is dead and gone. Quit resurrecting him or her in your mind. Let your past go and move ahead.
I do want to point out that there is a reason not to completely forget who you used to be. It is healthy to maintain a heart of gratitude to the Lord for changing you from the person you used to be. Looking at the new creation and comparing it to the old man helps us remember what Jesus has done for us. And when we minister and relate to sinners, we can recall what our lives were like when we were in the same condition. That helps us to empathize with them and be compassionate in ministering and witnessing to them. We must not identify ourselves as the old creation, but as new creatures in Christ, we must remember what it was like to be lost and without hope. Sin is a heavy, heavy burden and we can’t forget how we felt before we were born-again and gave that burden to the Lord.
So, it’s a balance, actually. Identify as the new creation that you are and don’t live in the past. However, maintain an awareness of what it was like before you surrendered your life to God so you will stay humble and thankful to Him and so you can relate to the lost and hurting. I remember who I was, but I know who I am.
