Made New

We’ve all had our moments. The moments we’ve been hurt. The moments we’ve hurt someone. The moments we’ve lied. The moments we’ve failed. The moments we’ve disappointed our loved ones. The moments we’ve let ourselves down.

Sometimes, our old pain still aches. Our past mistakes linger, and guilt creeps in. And they are begging to drag us down.

The thing is, we can’t go back in time to take back what Christ’s blood has already paid for. He already paid the ultimate price so we would no longer have to walk in shame and guilt. He paid the ultimate price so we could taste and experience His goodness, so we could move forward and live an abundant life in Jesus.

We tend to look at ourselves through our sins, rather than through the cross that washed them away.

But Peter reminds us we are not defined by our sin:

“Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy,” (1 Peter 2:10).

We were made new.

Your sin is not your identity.

Your past is not your identity.

Your brokenness is not your identity.

No matter how hard you fall,

no matter how far you stray,

God’s love for you remains the same.

He calls us His beloved.

“He hopes we’ll start to see ourselves as His beloved rather than think of all the reasons that we aren’t.” – Bob Goff

So often, we look for reasons we aren’t worthy. Reasons we aren’t qualified. Reasons we aren’t loved.

But if you are in Christ:

You are chosen.

You are set apart.

You are a holy nation.

You are His beloved.

Great news – we’re no longer defined by our mistakes, but by our savior who forgave our mistakes. We’re chosen, not to just enjoy God, but to do something – to show up, to share Him, to accomplish His will.

Let’s trade our hopelessness for the full hope we find in our sweet God, because we have been freed. Let’s believe the One who set us free. Let’s believe we are forgiven.

You are who He says you are: His beloved.