(Note: this page is intended for Christians; if you are not a Christian you are free to read but this page is not intended for you)
Romans 8:1
“There is…no more condemnation…”
While you have chosen to become right with God and have made a vow to try changing your life for the better; You might be still feeling sad or grief over your past: many Christians are often still haunted by their past; specifically, by their sins they have come to realize are very wrong.
Almost all Christians deal with this at one point in their new life. but for some, the thoughts can be overwhelming: Though your life is changed for the better, the thought of your formers sins (depending on how bad they were or the sensitivity of the person) can be overwhelming and depressing to think about: almost like a haunted past that keeps coming back.
This is bad, because Feeling constantly bad about your past sins can be debilitating for any Christian: making them feel worthless, bad, and worst of all unworthy. As Brother Andrew, who had never even really committed horrible sins, sadly discovered:
“I remember being given a pen and paper, then told to list every sin I’d ever committed. Even though I’ve never spoken a cuss word, smoked a cigarette, tasted liquor, or drank coffee in all my life…It wasn’t long before I’d filled up both sides and asked for another sheet! Seeing all those sins on paper crushed me…I’d mope around all day long , head hung low, confessing, “woe is me, I’m undone,” and singing, “Such a worm as I” with conviction. I felt completely worthless and considered myself the very scum of the earth!”[1](Emphasis is mine)
What can you do about such a torturous situation like this?
Wherever you have had just a second though, are constantly haunted by these sins, or somewhere in between this article is for you and will provide truth of what the Bible says about past sins and what to do about that regret that comes with them.
(Even if you’re not even really bothered by your past sins at all, please at least read the beginning part of this article: its good Biblical truth for any Christian to know)
So, what does the Bible say about past sins in a born again Christian?
The Bible (specifically the New Testament) has a lot to say about how a born again Christian should deal with their former sins.
As you know, Sin is a horrible thing ,so the sin in your past is also a horrible thing. As you hopefully have learned, sinners (those who commit sin) will not be saved (stated below as by getting to inherit the kingdom of God) but will be punished by God in Hell:
1 Corinthians 6:9-10
“…do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. “
So those sins in your past are most certainly something to be ashamed ofand horribly regretted! Because they were wrong and will send you to hell!
But is this how a born again Christian should feel now about their past sins?
No! Because Corinthians continues with some good news for the born again Christians who used to commit these sins:
1 Corinthians 6:11
“And that is what some of you were(this is the key word here) . But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”
So, the key word here is were: (the past form of are) that was your sin and it was bad, but now that you have been saved through acceptance of Jesus’s sacrifice all the debt from your sins has been repaid away now, so there is no need to feel bad anymore.
Though it’s good to recognize that your past sins were horrible, the good news is there is no need any- more to feel horrible now about your former sins: you have done the right thing by repenting and taking the steps to change your life to please God.
So though you realize your sins were bad news, that’s no reason now to feel bad.
By the way, this bad feeling for sin that you did before you changed is called “Conviction”
Conviction (which technically is the present verb [a verb used describe something happening in the moment] form of Convict); which means:
“To declare someone (in this case, sinners) guilty of a crime (or sin)” [2]
But can also be applied to the personal bad feelings of realizing your sins are wrong and the regret of committing them.
You felt this conviction when you first realized the sins you were doing were wrong, but you also experienced another reality with it; called condemnation:
In fact, conviction and condemnation often go along with each other:
Condemnation, a lot like Conviction, is the present verb of Condemn: which means
“to declare something (in this case sin) wrong or evil and often comes a punishment” [3]
Condemnation is almost exactly like conviction: except usually Condemnation is an actual negative statement by someone else directed towards the one (or thing) that is doing (or is) wrong or evil and often comes with a punishment of some kind:
In this case, the condemnation is coming from God himself. You learned along with conviction, God’s condemnation: God condemns sin and sinners alike for their wrong and has/and will punish sinners for the sinful acts they have committed:
As covered before, Adam’s sin brought on God’s first known condemnation towards human sinners: God first judged Adam’s sin rightfully as wrong and then in return, punished him with curses for his sin, as Paul states:
Romans 5:16
“…the result of one man’s (Adam’s) sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation…”
As stated before, Adam’s one sin against God’s command brought God’s condemnation in the form of curses: not only to him but to all his descendants.
This first condemnation (as hinted here) was symbolic of the true price of all sin against God:
So sin is truly a horrible thing to be feared:
Because not only is it wrong and evil, not only can it cause pain and suffering on its own, but it causes God’s condemnation on the sinner often in the form of punishments.
So once again, is this how a born again Christian should feel about their past sins with this in mind?
Well there is a contrast here: there was originally condemnation for sin BUT NOW because of the good news, there is one gift that bring justification (makes right) for all sin, even including Adam’s original sin:
Romans 5:16
“…, but the gift followed many trespasses(sins) and brought justification(made them right).”
