Innocent or Pure?

You know those times when there is something so simple, so plain, but it takes you years to realize, and when you do, it is so profound?

I had one of those moments a few months ago, and it has stuck with me and been really encouraging, so I thought I would take a few minutes to tell you about it.

Here it is, plain and simple, Innocence and Purity are not the same.

I became a Christian when I was twelve. This may come as a surprise to some of you, as I have grown up in a Christian family with Christian morals and may have seemed to have been a Christian for a long time. (I am fourteen, for anyone who didn't know that) When I was twelve, my view of life changed so radically and I was sure of my salvation. Positive. There was no question about it, no more fear, no more doubt, I was saved.

I knew that the only way to be saved was by grace, since waaaaaay before I was a Christian it has been drilled into my head through Sunday school and other places that you cannot be saved by works, that it has to be all God. So I know this. However, sometimes I view myself as still being what I was, sinful, unsaved, imperfect, so I feel that I have to work and be good enough, measure up to God's standard, to be His child.

Have you ever felt that way?

One day I was outside, I don't remember what I was doing, taking garbage out or something like that, and I was trying to convince myself that I don't have to prove myself worthy, and in one moment I nearly lost all hope. That was the moment that Satan decided to take advantage of my moment of weakness and tell me, "You have sinned. It doesn't matter what God does, you will never be innocent. You are innocent when you have done nothing wrong, not when your wrongs have been forgiven. It doesn't matter if you are forgiven, you can NEVER be innocent again."

I turned my face to the sky, I knew God couldn't have lied to me, but this was true, I never would be innocent again. I had sinned.

Then, out of the blue, a verse came to me from the Beatitudes, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. (Matt. 5:8)

I still didn't see the difference, I just sat there and despaired, "I will never see God. I am not innocent. I can never be innocent."

But then words came into my head, "Innocence and Purity are not the same thing."

That simple sentence was all it took for me to realize, God never said 'Blessed are the Innocent.' True, no matter how many times you ask for forgiveness, you will still have your past behind you. The difference is that it does not matter anymore. Because Innocence is what was, while Purity is what is.

When God forgives, He doesn't take you back in time, He gives you a chance to become new, to be pure now. Your identity is not in what you were, or what you did, but in what you ARE.

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Cor. 5:17)