Do you spend time thinking of your past mistakes? Do you beat yourself up over your failures?
If you have surrendered your life to Jesus, he has saved you from your past mistakes and sins. We can not keep beating ourselves up. Scripture tell us, “He (Jesus) himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” – 1 Peter 2:24 (ESV). God has forgiven you. Jesus died for you and your past. Every part of your past, even the things you hide away in the dark closet of your mind – Jesus died for those sins. Jesus died for our sins to make us righteous.
I believe in Jesus, his power, and that his death covered my sins, but the hardest part for me to believe is the last sentence in verse 24. “By his wounds you have been healed.” My past still effects my life. There are some areas in which I have yet to experience healing. Some nights shame still seeps into my mind and controls my thoughts. I have to repeat this verse over and over.
God will heal my wounds.
God will heal my mind.
God will heal my heart.
God will use my past and your past to bring himself glory. It might be hard to see now, but God promises to use all suffering for his glory.
I learned in high school why God wants to protect us from physical impurity. I experienced the pain and guilt of going too far with boys physically before marriage. Feelings of worthlessness and disgust sometimes still fill my mind when I think back to my past. I claimed to be a Christian, yet I pushed boundaries with boys.
When God revealed himself to me in college, he also revealed my sins. I felt so shameful. How could God use my story of impurity to glorify his perfectly pure self? I learned to never doubt God’s redeeming abilities. He redeemed the situation. God showed me the importance of pursuing purity and finding a man who also wants to pursue purity. He used me and my story to help other women who went through similar situations.
It is easy to think that we are so incredibly messed up, that God wouldn’t love us. This is the most beautiful part of Christianity. We are so broken, sinful, and messed up, yet God wanted to be close to us so badly that he sent Jesus to die in our place. If we weren’t sinful, we wouldn’t need Jesus. That is why nothing in all creation will separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:39).
When we accept Jesus into our heart, nothing can separate us from God. Not our past. Not our sins. Not our shame.
Your past has been forgiven, but if you don’t forgive yourself – you are saying Jesus’ death wasn’t big enough to forgive your sins. That is a bold statement. You’re saying that your sin is greater than Jesus’ tortuous death.
Our sins have been forgiven, and that is none of our own doing. (Read Ephesians 2 for more about being saved my grace.)
Friend, I’m praying for you. I spent a long time living in regret. Regret is a stronghold that Jesus has already broken you free from. I can’t wait for you to experience the freedom that Jesus brings.
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Angie
at (10 years ago)Great post and especially for the new year… It’s so easy to get caught up with looking back in your past and saying “I wish I just go back and change everything” but we have to leave the past in the past. I love when you said: “God will use my past and your past to bring himself glory. It might be hard to see now, but God promises to use all suffering for his glory.” Your quote reminds me of my life verse which is Romans 8:28 🙂 #BloggerCareGroup
joypedrow
at (10 years ago)Hi Angie! Thanks for stopping by the blog. I’m glad you found encouragement in this post. And I love that verse in Romans. Thanks for sharing!
Christine
at (10 years ago)Thanks for this inspiring post, Joy. A great reminder that our past is behind us, and we are forgiven. God does not remember our sin and neither should we. Thanks for sharing.
joypedrow
at (10 years ago)Hi Christine! Thanks for commenting. I’m glad this post inspired you. You are completely correct <3 I hope you have a wonderful night!