Some injuries, like a major burn or a deep cut, are never forgotten.

Why? Because of the scars that stay with us are a constant reminder of the wounds we have suffered.

Long after the pain heals, the scar still testifies, “I’ve been damaged! You can’t hide me! You can look at me and see the evidence of the wound.”

For many of us, emotional scars do much the same.

Healing & Scars

What about scars that aren’t physical? Those injuries our heart and mind have suffered in the past never seem to fully heal. In difficult times they seem to taunt us with their testimonies:

  • You will always be the addict.
  • You will always be the liar.
  • You will always be the cheater.
  • You will always be the sinner.

This world has given up the fight, telling alcoholics to embrace the fact that there is no hope for them. They will always be an alcoholic.

The scars of sin try to do the same thing to the born again Christian. Sin wants to stand out as a contrasting reminder of everything you’ve ever done wrong.

But God doesn’t just heal and cleanse us from our sinfulness. He washes us clean – He makes us new!

The beauty of letting God forgive us is that He not only takes our sins away; He washes us white as snow.

1 John 1:9 tells us, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

No longer can the accuser say ”I see the evidence of the lies and the addictions.” The blood of Jesus now covers the sins of our past!

II Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

We are made brand new!

That is what Jesus wants to do for each of us if we’re willing to let Him.

The scars are erased by God when we humble ourselves, repent, and then trust Him completely.

Without trusting in the grace the Lord you will never let go of your past, and God will never be able to show you what true forgiveness is. As long as we see the ‘old man’ when we look in the mirror God doesn’t have a chance to use the ‘new man.’

Romans 12:2 tells us to, “be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

The world has no hope to offer. They have waived the white flag and now demand “you will always be what you’ve always been.”

If you’re an alcoholic today, you’ll be an alcoholic 20 years from now, regardless of what you do or become.

“And Christians? Be silent! The scars sin has cast on us today will be with us as eternal reminders of what we’ve been and what we’ve done. Those scars are marks that will stay with you forever.”

But we are not to be conformed to this world. We are to be transformed, by the renewing of our mind. This means, for those who have allowed Jesus to cleanse us, we are new creatures. We are transformed.

A born again Christian is no longer an alcoholic, a drug addict, an abuser, or any of those other labels the world would like to mark you with for eternity. God is making us into new creatures. If we let him, those scars can be replaced by testimonies of the loving, saving grace of God.

So what do you say? Are you tired of the scars?

Give the scars of past mistakes and old lifestyles to God. With Him, all things become new!

Apostolic Lighthouse Church of Dayton
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