Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (2 Corinthians:17)
The new man and woman is a work wrought in the Spirit. Therefore, the "new" is not at all dependent on the old. God is not bound by the past when He shapes us for the future. He does not have to re-invent us, to clean us up, or re-outfit us. We are not re-creations, but new creations, and the new man is not hindered by old considerations. God does not need the permission or approval of anyone in our past to bless and help us in the present and future, because he alone is our God and Provider. What the Lord is going to do with us is not dependent on or determined by our experience, nor does He take heed to our résumé or qualifications. He does the new thing in us according to His own will and counsel, not according to what we've done, or what anyone says. We must learn to see ourselves in the light of God's grace and sovereignty, not our past failures and disappointments.
For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. (Hebrews 8:7)
The Lord is too wise and shrewd to ever pour new wine into old wineskins, so we can only go forward with Him when we cut ties with yesterday's relationships, methods, and means. We often hold on to temporary things as if they are eternal, and we regard eternal things as temporal. That is a grave mistake, because what God is going to do is entirely separate from what He did in the past, and the best is yet to come.
Let the Holy Spirit refresh you with a new heart and mindset. Look ahead and not back (this takes a tremendous amount of effort, but it is worth it). Set your eyes on Jesus, put your hands to the plow and don't turn back. God's promises are fulfilled in Christ, and Christ lives in you!
Your best days ahead!
Amen! My past is gone and I've been set free.
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