You Are Not Who Your Past Says You Are

Have you ever felt like you weren’t good enough for God?

Maybe you’ve made mistakes you wish you could erase. Perhaps someone spoke words over your life years ago that you still struggle to forget. Or maybe you’ve spent years trying to live for God, but no matter how hard you try, you never quite feel like you’re doing enough.

You believe in Jesus. You love God. You want to live a life that pleases Him. But somewhere beneath the surface, there’s a nagging question: Am I really good enough?

For many Christians, that question becomes a constant source of guilt, anxiety, and spiritual insecurity. Instead of experiencing the joy of salvation, they live with the fear that one mistake could separate them from God forever.

But what if that isn’t the life Jesus intended for you?

In his message, Killing Condemnation, Missionary Allan Calhoun shares a deeply personal testimony and a powerful biblical teaching about justification, righteousness, and our identity in Jesus Christ.

Through Romans 8:1, 2 Corinthians 5:21, and 1 John 3:1–3, he reminds us that salvation is not simply about having our sins forgiven. It’s about being brought into a new relationship with God, receiving the righteousness made available through Jesus Christ, and learning to live from that new identity.

You don’t have to spend your life trying to become worthy of God’s love. You can begin living in the freedom of what Jesus has already accomplished.

When Condemnation Steals the Joy of Salvation

Missionary Allan began his message by sharing an experience from his childhood that shaped his understanding of God for many years.

At nine years old, he received the Holy Ghost during a church service and spoke in other tongues. It was an extraordinary moment, one that should have been remembered as a joyful milestone in his relationship with Jesus.

But shortly afterward, something happened that changed the way he viewed that experience.

As his family hurried into their vehicle for the drive home, his older brother accidentally struck him with his knee. Allan reacted in frustration and called his brother a jerk.

His mother, surprised by his reaction so soon after receiving the Holy Ghost, corrected him.

What followed was not simply a moment of childhood embarrassment. In Allan’s mind, that single mistake became evidence that he had somehow lost everything God had just given him.

He began to believe that God would never forgive him, that he would never experience the Holy Ghost again, and that his future was hopeless.

The joy of receiving the Holy Ghost was replaced by fear.

The Difference Between Conviction and Condemnation

There’s an important difference between the conviction of the Holy Spirit and the crushing weight of condemnation.

Conviction draws our attention to something that needs to change. It calls us to repentance, restoration, and a deeper relationship with God. Conviction points us toward the mercy and transforming power of Jesus Christ.

Condemnation, on the other hand, tells us that change is impossible.

It tells us that our failures define us, that our past disqualifies us, and that God could never truly accept someone like us.

Conviction says we need to turn back to God. Condemnation insists that there’s no point in trying.

For Allan, those feelings of condemnation continued for years. Even after entering ministry as a young adult, he struggled to experience the joy he was encouraging others to embrace.

He knew how to preach about the goodness of God, but he was still learning how to rest in that goodness personally.

His experience illustrates something important: It’s possible to believe the right things about God while still struggling to believe what His Word says about you.

You Are Not What Others Have Called You

Condemnation doesn’t always begin with something we’ve done wrong.

Sometimes it begins with something someone else has done to us.

A harsh parent, an abusive relationship, bullying, rejection, or years of criticism can leave lasting impressions on how we view ourselves.

We may begin to believe that the labels others have placed on us are accurate descriptions of who we really are.

Over time, those labels can become deeply rooted in our identity.

We stop saying, “Someone hurt me,” and begin believing, “I’m worthless.”

We stop recognizing that someone rejected us and begin assuming that we’re unlovable.

We allow the words and actions of others to become the measure of our value.

But God has never given another person the authority to determine your worth.

A New Identity Through the Love of the Father

Missionary Allan shared the testimony of a woman named Sharon who had endured severe abuse during her childhood.

Rather than receiving the protection and compassion she needed, Sharon had been blamed and demeaned by someone who should have cared for her.

Those experiences left her struggling emotionally long after childhood.

During a church service, Allan prayed for her, believing God wanted to bring freedom into her life.

The following morning, Sharon called him in tears.

