A life led by the Spirit fundamentally transforms our perspective, shifting our focus away from the pursuit of worldly desires and improvement through self-endeavors to a profound recognition of our renewed identity in Christ. This transformation involves anchoring our thoughts on heavenly realities—our rebirth, our elevated status, our refreshed identity, and our purified nature. Our gaze has been redirected toward a new horizon. Our beliefs mold our existence. By firmly grasping the truth of our regenerated selves, we embark on a journey into the essence of our new being.
The question then arises: If we have been made anew, why should our thoughts wander to anything other than our true selves? Such a divergence suggests a potential disbelief in God's transformative work within us. Why would we doubt a change so significant that God Himself orchestrated it with such meticulous care? To dwell on our fleshly nature after it has been decisively nullified by Christ's sacrificial act on our behalf seems incongruent with our new reality. We no longer occupy the position of sinners; such an identity is incompatible with our renewed nature. Indeed, we stumble and fall into sin, as the Apostle John acknowledges: anyone claiming sinlessness deceives themselves, and truth finds no home in them. However, God's act of recreation did not intend for us to remain identified as sinners. This label should become obsolete in our language as followers of Christ, for it no longer reflects our redeemed state.
To continue identifying as sinners, or to claim such an identity, indicates a lack of comprehension of our elevated standing before God through Christ. Before Christ's intervention, the label of 'sinner' was accurate and applicable, but now, it has been superseded. Scripture assures us that we have become a new creation; hence, viewing ourselves through our past lens is no longer appropriate. As it is written, in Christ, we no longer regard anyone in Christ from a worldly perspective. We have been extracted from our former existence and ushered into something far more sublime.
Once a person genuinely believes in their transformation, they no longer perceive themselves through the lens of their past. Their focus is entirely on the newness of life, the things of the Spirit, as they align their minds with divine truths. The Scripture asserts that a mindset fixated on the flesh cannot please God. Conversely, a mindset focused on the Spirit culminates in life and peace. This spiritual reorientation not only redefines our self-perception but also reshapes our interaction with the world, guiding us toward a path marked by spiritual fulfillment and eternal peace.