The Truth Behind Why a New Creation in Christ Has No Past
Every person on the planet has a past, both natural and spiritual- for better or for worse. Letting go of the past is part of everyone’s life journey, but it is especially important for believers whom the Bible calls a “new creation in Christ” (2 Cor. 5:17) because the Lord has a “future and a hope” for you (Jer. 29:11) whereas the enemy would love to keep you trapped in the past. If you truly are a new creation in Christ, it’ll set the course for how your spiritual future proceeds.
In the most literal sense, what the Bible means when it refers to the people of God as a “new creation” is that, down the molecular level, what once was, no longer exists and what now is, never has existed before – that’s you, the person who is now in Christ. But even so, the enemy will try to use your past against you because he is “the accuser of the brethren” (Rev. 12:10). Satan will try to use your past against you, or to get other people to accuse you and to remind you of who you once were. Don’t fall for it!
How a New Creation in Christ Exists with No Past
You can’t change the decisions you made in the past any more than you can change the decisions someone else made that affected or harmed you; and both your human soul, mind and body will manifest the effects of those experiences. And just like every person ever made is given the genetic thumbprints of other people as seen in your natural DNA, which cannot be altered, your spiritual DNA can absolutely be transformed through Christ.
Your spiritual DNA and your past spiritual experiences influence how you relate to the Lord and every Christian must confront that as they work out their own salvation. What does the Lord want to show you differently? What needs to be released, or kept? Letting go of the past is an important part of moving forward in life, but it’s more than that. Surrendering your very DNA – natural and spiritual – is the transformative work the Lord wants to do in you, so He can create something better, stronger and without pain or blemish, something that didn’t exist in the past.
The phrase “new creation” in 2 Cor. 5:17 refers to the same process as undergoing a metamorphosis– the transformation of one creature into an entirely different one, even at the molecular level. When you are a new creation in Christ, there’s nothing left of the former thing. Maybe it doesn’t feel that way, or you still struggle, but you can trust God’s word that you are a new creation. Now, it’s time to act like one!
Letting Go of the Past Lets God Hold Your Future
In 1 Peter 1:23 says the spiritual DNA you have in Christ is completely different than the components of your natural DNA- not made with flawed materials that are able to be ruined or abused, like your past, your thinking, your habits, or strongholds; not of “corruptible seed, but incorruptible, by the word of God, which lives and abides for ever.”
Surrendering your very DNA – natural and spiritual – is the transformative work the Lord wants to do in you, so He can create something better, stronger and without pain or blemish, something that didn’t exist in the past.
~Alicia Purdy
The “imperishable seed” is the perpetually renewed DNA that is transformed from old into new, from past into future through the power of God at work in a submitted life that dwells in His presence. When you are a new creation in Christ, your life is built upon, centered around and flowing out from a vital relationship with the Lord, letting go of the past stops being an act of the will and becomes a desire of the spirit- and invites Christ to do the work!
No matter what your spiritual heritage from the past is, you have a role in the inheritance of the spiritual DNA of others- believers and non-believers alike- based on how you live out the Word of God. You may not realize the impact you have on the world around you, and you may not feel like someone of importance or visibility, but that’s a lie from Satan. You are being watched.
As you let go of the past and submit your future to the Lord, the spiritual heritage you give to the next generation of believers must be intentional. Pass on the incorruptible seed God put within you through your example of worship, the Word, character, growth, strength, determination, joy and victory.
Thought for today: God’s Future for You Has No Past Stains
You were given a spiritual heritage in Christ, a new DNA, that supersedes anything the world could give you if you’re willing to let go of the past and surrender it all to Christ. You can choose to carry weight from the past, although Hebrews 12:1 shows that the Lord wants you to set it aside. That may feel easier said than done, but gratitude expressed in praise and worship is what will keep you on the path to freedom. The Word of God will light the path that feels so dark. Prayer will strengthen your spirit.
These are not habits and behaviors of someone who has been reprogrammed to do the Christian routine. These are the desires of a new creation in Christ, the person who has been fundamentally transformed, whose DNA cannot go back because there is nothing to go back to. The past is no longer being let go- it doesn’t exist anymore.
Resources to Continue Your Journey toward Freedom in Christ: “What Does it Mean to Deny Yourself?”
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