Everyday 24: Shame and New Creation

Shame seeks to convince you that your ongoing battle with sin defines who you are. However, the Bible clearly states that your true identity is found in Christ. Far from disproving God's grace, your very struggle against sin is an integral part of the new life you have received.
The New Testament describes this as an "already-and-not-yet" reality for believers. You are already joined with Christ, declared deceased to the power of sin, and made alive to God. Yet, you are simultaneously in the ongoing process of "putting off the old self," as Colossians 3:1-10 teaches: "If then you have been raised with Christ... Put to death, therefore, what is earthly in you... you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self." This means that your active resistance to sinful patterns flows directly from the new identity given to you. Similarly, Romans 6:11-14 encourages, "So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body." This instruction to not let sin rule you is grounded in your new status in Christ Jesus.
Therefore, allow the truth of your identity in Christ to be the source of your courage. Shame does not have the authority to define you, for your identity is securely established in Christ. Your fight against sin is not evidence of failure, but rather a testament to the powerful new life and true self that Christ has already secured for you. You are a new creation, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.