She had come to a realization that changed the way she understood herself: she was not the person her mother had described. She belonged to God.

That realization was rooted in a truth found in 1 John 3:1:

“Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.”

The love of God gives believers an identity that cannot be established or taken away by human approval.

Your value is not determined by the people who rejected you, the circumstances you survived, or the mistakes you’ve made.

When you are born again, you belong to Jesus Christ.

And belonging to Him changes everything.

Jesus Didn’t Just Remove Your Sin. He Made Justification Possible.

One of the most important teachings in Missionary Allan’s message centered on a word many Christians have heard but may not fully understand: justification.

In Romans 4, Paul repeatedly discusses righteousness being credited or counted to a person.

The language is significant because it communicates the idea of something being placed on someone’s account.

Allan used an accounting illustration to explain what Jesus accomplished through His death and resurrection.

Imagine an account burdened by an overwhelming debt.

Someone steps in and pays everything you owe. The debt is canceled, and the account is no longer in the negative.

That alone would be extraordinary.

But the biblical message of justification goes beyond simply canceling the debt of sin.

Through Jesus Christ, believers are declared righteous before God.

The Righteousness of Jesus Christ

Romans 4:25 describes Jesus as the One who “was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.”

Jesus gave His life for our sins, and His resurrection is inseparably connected to our justification.

In 2 Corinthians 5:21, Paul writes:

“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

Jesus was without sin, yet He willingly bore the burden of our sin through His sacrificial death.

Through Him, we can be reconciled to God and made righteous in His sight.

This is the foundation of our confidence before God.

We don’t approach Him because we’ve accumulated enough good deeds to deserve His attention. We come because Jesus Christ has made a way.

Allan emphasized that the work of Calvary must be understood as more than the removal of our failures.

God doesn’t simply forgive us and leave us spiritually empty.

He brings us into a new relationship with Himself, gives us a new identity, and begins transforming our lives through His Spirit.

The cross doesn’t merely address what you’ve done wrong. It opens the door to who you can become in Christ.

Justification, Sanctification, and Glorification: Understanding Your Walk With God

One of the clearest portions of the message was Allan’s explanation of three important biblical concepts: justification, sanctification, and glorification.

These truths help us understand both what God has accomplished through salvation and what He continues to accomplish in the lives of believers.

Justification: Your Standing in Christ

Justification is God’s declaration of righteousness through Jesus Christ.

It is not something we earn through personal perfection. It is made possible through the saving work of Jesus.

Allan emphasized the word now in 1 John 3:2:

“Beloved, now are we the sons of God.”

For those who have experienced the new birth, becoming a child of God is not merely a distant possibility.

It is a present reality.

You don’t have to wait until you’ve reached a particular level of spiritual maturity before you can begin living with the confidence that you belong to Him.

Your relationship with God begins with His grace, not your flawless performance.

Sanctification: The Process of Becoming More Like Jesus

Although justification establishes our standing before God, it does not mean our spiritual growth is complete.

God continues working in us.

Sanctification is the ongoing process through which believers are shaped by God’s Word and Spirit, learning to live in holiness and obedience.

In 1 John 3:3, John explains that everyone who has the hope of becoming like Christ purifies himself.

Notice the connection.

Our confidence in Christ doesn’t eliminate the responsibility to pursue holiness. It gives us a reason to pursue it.

We don’t obey God because we’re desperately trying to purchase His love. We obey because we love Him and desire to reflect His character.

We don’t pursue spiritual maturity to prove that Jesus should accept us. We pursue maturity because we belong to Him.

This is where Allan challenged a common misunderstanding about Christian living.

When believers place their spiritual performance at the center of their identity, they can become trapped in a cycle of striving, failure, guilt, and renewed striving.

But when they begin with what Jesus has accomplished, their obedience can grow out of gratitude, faith, and love.

Biblical holiness remains essential. Repentance, obedience, and spiritual discipline still matter. But none of these can replace the saving work of Jesus Christ.

Glorification: The Promise of Becoming Like Him

The third concept is glorification.

First John 3:2 declares that when Jesus appears, “we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”

This is the future hope of every believer.