The gift here is the Lamb of God: Jesus Christ, who was sacrificed at the cross for the payment of all human sins:
So, there is an obvious contrast here: Yes there was condemnation (judgement and punishment) for sin BUT NOW , because of the sacrifice of Jesus, all those sins have been made right: and since you have been made right this applies to you:
Yes, your past sin brought (or was going to bring) condemnation BUT since you have accepted the gift you are justified (made right) and this means there is no more condemnation for your past sins:
Romans 8:1-4
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Christians), because…Christ Jesus…has set you free from… sin and death…he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us,...”
If you’re still haunted by conviction from condemnation of your past sins that you’ve repented of, then you’re still feeling condemnation when the Bible says you shouldn’t be feeling this way
Because there is no more:
In fact, your past sins now are so far removed from you, it’s like he has literally removed your sins infinitely away from you (if that even is physically possible),
Psalms 103:12
“as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions(sins) from us.”
The length from East and West (unlike the length from North and South) does not have a clear end! East can go on for infinity (this means, if you begin traveling East to find the length you will be traveling around Earth in a constant circle one way for infinity) West also has no end (this means if you begin traveling West to find the length you will be traveling around Earth in a constant circle another way for infinity).
You need to know, according to the Bible, those old past sins that haunt you are completely gone forever!
The Bible even goes as far as to say that after becoming saved you are like an entirely new being and Your former nature and sinful actions are considered a part of your old self BEFORE being saved; they are considered not a part of you anymore:
2 Corinthians 5:17
“…if anyone is in Christ (a Christian), the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
like a pupa turning into a butterfly, or a snake shedding its skin; the thing that used to be a part of its body is now nothing more than a dry hollow shell:
Your old nature with its sins are no longer apart of you: your new Christian life is your NEW self: you are a new creation now!
Sadly, despite knowing all this, you may still be struggling with conviction because the sin you committed was so horrible (like murder) that it cannot be easily forgotten or reversed; it can be overwhelming that the consequences of your past sins still exists.
The damage that guilt past sins can do to a Christian that cannot forget them are horrible and debilitation to your Christian life and life in general. They will keep you from moving on in your life, like you’re supposed to:
This is not the New Christian life God wants from you!
But Even though you might have a lot of regrets and pain that will not easily be forgotten, even with all this good news; there is still hope found in the Bible on how to overcome regret in your new life no matter how bad the sin was!
Paul as an example:
A testimony of regret
No other Christian recorded in the New Testament would have had more regret for his past sins than Paul. (In fact, Paul wrote most of these scriptures above)
Saul (the Hebrew name of Paul) began his life as an obedient Judean Pharisee. As he grew up, he became one of the greatest Pharisees of the first century: sadly, one of his greatest accomplishments as a Pharisee was hunting down the new converts of the new religion Christianity: he hunted down possibly hundreds of innocent Christians to be murdered by the Pharisee authorities and even was there to watch and justify the killing of the first known Christian martyr: Stephen as recorded in Acts:
Acts 7:57-58
“…they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.”
He killed these Christians because he saw them as idolatrous blaspheming heretics against the one true God: worshiping a mad man that claimed to be the Messiah and even God himself: Jesus Christ.
By Killing Christians, Paul though he was doing a righteous act of service to God by obeying his word to kill idolatrous blasphemers.
That is until One day, on his way to capture some more Christians in the city of Damascus; Jesus showed him the truth of what God though of his killing:
Jesus himself one day appeared to him and revealed to him that he was actually against God’s will by persecuting his people: Christians and even the Messiah himself:
Acts 9:3-6
“As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ ‘Who are you, Lord?’ Saul asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. ‘Now get up and go into the city (Damascus), and you will be told what you must do.’ ”
When he got to the city, he repented of his murderous ways, got saved, and was baptized by a Christian named Ananias: So Saul then became known by his more appropriate Roman name Paul (meaning “Small/humble” in Latin) and began preaching the Gospel along with the Christians he used to persecute.
Paul seems to have had much regrets once finding out he was wrong about Jesus and Christians: he realized in what he saw before was a good thing for God was really a horrible thing against God and though he had been made right with God by accepting Jesus’s sacrifice and was completely forgiven the people he handed over to be killed could not be reversed: Paul had murdered and helped destroy many lives: the damage was done, and Paul expresses his regret in some of his writings to the churches:
Galatians 1:13-14
“For you have heard of my former conduct…, how I persecuted the church of God Beyond measure and tried to destroy it. …”
1 Timothy 1:12
“…I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man,…”
But the same Paul that wrote this also wrote:
2 Corinthians 5:17
“…if anyone is in Christ (a Christian), the new creation has come: The old has gone,…”
So how did Paul deal with the regret of murdering, despite knowing he was forgiven?
