Identity - Five: I'm Not What I Use To Be ! ! !

I AM NOT WHAT I USE TO BE

The Bad News

Hey Christ-Follower! As you take time to look at this controversial passage of scripture, I want you to notice something that rarely get's highlighted when this passage is read.  Most people, who really do not take time to see what is being said, in the entire context of the passage,  just look at one angle of the passage, and this viewpoint is God's originalist view. You know the part I am talking about. It's the part that tells you and me in unequivocal terminology who will NOT "inherit the kingdom of God." He highlights ten kinds of sin filled enslaving behaviors that traps people in bondage to their sins. And such people cannot free themselves by themselves from this sin bondage. These lifestyles include:

1. Sexually imorality
2. Idolatry 
3. Adulterers
4. Male Prostitutes
5. Homosexual offenders
6. Theives
7. Greedy people
8. Drunkards
9. Slanderers (Even got the gossips in here.)
10. Swindlers

A Hazardous Belief System

Now those who are enslaved by one or more of these sins have come to realize they cannot stop their sinful behavior, and the ones in enslavement 4 & 5 now have some political clout and have been changing the language for decades. So, if you site this passage, they start calling you a bigot or a homophobe. They demand they be accepted in their sin, and you have no right to call out their sinful behavior that enslaves them. They cannot hear the good news of freedom for them. They believe they have a civil right now to be a slave. Why? You see, they actually believe its better to be free to be enslaved to their lifestyle than to actually be free or believe they can be free from their sin. This is a precarious way to believe.

Jesus STILL Does What He Does!

However, I am here to tell you that Jesus still "breaks the power of cancelled sin, and He sets the prisoner free." Jesus himself tells us in John 8:34 that if you commit yourself to a sin (sinful lifestyle) that it will enslave you; however, He completes the story by telling us in John 8:32 that you will know the truth and the truth will make you free from this bondage to sin and death. He rounds the freedom statement of by saying, "If the Lord shall make you free, you shall be free indeed!" (John 8:36.)  You no longer have to be a slave to anything that enslaves you. Jesus still does what HE did and does. He has delivered me from my enslavement, and I have seen Jesus do this in the lives of the sin bondage situations mentioned above.

Back To Our Passage: The Very Good News!

 After saying ten kinds of lifestyles that keep a person out of God's Kingdom, the Apostolic writer says in verse 11 "And that is what some of your were."  Did you catch that? The Apostles Audience USE TO BE these ten sin bound kinds of people. They use to be sexually immoral. They use to be idol worshipers. They use to be adulterers. They use to be thieves. They use to be drunkards. They use to be slanderers. They use to be greedy. They use to be male prostitutes. They use to be homosexual offenders. They use to be swindlers.  But they are not that way anymore because they had a miracle occur once they intersected Jesus by faith. Yes, they experienced miracle living when they turned from their sins to HIM who forgives all sin. BUT He also loves us so much that He will NOT LEAVE US AS WE WERE! We can honestly say today, if Jesus rules in our lives, "I'm not what I want to be. I am not what I am going to be. But thank God I am NOT What I was!

The Story Continues

Verse 11 continues explaining how this miracle occurs: These sin bound souls were "washed," made "holy," declared not guilty in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the almighty Spirit of God. In other words, they became and continue to become "New Creations" where they have left their old life behind, one day at a time. They became and become what God wants them to be by the grace of God. (See 1 Corinthians 15:10.) They discovered, by their every day living with Jesus, they had become God's handiwork performing the good works that God prepared in advance for them to do. (Ephesians 2:10) We can be free,  just as they became free,  from whatever sin has a hold of our lives.

These City of Corinth Christ-Followers "got their identity right!" And you can get your identity correct as well. Today, along with these ancient holy people of God, who were not so holy earlier on, you can declare this wonderful Identity-Five. I AM NOT WHAT I USE TO BE. For Jesus liberates me! So, choose to walk with Him today and everyday you awaken from your sleep. Daily surrender to the one who will make you victorious, one day at a time.

SoJourner