Failures Aren’t Fatal

We all make wrong choices—we all sin. The struggle of a decision gone sour is real, but take heart. Mistakes don’t have to define us; they can refine us. Because of Jesus and what He did, God does not abandon those who make wrong decisions. A wrong decision leads us to a new experience of God’s grace and an opportunity to learn something. We can treat mistakes as chances to grow. Remember, if we know Christ, God remembers our wrong choices no more (Psalm 103:12; Isaiah 43:25). Even though we mess up daily, through God’s goodness, those unpleasant outcomes become something useful. Because of Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice, we are redeemed, despite our mistakes. Our failures aren’t the end of the road. They’re part of the growth process. That means that, as we journey through life, we can go to Jesus and acknowledge our mess-ups (1 John 1:9”€œ2:1). As God’s children in Christ, the Holy Spirit gives us wisdom, correction, and reminders of who we are in Jesus, allowing us to grow spiritually. Before knowing Christ, we all are stuck under sin’s power. Even the Apostle Paul once built his life on persecuting Christians, a terrible decision that hurt many. God saw His heart and changed it, and Paul became a powerful witness for Christ. Through the Holy Spirit, Paul was able to live in victory over his sin, and so can we. Even when we mess up, we can remember Jesus has raised us up above our failures, giving us a new identity apart from the sins we commit or are tempted to commit. Instead, our identity is in who Jesus is. • Linda Ray Center • How does knowing about identity in Christ affect the way you view yourself and the things you do or don’t do? • Read Hebrews 4:14-16 and 1 John 1:9”€œ2:1. When you sin, what good comes from talking to Jesus about it? We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. Romans 6:6 (NLT)

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Romans 6