Your old life is in the past tense…
Ephesians 2:1-2
1 You were made alive when you were dead in transgressions and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the children of disobedience; (WEB)
It is interesting to note that every time our old life is mentioned in the New Testament letters, it is mentioned in the past tense. You were dead in trangressions and sins… Your old life… You used to walk in the ways of the world… etc.
Every time there is a description of who we are NOW (in the present tense), we are always reminded of our royal position in Christ! In today’s Bible reading, we see how Paul contrasts our old life with our new life. While we once were dead in our sins and walked according to the ways of the world, now we are made alive in Christ!
My question to you today is… Do you see your old life as past tense or present tense? It is true that we were sinners who were saved by grace, but we are no longer ‘sinners’ any more. Our biblical identity now is ‘saints’. Though we still have the ability to sin, it is not sin that defines us. What defines us is that we have been made alive in Christ.
My prayer today is that each saint would say ‘yes and amen’ to this truth and see their old life as being in the past tense. Sure, we are still dealing with the remnants of our sinful nature that still indwells our flesh. Sure, we are still dealing with the residue of a broken soul (mind, will, emotions) that continues to be in contrast with our heavenly identitiy. But the truth is that even though we struggle with the old nature that wages war with the Spirit that lives within us, all of that brokenness no longer defines our true spiritual identity.
We are alive in Christ! We are joint heirs with Jesus! We are seated in Christ in heavenly places at the right hand of our Father now. May we know this like we have never known this before! May thankfulness arise in our hearts as we declare along with the Apostle Paul, that everyone who is in Christ is a new creation. The old has passed away and all things have become new!
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new. (WEB)