The Christian life is moving toward a glorious promise: the return of Jesus Christ and the ultimate transformation of His people.

We are not yet everything God intends us to become, but we have confidence in the One who began the work.

This future hope should influence how we live today.

We pursue holiness because we belong to Christ and look forward to His appearing.

We remain faithful because we trust His promises.

And we refuse to let condemnation convince us that the transforming work of God is beyond our reach.

You Are Saved by Grace, Not by Your Own Perfection

In Ephesians 2:8–9, Paul makes it clear that salvation is by grace through faith and is not the result of human works.

No one can earn salvation through religious performance.

No amount of prayer, fasting, giving, or personal discipline can replace what Jesus accomplished through His death, burial, and resurrection.

But Paul doesn’t stop there.

In Ephesians 2:10, he explains that we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works.

That distinction is essential.

We are not saved because of our good works. We are saved by God’s grace, and that grace produces a transformed life characterized by obedience and good works.

Grace Is Not Permission to Remain Unchanged

Sometimes people misunderstand the message of grace as though it means our choices no longer matter.

But that’s not what Scripture teaches.

God’s grace doesn’t excuse us from pursuing holiness. It empowers us to pursue holiness with the confidence that our relationship with Him is grounded in the work of Jesus Christ.

We still repent when we sin. We still seek forgiveness. We still obey God’s Word and submit ourselves to His transforming work.

But we don’t have to interpret every failure as proof that God has abandoned us.

Instead, we can respond to conviction by returning to Him in humility and faith.

The goal is not to become comfortable with sin.

The goal is to become so confident in the goodness and power of God that we stop allowing condemnation to keep us from the very transformation He desires to accomplish.

There Is Now No Condemnation in Christ Jesus

Romans 8:1 provides the central declaration of this message:

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.”

Those words are not simply a comforting religious statement.

They describe the freedom made available through Jesus Christ.

The believer does not have to remain trapped beneath the accusation that past failures make forgiveness impossible.

Through repentance, faith, and the saving work of Jesus, we can experience freedom from the condemnation of sin.

Stop Living Like Your Past Has the Final Word

Missionary Allan returned to his childhood testimony and considered how differently he might have responded to that moment of frustration with his brother.

Instead of spending years believing he had lost everything God had given him, he could have acknowledged his mistake, repented, and continued walking with Jesus.

That is a powerful reminder for every believer.

When we make mistakes, we should take them seriously. But we should also remember that the mercy of God is greater than our failures.

We don’t have to allow one moment of weakness to become the defining story of our lives.

Our identity is not found in the worst thing we’ve ever done.

Our identity is found in Jesus Christ.

This doesn’t mean pretending that sin has no consequences or that spiritual growth is automatic. It means refusing to believe the lie that God’s grace is insufficient to restore someone who sincerely turns to Him.

Condemnation wants to keep you focused on what you’ve done.

Jesus invites you to focus on what He has accomplished and what He’s calling you to become.

When You Know Who You Are, You Begin to Live Differently

One of the most practical applications of the message concerned the relationship between spiritual identity and daily behavior.

Allan challenged believers to recognize that the way they see themselves often influences the way they live.

If someone continually believes they are destined to fail, they may stop resisting the habits and temptations that have troubled them.

If they believe they are spiritually powerless, they may approach prayer without confidence.

If they believe God could never use someone with their history, they may avoid the very opportunities through which God wants to work.

But when believers begin understanding who they are in Christ, their perspective changes.

They recognize that they have been called to live differently.

They begin approaching temptation with a renewed commitment to holiness.

They pray with confidence in the name of Jesus.

And they become more willing to step into the ministry and purpose God has placed before them.

Your Past Does Not Disqualify You From God’s Purpose

Missionary Allan described the growth of the church in the Netherlands, where he and his wife have ministered.

When they began, many of the people coming into the church were carrying painful experiences, broken relationships, and difficult personal histories.

Some were young people who had experienced significant instability and hurt.

But as they encountered the Gospel, received biblical teaching, and grew in their relationship with Jesus, their lives began to change.

Individuals who once struggled to see any value in themselves became involved in ministry, leadership, and preaching.

