If you have spent any time watching television, no doubt you have come across commercials advertising ways to lose weight or get in shape. No matter if the commercial is for a piece of exercise equipment, a weight loss pill, an exercise program, or a diet plan, there are always “before and after” pictures of the successful people who have used said product. If you have accepted Christ as Savior, your life could be considered a “before and after.” However, our dramatic and eternal transformation has delivered us from the sins and unhealthy spiritual lifestyles we used to live.
Throughout his epistles, the Apostle Paul uses many examples comparing our lives before and after Christ.
Romans
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed.” (Romans 3:23-25, NKJV, emphasis mine).
“For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly…But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.” (Romans 5:6, 8-11, NKJV, emphasis mine).
“Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. 19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.” (Romans 5:18, NKJV, emphasis mine).
“But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.” (Romans 6:17-18, NKJV, emphasis mine).
Galatians
“Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.” (Galatians 4:3-5, NKJV, emphasis mine).
Ephesians
“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:1-6, NKJV, emphasis mine).
“Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh- who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands- that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near.” (Ephesians 2:11-17, NKJV, emphasis mine).
Colossians
“And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled.” (Colossians 1:21, NKJV, emphasis mine).
“In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.” (Colossians 2:11-12, NKJV, emphasis mine).
“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.” (Colossians 3:1, NKJV, emphasis mine).
“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.” (Colossians 3:15, NKJV, emphasis mine).
Though these are but a handful of verses, these verses demonstrate our new identity in Christ as compared to our old, sinful natures. We also have no need to feel condemned for past sins of which we have confessed, for Christ has forgiven us. There is no need to grieve over our old lives when we have been blessed with new lives in Christ. As Christians, we have been forgiven and redeemed and we have been clothed with the righteousness of Christ. Let us work out our salvation and seek the heavenly things. God bless you all.
Triumphant In Christ 