08/01/2025
Good Morning ATO Family!
Let’s talk about identity.
Sometimes, our addictions and past mistakes feel so deeply rooted that we begin to define ourselves by them. We start to believe that our behavior is just who we are—that we’re predisposed to mess up, and there’s no way out. When others judge or condemn us for things that seem out of our control, it can be discouraging.
So how do we break free from that identity?
In 1 Corinthians 6:9–10, Paul lists a whole line of sinful behaviors and says those who live that way “will not inherit the Kingdom of God.” At first glance, that feels harsh—and hopeless.
But don’t miss the next verse:
“Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:11)
And again, in 2 Corinthians 5:17:
“Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”
God doesn’t just clean up our behavior—He gives us a new identity.
When we call on Jesus, we are made right with God, we are forgiven, we are born again.
Yes, we’ll still remember where we came from. We may still battle old temptations. We might even slip up. But our identity is no longer tied to our addiction or our past.
In Christ, you are forgiven. You are cleansed. You are holy. You are a child of God.
And most of all—you are loved, right where you are, today.
Jesus is our hope for the hopeless.
☀️✝️❤️💪🙏😇👏