6 beautiful words of truth

 
1 Corinthians 6:9-11
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Six words in the Bible that offer us so much hope, AND SUCH WERE SOME OF YOU; a promise that whatever our back story, we can put that behind us and start afresh with Jesus.

A pastor recently spoke to a group of people who have rejected the LGBTQ+ label to follow Jesus.  He used a “robe” to symbolically wrap around one volunteer, to show what the robe of righteousness looks like.  When we wear that robe, all God sees is the righteousness of Christ.  This was so overwhelming for the volunteer that she broke down in tears; happy tears, but also tears that revealed the enormity of what Jesus did for us on the Cross.

What those six words reveal for me is the truth that we really are new creations when we give our lives to Jesus.  Our sins are past tense, Paul says “such were”, not “such are.”  We don’t have to live with a label, we don’t have to see ourselves in terms of what we struggle with now or have struggled with in the past.  We are able to push past this and recognise that yes, the flesh is weak, temptations will come, but God is our strength, and it is He who has redefined us as sanctified and justified.

Knowing that I am one of many Christians from centuries past and present who can claim – “that used to me, but not anymore,” is a huge encouragement.  When temptations come and I have to put on the armour of God and stand firm, knowing that God no longer sees me as who I used to be, is immense.  Because He has proclaimed me to be set free, a new creation, I can see myself in a new light and grasp the truths which He has spoken about me.  Satan wants to keep us bound in our past failures; Jesus came to set us free.

Whatever your struggles of the past, if you are a follower of Jesus, lay them down and remember this declaration – and such were some of you!