Shame To Victory | Galatians 1:13-14

For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. — Galatians 1:13-14

CALL OUT: Shout out today to Bruce Bald from New Richmond, WI. Thanks for your partnership with the ministry here. And you should know I know the guy who owns the race track in your town, Brad Both. I have raced that clay track a few times, and they have the best fireworks show in the area.

There are many of you reading this today who know exactly what Paul is getting after here. He was a man marked by his past passions and pursuits. Paul even notes that his pursuits were so passionate they led to personal advancement at the persecution of others. And we read here that Paul greatly regretted this.

But here (and throughout the letter), you will see that Paul will leverage these past regrets. This is a strategic move. He will use his past life and its passions and pursuits to illustrate the end that is in store for anyone who buys into the legalism being taught by these Judaizers.

This is a good reminder for believers who are weighed down by guilt and shame. It's a reminder that in due time, events and issues formerly a stronghold and a part of your old story can be redeemed by God and used for his glory and greatness. Your former regrets can become powerful testimonies used to warn others of the wrongs we have done and former ways we used to walk. So if you are weighed down by shame and regret, let me encourage you today: seek forgiveness, discover grace, work through the shame, and then lay hold of the victory claimed in Jesus over those past sins, regrets, and shame and use them as a force against the enemy to warn others who are about to walk the same path that you once did.

So, let me address a segment of the people reading today. Some of you have cycled on the mistakes of the past for too long. You waded around in shame and regret, believing that doing so is a form of ongoing penance. But it's not penance; it's an attempt to draw attention to yourself by self-degradation. You have to stop doing that. Choosing to cycle on shame to draw attention to yourself so that in your sorrow, others will feel sorry for you is a false display of humility. It's a manifestation of arrogance, and it does not promote healing. It's time for you to grab a hold of the victory already claimed for you in Jesus Christ. Jesus bore your shame on the Cross so you could live shamelessly. He rose from the dead to give you victory, so live in victory. Once you know this and understand this, it is easier to look back at our past not only with shame but in celebration through the lens of the Cross on which Christ redeemed us from who we were to who he made us to be, which is precisely what Paul is referencing here.

Jesus, I want to pray for every believer today who lives in perpetual cycles of guilt, shame, and regret. Help them to see their life through the Cross and Resurrection.  First, help them to see how your life on the Cross bore their shame. Second, enable them to believe that your resurrection from the dead gives them hope, healing, and new life. May they live in new and resurrected life today and see the old as gone and the new as come. Amen.

#RedeemedByGrace #FromRegretToVictory #BreakFreeFromShame #NewLifeInChrist #EmbraceForgiveness

ASK THIS:

Reflect on a past mistake or regret that you've struggled to let go of. How might embracing God's forgiveness and grace help you move forward from that experience?

Consider someone in your life who is currently weighed down by guilt or shame. How can you encourage them to see their past through the lens of Christ's redemption and offer them hope for a new beginning?

DO THIS: See your life through the Cross and Resurrection.

PRAY THIS: Lord, I confess the burdens of my past mistakes and regrets, but I trust in Your promise of redemption and victory through Christ's sacrifice. Help me to live in the freedom of Your grace and to share Your transformative love with others. Amen.

PLAY THIS: Ain't No Grave.