Once Was... But Now...

This morning we dive back into Galatians with a message that highlights a very important truth… in fact I would say it is one of the most critical truths regarding who we are as Christians today.

We know of this truth… and we even sing of this truth. And as we will see in a moment… Paul was celebrated for this truth and how it played out in his life. And it all has to do with with grace… God’s grace… and what His grace does for each of us through faith.

I know you know the song that says… “Amazing grace how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found. Was blind but now I see.

And it’s in those last few words that I want us to place our focus this morning. I ONCE WAS lost… BUT NOW am found. WAS blind BUT NOW I see.

This sentence speaks of a reality that “once was”… but places the emphasis on the “but now” transformation. The verse does not leave us in the past… it celebrates the change… the change that comes with God’s grace.

But before the “Once was” could become the “but now” reality… something… rather someone had to be introduced to our life.

Church… there is no way we can change our “once was” circumstances.

The “lost” could not become “found” on their own.

The “blind” could not receive their “sight” on their own.

Something had to lead or bring about the change in our lives. Someone had to initiate the transformation we so desperately needed. That Someone was Jesus and the something He offers today is forgiveness of our sin and eternal life by His grace.

I’m kind of a big fan of once was but now transformations. I’m a fix it guy… I’ve got a lot of tools and I love putting those tools to work to to make things better.

We bought a house that sat vacant for 7-8 years that needed some love. Stuck a bit in the 70’s and in need of important repairs, our house once was out of date and in disrepair… but now is more up to date and all things are functioning as they should. There is still work to be done but it’s not what it used to be.

I like to wrench on cars. I’ve got two in my garage right now waiting on parts. One almost fully restored and one that is in the very beginning stages of a restoration. Both of them are a different levels but neither one of them is as they once were.

Rust has been taken out. Parts have been replaced. Broken wires have been reconnected and engines overhauled. There is still work to be done but they are not what they used to be.

I bring these illustrations up because Paul brings up this same idea regarding his personal walk with the Lord.

Two weeks ago we talked about how Paul expressed to the Galatian churches that the message he preached was not man made but was given to him from Christ Himself. Paul goes into further detail on how that took place in Galatians 1:11-24.

There is something that stands out to me as Paul gives his testimony. He makes a statement in verses 21-23 that catches my attention. It is a statement regarding his reputation… it is a statement talking about the change that took place in his life.

MAIN TEXT: Galatians 1:21 reads 21 Then I went to Syria and Cilicia. 22 I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23 They only heard the report: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.”

Did you catch that in verse 23? Paul ONCE WAS “the man who formerly persecuted” the church. BUT NOW he “is preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” Paul once was lost but now is found, was blind but now he sees.

And this change was made possible because of the work Christ had done in His life. Paul was INCAPABLE of making this change on his own. Such a change could only be brought about through the grace of God and the power of His Son. Paul had sinned and fell short… but because of Jesus… he had been restored for the God’s glory.

And this same transformation is available to ALL who call upon the name of the Lord to be saved. JESUS wants to move you from where you are… from what will be your “once was” reality to what will become your “but now” transformation!

Paul was lost… in what he though he knew was truth. He persecuted the church in his “once was” life.

“Lost” takes on many different forms. Lost simply means we have lost sight of our identity, our hope, and our life that can only be found in God. Lost means… God is not a part of our life… it means that we have kept God at a distance and that we are “wondering” without direction, purpose, and without knowing who we really are.

Consider this: If your purpose is found in anything of this world… it is temporary and will fade away. If your identity is found in who this world says you are… it is skewed and tainted and not who you were created to be… if you are looking to the world to help you change… to move from one was to but now… it might be able to assist with surface level modification, but it will NEVER be able to transform you completely! There is only ON WAY and ONE TRUTH and ONE LIFE and His name is Jesus Christ!

Today I want to show us WHY Jesus is the ONLY SOURCE capable of such a transformation. I want to show you an amazing truth found in Scripture that is highlighted in Galatians. I also want you to see just how COMPLETE this transformation is.

