The past has a cruel way of clinging to our present. Even when we have claimed the forgiveness offered through Jesus Christ, it can still be difficult to completely free ourselves from lingering thoughts of past deeds and omissions. As long as these thoughts abide in the deep regions of our mind, they will affect how we see ourselves, and how we believe God sees us. In his book The Christmas Miracle, Jack Hayford shares the following:
I have often discovered that the residue of a person’s past sins, though forgiven by God, can still somehow lurk in the soul, like rubbish swept under a rug, or garbage crammed in a corner and rotting. Such “collections” all too easily become a breeding place for the flies of hell—Beelzebub’s minions. Where the past festers in this way, however greatly heaven’s forgiveness may have been accomplished, something is still souring a soul on earth.
I find these to be powerful words. No matter how recent or distant our sins, Christ’s atonement breaks the link between ourselves and the consequence of those sins. They are, in God’s eyes, no longer counted against us. And because they are no longer counted against us, God sees us in a different way and bestows upon us a new status. We are saints! It is a status not achieved through merit, but through calling (1 Corinthians 1:2).
Our status as saints (literally “holy ones”) of God is a gift to us. It is a gift in the sense that Jesus Christ paid for it and freely gave it. It is also a gift in the sense that it is to our benefit to embrace it. Many people in the church exhibit discomfort at the notion of being called a saint. I understand that. It largely comes out of a keen awareness of our own shortcomings. While I can appreciate that, I also recognize the spiritual/emotional weight that the Deceiver can convince us to carry because we focus on the brokenness of our nature rather than the redemption of it. One of the greatest favors we can do for ourselves is to see ourselves as God sees us. When we do that, we will also be convinced that we can walk in complete victory amid the trials and temptations of life, and that we are full of potential to be used by God for amazing Kingdom works. Embrace the gift, all ye saints of God!
The Winding Path 