Have you ever wondered how a large elephant will just stay tied to a stake with only a little rope on his leg? If he tried, he could easily get away with one small, effortless tug right?
From infancy he has been tied to a pole with a large chain that he couldn't get away from. No matter how hard he pulled, he couldn't break the chain.
One of the pivotal moments in my life was when I realized that I have been made justified, freed, and redeemed.
Before I was saved, I was a slave to sin. It controlled me, defined me, it ran my life. I was bound to it.
Then one day someone defined "redeemed" to me. What it meant. Jesus said that He has made me justified. An easy way to remember that is that He paid for my sin.....so now it is "just as if I'd" never sinned. Or in other words "justified", "freed", "forgiven".
When you are saved, the old you is forgotten. The "new you" is created. You are no longer defined or controlled by your past mistakes. You are forgiven, set free, and you have God almighty on your side. God said that when you ask for forgiveness of your sins, that He doesn't remember them anymore. That they are as far as the east is from the west to Him.
2 Corinthians 5:17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
Psalm 103:12 He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.
You may remember them, but dont let it condemn you. There is no condemnation for those in Christ. Just learn from it, ask forgiveness for it, then move on. Simple as that. God loves you, He will always love you.
Romans 8:1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.
Hebrew 8:12 "And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins."
If you know of anyone who might benefit from this, please pass it on.