“Since you have been raised to a new life…” Now, seriously consider the implications of a new life. The old is no more. We have a new life in Christ, completely different and separate from anyone who existed before. If someone you know, stubs his or her toe, you can empathize with them but you can’t feel their pain. The pain happened to someone else. Similarly, when you have confessed and repented of sin, Jesus makes you a new person (Rev 21:5). Therefore, you are guilt free of any sins committed by someone else.
The problem comes from the fact that Jesus doesn’t erase our memory. We remember things even though God has already cast them into the sea of His forgetfulness. Due our ability to remember things of our past, we’re tempted to dwell on them, thereby impeding our full enjoyment of our new life in Christ. Behaving like the person we used to be makes about as much sense as a jail inmate remaining in his cell after the judge has declared his penalty has been satisfied and his record has been expunged.
The solution lies in believing Jesus. When Jesus says He is seated at the right hand of God interceding for us we have a choice to make. Either we believe Jesus is telling the truth or we don’t. Since, and not “if” we will share in all His glory, we need to stop dwelling on the past, live in the reality of the present, and be looking toward the future. We have been made royal citizens of heaven who are temporarily deployed as emissaries in this world, with the absolute assurance of going home very soon.
