By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain.
1 corinthians 15:10
When we think of what we were, we can use it as a lens through which to view what Jesus has done in our lives. Our sins, horrible as they were, are what He has redeemed us from. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ has brought a change in our lives. We are no longer the person we were.
The answer to our shame and regrets from the past is more than, “It’s ok, because I’m forgiven.” The answer is to say, “By God’s grace I have changed. I am not the person I was. By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain.”
Paul never claimed or thought he was all that God called him to be. Instead, he said, “I’m a long way from being perfect. But Jesus Christ has made me His own and I am pursuing the purpose for which He laid hold of me” (Phil. 3:10–13).
By God’s grace you, too, will be able to say, “I am not what I should be. I am not what I want to be. I am not what I one day will be. But I am not what I used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I am.”
When you are troubled by past sins, use it as an opportunity to remind yourself of what the grace of God has done in you.
