Bible Passage (NKJV): 2 Corinthians 5:14–19
- For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died;
- and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.
- Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.
- Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
- Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,
- that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
EXHORTATION
Welcome to Mercy Speaking Devotional, and welcome to this Wednesday—a day to remind you that your past does not have the final say; God does.
In London, United Kingdom, a young man named David Oluwaseun Adeyemi grew up with great potential but fell into a cycle of drug abuse and petty crime in his late teens. By 2013, he had been arrested twice and was already labelled a failure by many in his community. Employers rejected him, friends distanced themselves, and even family members struggled to trust him again. Over time, David began to believe the label placed on him—that he was nothing more than his mistakes.
In 2015, while attending a small church service in East London at the invitation of a friend, he heard a message from 2 Corinthians 5:17: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.” That statement unsettled him. For years, he had tried to change his behaviour but failed repeatedly. But this time, he realised that God was not offering him behaviour modification—He was offering him a new identity.
That day, David surrendered his life to Christ. The journey was not instant perfection, but something changed deeply within him. He no longer saw himself as a criminal trying to become good; he began to see himself as a new creation learning to live differently. Over time, he overcame addiction, reconciled with his family, and later became involved in youth outreach, helping others escape destructive lifestyles.
What changed David’s life was not just discipline—it was identity.
This is the truth Apostle Paul reveals in today’s passage. When you come into Christ, you are not defined by your past. You are not a repaired version of your old self; you are a new creation. The old life, shaped by sin, guilt, and failure, has passed away. A new life—anchored in God’s righteousness—has begun.
Yet many believers struggle here. They accept forgiveness but still live under condemnation. They say, “God has forgiven me,” but inwardly they still see themselves as unworthy, damaged, or disqualified. They continue to relate to God and life based on who they used to be.
But verse 19 says that God is not imputing your trespasses to you. That means He is not counting your past against you. If God has chosen not to hold your past against you, why are you still holding it against yourself?
The enemy thrives on reminding you of who you were, but God calls you based on who you are becoming. Your identity in Christ is not earned—it is received. It is rooted in what Jesus has done, not in what you have done.
However, you must renew your mind to live in this truth. Romans 12:2 teaches that transformation comes through the renewing of your mind. If you keep thinking like your old self, you will keep living like your old self. But when you align your thinking with God’s Word, your life begins to reflect that reality.
Today, God is inviting you to step out of your old identity. Refuse to answer to the labels of your past. Refuse to be defined by your failures.
You are not your mistakes. You are not your history. You are not what people said about you.
You are who God says you are—a new creation in Christ.
And when you begin to live from that identity, everything changes.
Food for Thought
Are you still defining yourself by your past mistakes, or have you fully embraced the new identity God has given you in Christ?
Prayer Points
- Father, I thank You for making me a new creation in Christ Jesus.
- Lord, help me to see myself the way You see me—righteous, accepted, and restored.
- I reject every label of my past and every voice of condemnation, in Jesus’ name.
- Father, renew my mind daily so that my life reflects my true identity in Christ.
- Lord, empower me to walk boldly in the new life You have given me, in Jesus’ name.
