When I gave my life to Jesus Christ in 1977, I was twenty-four years old. That means I had spent twenty-four years training my mind to think like the world. Looking back, that's a sobering thought. Old ways of thinking don't disappear overnight. They have to be replaced with God's truth.
One thing happened almost immediately after I surrendered my life to Christ. I developed an insatiable hunger for God's Word. I couldn't get enough of it. The more I read, the more I wanted to know Him. Yet while so much of Scripture filled me with hope, some passages left me feeling deeply condemned.
One of those passages was Proverbs 6:16-19. It says, "There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him..." followed by a list that included pride, lying, evil intentions, and sowing discord. As a young believer, I knew those things described much of my old life. Even worse, I was still battling some of those attitudes and thought patterns.
The enemy quickly twisted God's Word into a weapon against me. "God hates these things." "You still struggle with these things." "So God must hate you." Those accusations tormented me. I knew Jesus loved me because I had heard it preached, but I struggled to believe He could truly love someone who still wrestled with sinful thoughts and attitudes. I feared that God knew everything about me and must surely be disappointed or disgusted.
Thankfully, God didn't leave me there. Over time He began to teach me something that completely changed my life. He wasn't condemning me. He was transforming me. He hated those sins because they destroy intimacy with Him, damage our lives, and wound the people around us. But His hatred of sin was never the same as hatred toward His redeemed children.
Then the Holy Spirit opened my eyes to one of the greatest truths in all of Scripture. Romans 3:22-24 (NIV) says, "This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe... for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."
Those verses became life to me. I finally understood that my righteousness wasn't something I earned by performing well. It wasn't based on having perfect thoughts, perfect motives, or a perfect attitude. God declared me righteous because I had placed my faith in Jesus Christ. My standing with Him rested on Christ's perfection, not my own.
That revelation changed the way I fought my battles. Instead of beating myself up every time I failed, I learned to run to God instead of away from Him. When I sinned, I repented. When I stumbled, I got back up. When the enemy accused me, I answered him with God's Word instead of agreeing with his lies.
Was I still changing? Absolutely. There were still areas where my thinking needed to be renewed. Sometimes my attitudes weren't Christlike. Sometimes selfish motives surfaced. Sometimes sinful thoughts tried to invade my mind. But I was no longer fighting for God's acceptance. I was fighting from God's acceptance.
What a difference that makes. Grace didn't give me permission to stay the same. It gave me the confidence to keep growing. Knowing I was loved made me want to become more like Jesus, not less.
Today, decades later, I can honestly say my mind is no longer the battlefield it once was. The torment of wondering whether God loves me is gone. The fear of never measuring up has been replaced by confidence in His grace. God's love, His righteousness, His presence, and His promises have become the foundation upon which I stand.
Am I still being transformed? Every day. Will I continue pursuing Christlikeness? As long as I live. But I no longer walk under the crushing weight of condemnation. I walk in the joy of knowing that I have been made righteous through faith in Jesus Christ. From that secure place, He continues His beautiful work of changing me from the inside out. That freedom is available to every believer who will embrace God's gift of righteousness instead of believing the enemy's accusations.
Romans 4:8 (TLB): "Yes, what joy there is for anyone whose sins are no longer counted against him by the Lord."
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You that my righteousness is not based on my performance but on the finished work of Jesus Christ. Help me reject every voice of condemnation and embrace the truth of Your grace. Continue transforming my heart and renewing my mind so that my life reflects Your goodness more each day. Thank You for loving me even while You are changing me. May I walk confidently in Your righteousness and joyfully live for Your glory. In Jesus' name, amen.
