When we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, did He forgive us of all our sins, the sins of the past and future? Is His grace sufficient? I think He has. I firmly believe that Jesus’ blood has covered all my sins, but there seems to be this idea that is plaguing us believers. This plague destroys the very reason Jesus came to earth. This plague ultimately shows we don’t fully believe that Jesus’ death on the cross was sufficient enough. What is this plague? Well, it is a simple thought. We believe that once we have accepted Jesus that our sins have been washed away, but what we think next is the dangerous part. Now that I am saved, I need to work hard to get out of the pit that I am in. We believe we have been made new, but that we are still stuck with the past holding us down. This past will cause us to sin and make us turn to sin again. We believe that we have to shake our selves free from it. It seems innocent, and that it would be something we would want to do, but it comes down to “I” need to shake myself free.

“Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” – 2 Corinthians 12:8-9

God’s grace is sufficient, and the power of Christ is revealed through that weakness. Why do we keep thinking that we need to make ourselves better? Why do we insist on trying to shake ourselves free from the past? Our pride continues to tell us that we need to do it if we want to be worth anything. Satan tells us the lie that if we can’t escape the past, God won’t love us. Again, it’s a lie! The power of Christ is revealed through our weakness. Stop trying to shake off the past and start believing the power of Christ. Stop focusing on trying to fix things and start focusing on what Christ already fixed. The blood of Christ covered all your sins and made you new. The new you in Christ can’t exist without the sinful you of the past. Embrace it!

“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” – James 4:6

If we continually try to shake off the past, we are full of pride. When we embrace our sinful past, we humble ourselves. We recognize that we can’t do this without Christ. God’s grace extends to the deepest, darkest parts of our past. If we shake off the past, we shake off God’s grace. If we embrace the past, we embrace God’s grace. Stop worrying about the past! The past can’t make you sin if it is redeemed. Look to the future, keep your eyes on Christ. Every time we humble ourselves and recognize we messed up, give it to God. He will redeem it, and He has forgiven you. Don’t try and shake off the sin, but let God’s grace be glorified through it. When we realize our brokenness and our need for Christ, the more Christ gives us, and the less we sin. Stop focusing on your sin and start focusing on God’s grace; it will change everything.

“I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.” – Ezekiel 36:25-27