Allan shared how young believers who had come into the church with difficult backgrounds were now helping lead and pastor others.

Their past had not determined their future.

God’s transforming power had opened the door to something greater.

That’s what we want people to experience at North Cities.

We believe God can take people who have been wounded, rejected, or overwhelmed by their circumstances and give them a new beginning through Jesus Christ.

Your history may explain some of the challenges you’ve faced, but it does not have to determine the limits of your future.

The Heavenly Father Who Loves You

Near the conclusion of the message, Allan shared another moving testimony from his years pastoring in Canada.

A woman named Brenda had experienced significant hardship throughout her life. After coming to church and experiencing the new birth, she continued struggling with a longstanding smoking habit.

She desperately wanted to quit.

Week after week, she asked for prayer, but the struggle continued.

Eventually, Allan described receiving a vivid impression of Brenda as a little girl being held in the loving arms of her heavenly Father.

Rather than continuing to focus exclusively on the behavior she was trying to overcome, he encouraged her to meditate on the love of God and understand herself as His beloved child.

Brenda began responding to that picture of God’s love with worship and gratitude.

According to her testimony, she soon realized that her desire to smoke had disappeared.

Transformation Begins With Knowing the Father’s Love

The point of Brenda’s testimony wasn’t primarily about smoking.

It was about the transforming power of knowing that God loves us.

For years, Brenda had approached her struggle with the belief that something was wrong with her and that she needed to become better.

But when she began seeing herself through the love of her heavenly Father, her perspective changed.

Her experience illustrates a larger spiritual truth.

We cannot overcome every challenge simply by trying harder.

Sometimes the breakthrough we need begins when we understand more deeply who God is and how much He loves us.

His love doesn’t eliminate the need for obedience, accountability, or wise choices. It provides the foundation from which genuine transformation can grow.

And for those who have experienced rejection or struggled to believe they are loved, the message of God’s fatherly compassion can be especially meaningful.

You are not forgotten.

You are not beyond His mercy.

And you are not defined by the people who failed to recognize your worth.

Find Freedom in Jesus at North Cities in Garland, Texas

At North Cities, we believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ offers more than temporary encouragement. It offers the opportunity for a genuinely transformed life.

Through repentance, baptism in the name of Jesus Christ, and the infilling of the Holy Ghost, we believe people can experience the new birth described in Scripture.

But spiritual growth doesn’t end with that initial experience.

We continue growing in faith, learning God’s Word, pursuing holiness, and discovering what it means to live in the freedom Jesus has made available.

We want North Cities to be a place where people can encounter the presence of God without feeling that their past makes them unwelcome.

Whether you’re struggling with guilt, searching for a new beginning, or simply looking for a church community where you can grow in your relationship with Jesus, there’s a place for you here.

North Cities is an Apostolic Pentecostal church in Garland, Texas, welcoming individuals and families from Garland, Murphy, Plano, Richardson, Rowlett, Wylie, and surrounding communities throughout Dallas County, Collin County, and Rockwall County.

If you’re searching for a Pentecostal church in Garland, an Apostolic church near Plano, or a Spirit-filled church near Murphy or Wylie, we’d love to welcome you.

Visit northcities.org to learn more about our services, ministries, and opportunities to connect.

It’s Time to Kill Condemnation

The message of Romans 8:1 is still true today.

There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

You don’t have to spend your life carrying the belief that your past has made you unworthy of God’s love.

You don’t have to allow someone else’s rejection to become the foundation of your identity.

And you don’t have to approach God as though His acceptance depends upon your ability to live without ever making another mistake.

Jesus Christ has made a way for you to be forgiven, justified, and transformed.

Through Him, you can experience the joy of salvation and the confidence of belonging to God.

You can pursue holiness without being paralyzed by fear.

You can face temptation knowing that His Spirit is able to strengthen you.

And you can look toward the future believing that God has a purpose for your life.

You are not what your past says you are. You are not what condemnation says you are. Your identity is found in Jesus Christ.

It’s time to stop living beneath the weight of condemnation and begin walking in the freedom Jesus has made available.

Because the same God who forgives your past is able to transform your future.