Session 17
Can God still use me?
From 2 Corinthians: 21-Day Bible Study
Our past doesn’t disqualify us from our future. If we’re not careful, we’ll talk ourselves out of our potential. A healthy understanding of who we are in Jesus is essential in enabling who we will become.
The problem is we know every single little rotten thing we’ve ever done and can reasonably make excuses for why we can’t do something good.
Our history does not identify our identity and it absolutely does not define our destiny!
Our history does not identify our identity and it absolutely does not define our destiny!
Paul wrote to us compassionately in 2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
Paul knew Jesus has a strong track record of using imperfect people for His work. Jesus intentionally called the weak, broken, and messy people just like Paul — and just like us.
When Jesus died on the cross, He made a way for us to be reconciled with God. This is a one-way street. Salvation, through Jesus, cannot be earned, and it cannot be lost. By confessing Jesus is Lord, our eternal future changes in an instant. All of our sins are forgiven. Psalm 103:12 declares, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions [sins] from us.”
So, why is it so hard to get past our past? Maybe, we need to watch out for ANTs — Automatic, Negative Thoughts. Automatic, negative thoughts can interrupt our day and interfere with our doing. We move forward by doing three things: learning to recognize negative thoughts quickly, deciding to stop the thought immediately, and replacing the thought with truth from the Bible (Philippians 4:8, Ephesians 4:23).
Reflect: