At the end of every YouTube video, my husband and I say, Until next time, we’re Friday’s…Forever. Then we wave and say goodbye, and even put up Winston the pug’s front paw so he can bid everyone bye, too.
Because our viewers really enjoy Winston waving his paw to the camera to say goodbye.
But some goodbyes make us sad. Like when a loved one or beloved pet passes away. Or a friend or family member moves across the country or to another country.
Yet, when we say hello to Jesus, meet Him as Lord and Savior, we get to say goodbye to yesterday.
And yesterday’s goodbyes are good and indeed necessary for our spiritual journey. You see, looking forward and walking with Jesus each day grows our faith. Still further, it makes us more and more like Christ.
Now let’s look at how we bid goodbye to yesterday.
Say Goodbye to Our Old Self
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)
I remember committing this verse to memory early on in my walk with Christ.
In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul reminds us of our mortal bodies. God reconciles us to Himself in Jesus and gives us the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of the immortal bodies and life we will live one day in heaven. And the power to live in Christ on earth. Because we are ambassadors for Christ and ministers of reconciliation to others.
Yes, our spirit and flesh still war within us. (See Galatians 5:16-26). But walking in the Spirit becomes possible when we access His holy power.
“Put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 4:22-24
So we say goodbye to yesterday, to the old me and the old you before Christ. We put on our new self in Jesus and walk in the Spirit.
Bid Farewell to Past Failures and Sins
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 (ESV)
Oh friend, the enemy works to keep us chained to yesterday’s failures and sins. Because this keeps us in bondage, unable to move forward on our Christian journey as God desires.
Think about it this way: If God forgives me but I can’t forgive myself, I am putting myself above God.
There’s more from God’s Word:
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.” Ephesians 1:7 (ESV)
“He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:13-14 (ESV)
“As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:12 (ESV)
So we say goodbye to yesterday, to our past failures and sins. We confess our present sins for God’s forgiveness and we remember to live under His grace by forgiving ourselves.
Goodbye Yesterday! I. Am. Redeemed.
When we keep our old self and our past sins in the past where they belong, we fully live in the freedom of each day.
What else would you like to say goodbye to on your walk with Jesus?
Featured images courtesy of Friday’s Forever on YouTube.
Also see, Christ is in You and For You and With You.
