VOICE OF TRUTH FOR TODAY
You’ve Been Renewed
I have a stack of old journals that I’ve kept for years.
They hold memories from seasons of my life that I would rather forget. Yet I’ve never been able to throw them away because they remind me of something important—who I used to be and how much God has changed me.
If it weren’t for Jesus, those pages might fill me with shame. Instead, they remind me of freedom.
Every time I read them, I’m amazed at how different I am today. And that transformation is not something I accomplished on my own—it is entirely the work of Christ.
Scripture reminds us of this beautiful truth:
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
My relationship with Jesus has been more of a lifelong journey than a dramatic turning point. I’ve known Him since childhood, and over the years our relationship has grown deeper.
Looking back, there are plenty of moments I wish I could redo.
But Jesus doesn’t hold those moments over me.
Instead, He looks at me each day and calls me new.
Sometimes we hold onto shame from the past as if Christ’s sacrifice wasn’t enough to cover it. Yet God’s grace invites us to lay our guilt at the cross and walk forward in freedom.
This doesn’t mean we ignore sin or live carelessly. It means we recognize that through Christ we have been redeemed and renewed.
Every morning we are given the opportunity to live from that identity.
The old is gone.
In Christ, we are made new.
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Excerpt from Voice of Truth Magazine
“Songs from the Spirit” by Sara Sahm