Main Point: God is the ONLY ONE that can truly take us from “once was” to “but now!”

Through Christ, Our HISTORY is REDEEMED.

All of us have a history… all of us have a past. All of us have those “once was” reputations that are… less than Christ like. This is why the song “Amazing Grace” is so powerful and touching. It speaks of something we all struggle with. It speaks of the universal sin problem. But it also highlights the hope we now have because of God’s amazing grace.

Everyone knows what it is to have a past… but do we all know what it means to be redeemed? Redeemed is delivered by payment of a price.

With our past… with our history of sin comes a price that must be paid. When a person has been redeemed, that price has been paid in full. We see an emphasis in the New Testament on the tremendous price or cost of our redemption - the price was paid in full by the precious blood of Jesus.

His blood, Jesus’s blood, is the ONLY RESOURCE that could cover the sins of the world. his blood brings forgiveness and redemption of sin.

Recall when I said this world can only offer assistance with surface level life change but cannot offer a solution for what is truly needed? So often people try to deal with the superficial but are unwilling to go to the source of their brokenness. That source is SIN and the only remedy that can break the bondage of sin is Jesus’ blood.

Paul had experienced this redemption first hand. Again, Paul was the one who tried to destroy the church before he preached the faith. Talk about a hard reputation to shake!

God did not give His Son on the cross just so we could shake loose a bad reputation… He gave His Son that our reputation, our past, might be redeemed for His glory.

Think of the song lyrics once more.

Was lost but now found - this is a testimony of how awesome GPS technology is today. NO! It is a testimony of how AWESOME our God and His grace is!

Was blind but now I see - I tell ya they can do a lot with glasses and contacts today! But that is NOT what is being spoken of here! Again… the history of being blind is redeemed bringing glory to the name of Jesus!

Paul’s previous way of life, as highlighted in Galatians 1:13, was a life that intensely persecuted the church of God with the hope to destroy it.

How could God use anyone who persistently and intensely sought to destroy His works and His kingdom? How can God use ANY OF US who have sinned and fallen short of His glory?

because those of us who are in Christ are a new creation! the old has gone… BEHOLD the NEW HAS COME!

That old life has been redeemed - completely paid for - and is now under the blood of Jesus Christ. THAT PAST AND THE SINS THAT COME WITH IT NO LONGER HAVE ANY POWER OVER YOU! That old you is gone! That old Paul was gone.

Here’s the deal… I feel many believers… BELIEVERS… are still trying to run from things in their past. They are still trying to hide from the once was - instead of using it for the glory of God. It’s time we understand our past has been redeemed and your testimony can bring Him glory.

If you are a believer… then you have a once was but now testimony to share.

Let’s personalize this for a moment. I once was ____________. But now I’m _______________. Was _______________ but now I _________________.

What kind of once was things can you place in those blanks, and what kind of redeemed realities can you place in the but now blanks?

I once was self destructive, but now I’m at peace. I was broken but now I’m healed.

I once was addicted, but now I’m delivered. Was in bondage but now set free.

I once tried to do things my way, but now I go God’s way. I trusted me but now trust Him.

in Jesus, your history has been redeemed. Like Paul, the world might have known you as one way… but now they see you in a completely different light… because of the light of Christ that now lives in you.

Through Christ, Our IDENTITY is RESTORED.

Before meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus, Paul thought He knew who he was. The work he was doing in persecuting the church… he was doing in response to who he thought he was. He said in Galatians 1:14, “I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers.” Paul found his identity among the traditions… but lost sight of who he was because he had lost sight of who God was.

First, a quick review. Why did the Jewish community struggle to receive Christ as the Messiah? John 1:9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

Why was it that the when Jesus came to His own they did not receive Him? Because they did not recognize Him. There was God the Son standing before them and they could not recognize Him for who he was. They lost sight of who God was!

yet those who did recognize Christ as the Son of God was given what? A NEW IDENTITY! An IDENTITY RESTORED! They are given the right to become children of God.