Paul tells one major way he does this, that will help your crushing regret if you have it too:
Philippians 3:13-14
“Brothers and sisters,..one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize…”
So, this is the key:
If you're still struggling with regret no matter how bad it was or how much grief it causes, you can always choose along with believing God has forgiven you and your sins are no longer apart of you to forget what is behind by not just try to forget what you use to do; but to replace it with something better: to focus on your future. And you do that by moving on to live your Christian life: to focus on learning, growing, and living the Christian life.
And especially towards the goal; the end result of being a Christian: To live forever with Jesus and God in the new world where there will be no more sadness or regrets and ultimately to be rewarded for your obedience and works to God.
But sometimes this looking forward is not always so easy: it may take some determination from you some days to strive to focus on your new life it may become like a job; but it will be key to forgetting your past and the sin that went with it.
Things you can do to overcome conviction of sin from your past:
Don’t forget
When you feel bad over your past sins, don’t forget that if you have accepted Jesus' sacrifice then you are completely forgiven by God and because God isn’t condemning you, you should no longer feel convicted over your past sins: Peter describes Christians who have forgotten this reality have become like the nearsighted and blind:
2 Peter 1:9
“…nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.”
So don’t forget and become blind to the truth of this! Always remember: if it will help, you can even write these scriptures down somewhere that you can read when you feel bad.
And try to move forward
Pray to God about it
If you still feel bad, prayer to God can always help with any situation: with this particular situation you can confess the truth of what the bible says about you but you still need help feeling this was and living this way and you can ask if there is anything you can do to change the way you feel: you might be surprised the results that will make you feel better.
Can you do something to make up for it?
While it’s true if we can do nothing to reverse or change our past sins its best to move on, but this is not true for all sins: for some sins there may be a way to reverse the damage your past sins have caused. If there is a clear way, then you should try to fix it: God may even be leading you to do this to fix the past sins that you have done.
When a sinner (Specifically a tax collector: known as a thief during these times) named Zacchaeus repented of his sin of theft he immediately vowed to Jesus to make it right by repaying everyone he had Cheated (stolen from) four times as much as he took from them:
Luke 19:8
“…Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord! Here and now…if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.’ ”
Jesus was pleased with his willingness to try to make his sins right, by saying he was saved:
Luke 19:9
“Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house…’”
So, if you can, you should try to make your past sins right this will make it even easier to forget them by fixing the damage:
For example, if your sin was stealing (like Zacchaeus) you could give back the item you stole plus more and apologize to the person/people you stole from. If your sin was slandering others (also known as gossiping: specifically, by spreading lies about others) you could apologize to the person/people you slandered and help fix their reputation if you can. If your sin was cheating on your partner (adultery) you could apologies to your partner and try to make it up to them some way to build their trust to you back up that you will not do it again.
Whatever way seems clear on how you can fix a sin, do it: it will help out a lot by making new and better actions and memories to replace the bad old ones.
Talk to other brothers and sisters about it
Talking problems out is one reason for why Christians should have fellowship with other Christians. This is why therapy helps so much: to speak to another person about problems you struggle with helps lighten the mental load and makes you feel better
(just make sure you know you can trust a fellow Christian with what you’re going to talk about: sadly, not all Christians are spiritually mature [or truly even Christians at all] some will judge you and go and gossip about your sin. though this is wrong, it sometimes happens: this is not a deterrent to not speak with another fellow Christian so you should feel free to do so, you just need to use some discernment and maybe even get to know a Christian before talking to him/her)
Once you find a Christian that seems trustworthy you can talk with him/her and maybe they will even pray for you or became closer to you to help you out. You might be surprised at how well talking to other trustworthy Christians works.
Focus on growing and living a Christian life
Along with the above, choosing to put your focus on the present and future by studying, reading, following the world of God, and sharing the gospel is the best thing to do. One major way this works is we often think about what we focus on, so by filling our thoughts, time, and actions with focusing on the present and future there will be no room or time to focus on the past: like it should be (now sometimes this will not be easy to do, it might be like a job, but it will be worth it!)
Talk about your past in your testimony
Eventually, when you’re more comfortable thinking about it, talk about your past in your testimony: a testimony is your personal story of your transformation from your old life, then how you accepted Jesus sacrifice and God’s way of living for you, and then how you changed you in your new life:
You tell how you were before accepting the Gospel (including your past sins) and then tell how God changed you and how you are now in your new life.
It not only shows others who you’re telling the Gospel too how you have changed with the Gospel and that by accepting the gospel too it can do the same for them, but it also can be therapeutic to realize the change in your life and that you are truly no longer your old self (like Paul did in his writings) and how much you have changed since then.
So starting today, choose to leave those sins in the past where they belong, and move on to your new Christian life.
Sources:
[1]
Self-Centeredness: the root of all grief by Andrew Wommack Pg 22-23
[2]
Merriam-Websiter “Convict”
Website:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/convicted
[3]
Merriam-Websiter “Condemn”
Website:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/condemning