There is no self-esteem killer worse than condemnation. When we base our worth and righteousness on what we have or haven't done facts will tell us that we are not worth much, but the truth is that our worth isn't based on that. Rather, our worth is based on what Jesus has done for us and the price He was willing to pay for our life and being.
You probably know 2 Corinthians 5:17, which says, "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" However, it's sometimes hard to grasp and believe that we're truly brand new. One of the areas affected most by this difficulty is in the area of sexual purity and sexuality.
People who have been ruined by sexual sin can sometimes find it hard to escape the spiritual burden that comes with it - whether it's losing your virginity before marriage, being a victim of sexual abuse through no fault of your own, or simply entering into too many or unwise romantic relationships, we can feel devalued or worry we can never be made whole again.
You Are Not Secondhand Goods
When God sees you, He does not see secondhand goods. He instead sees the glory and righteousness of His own Son - Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:21 tells us, "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in hi we might become the righteousness of God."
The enemy wants you to believe that you are only worth what you have done before, but just as God's Word promises the old is gone, as far as the east is from the west, so are your sins from God.
No Excuses
But along the same lines, Paul urges us through his epistle in 2 Corinthians 6:1 "As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain." Let us not remember that God's cleansing work should never be a license to stay trapped in sin. When we put our faith and trust in Him, we die not just to our past sin, but to the presence of it as well so that we now walk in His purity and righteousness. And of course, if you were affected by someone else's sin, it's important you believe that God sees you as pure and righteous in His Son no matter how you might feel about yourself. You are no longer bound to your past, but now have freedom through the Spirit of God, and you are now to walk in it.
It Will Be More Difficult, But Not Impossible
But reality is that it's hard to accept such a truth. The Bible never promises that it won't be hard, just that it's possible. That's the gravity and seriousness of sin - it has the ability to slow us down, crush us and limit us. But sin however does not have the ability to stop God's plan, destroy us completely or to limit God.
When we put our faith in Christ and His finished work, His victory will always find it's way to breakthrough in our lives and remove guilt and shame. There is no need to be afraid because His perfect love will cast out that fear.