Our world has drastically lost sight of who God is and the damaging effects of this can be seen and felt throughout the nations!

How many struggles are we facing in our culture because of our loss of identity? How many people are struggling to know who they are… what they were created to be? I can tell you from outset that I do not personally understand this struggle but… it doesn’t make this any less real for those who are walking through this struggle.

But here’s the REAL problem. Instead of getting the to source of the problem, we simply are changing our culture to lesson the battles within the struggle. The world seeks peace form the struggle by embracing the struggle instead of seeking deliverance from the struggle.

We don’t have time to get into the gritty details but church… people do not know who they are any more! What does it say of a culture that will surgically alter their bodies instead of seeking God for help? How many people have accepted a false identity just so the struggle doesn’t seem quite as bad?

GOD KNOWS WHO YOU ARE! GOD CREATED YOU... PUT YOU TOGETHER IN YOUR MOTHER’S WOMB AND HAS A PLAN FOR YOU!

I truly believe our loss of identity within our culture has come from our losing sight of who God is! How can we know who we are when we forget who it was that created us?

Paul found himself in the traditions of his fathers and although these traditions were of God… they had lost sight of God while going through the motions.

His misplaced identity led him to become an aggressor against God’s church! Ooops! But Paul’s true identity was restored the moment he gave his life to Christ.

When Jesus was revealed to His heart… When Jesus became real to Paul… Paul realized who he was in Christ. Paul realized he had been set apart from his mother’s womb and called by grace.

Church… don’t let this world try to tell you who you are. Allow for God to fully restore your identity to what He created you to be! You are His son… you are His daughter… you were created on purpose for a purpose. God, through Christ, has redeemed your history, has restored your identity… and

Through Christ, Our Future is Repurposed

In Christ… our hope is renewed and our future is now centered on our Savior. A CHANGE TAKES PLACE AND IT’S A GOOD CHANGE!

We no longer live for ourselves, but we live for God. All that we are is surrendered to Him as we place our faith and trust in His purpose and plan.

Paul thought he was doing a good work when he was persecuting the church. After meeting Jesus… he moved to doing God’s work.

How many settle for doing “good” instead of doing what God has purposed them to do? There are a lot of good things we can do that are not God things… but hear me clearly today… all of God’s things He has us do are GOOD THINGS!

Paul was created for this work. Although he got lost in tradition… Paul truly came alive when he met Jesus Christ our Lord.

Paul didn’t realize how far off track he was until he had an encounter with Jesus.

I wonder… did you place yourself on the path you now find yourself on or did Jesus place you there? Are you running the race laid out before you by Christ… or do you find yourself on a detour? God desires to repurpose your future… to get you back on track… but there is only ONE way you can experience that change in your life today.

The ONLY way this takes place is we must be willing to move from “once was” to “but now.” We must move from once was to now is in Jesus Christ. We must allow God, through Christ, to redeem our past, to restore our identity, and to repurpose our future.

As we close on this point I want you to consider this question. Are you living in the once was or have you moved to the but now? Are you settling for life according to the world, life that is losing sight of God, life that is lost in the darkness?

Jesus - who is the light - has come to lead you from once was into an amazing transformed future! He truly is the only way and the good news is… He is calling you out today by His grace.

He is not here to condemn you… He is not here to berate you. He is here the troubles you face today… and transform them into the testimonies you will share tomorrow! Will you lay down once was or what is… and embrace the new life Jesus is offering you this very moment?

PRAYER - Salvation

Secondly… sometime we might find ourselves slipping back into once was… Sometimes we might feel lost again. Sometimes we might feel blinded by all that is going on.

Church… let’s be real for a moment… such feelings rise up as we take our eyes off God. In those moments, we need to choose to remember who God is and what He has done for us.

Does anyone ever struggle with this? If so… I want to pray with you today and believe for God to help us not to slip back to once was but to forever remain in the new and glorious future He has for us.