The Back Porch: Made New
Your Past Doesn’t Define You—Jesus Does
Let me ask you something—and feel free to answer out loud if you're reading this somewhere semi-private (but maybe not if you're in the Walmart checkout line):
If I asked you to describe yourself in a word or phrase, what would it be?
We live in a time when the question of identity has never been louder. Some are desperately asking, Who am I? Others are shouting, This is who I am! But in all the noise, here’s the truth I want to bring you back to today:
If you are in Christ, you are a new creation.
Not improved. Not adjusted. New.
That means your past doesn’t define you. Culture doesn’t define you. Trauma doesn’t define you. Not even your job title or personality quirks get to call the shots.
Only Jesus—the One who made you, saved you, and now lives in you—has the authority to say who you are.
This message was originally a sermon I preached in June at Bethany Church, but I believe it’s worth sharing here on The Porch, because so many of us still carry around names and labels that Jesus already nailed to the cross.
Let’s walk through three big truths together:
1. Your Past Is Not Your Identity
Some moments in life shape us. A tragedy. A divorce. A betrayal. A shame we carry. A label someone else gave us. Maybe it’s something you did—or something done to you. And before long, it becomes your name tag. You stop introducing yourself with joy and instead live under the weight of victim, failure, screw-up, unworthy.
But hear the Word of the Lord:
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
—Romans 8:1
You are not your past.
You are not your mistake.
You are not what someone else called you in a moment of cruelty.
“Remember not the former things… behold, I am doing a new thing.”
—Isaiah 43:18–19
It’s time to stop letting your history write your identity. Jesus didn’t die so you could keep dragging around old chains. In Christ, you are free.
2. Christ Redefines You
We have a family dog named Cupcake. Actually, her full name is Cupcake Princess Unicorn Will—because our daughters named her when they were little, and we didn’t have the heart to object.
At the shelter, she was named Haven. But when we adopted her—when she became part of our family—we had the right to give her a new name.
Jesus does the same with us.
He doesn’t just wash us up and send us out. He gives us a new name, a new identity, and a new life.
“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
—2 Corinthians 5:17“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”
—Galatians 2:20
You’re not a slave to who you were.
You are now a child of God (John 1:12–13), part of His chosen people (1 Peter 2:9), and defined by what He says, not by what you feel.
Ownership brings identity. And Jesus paid for you with His own blood.
3. Live Like You’re New
Here’s the tough part—walking it out. It’s easy to accept a new identity in theory. It’s harder to live like it’s true.
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind…”
—Romans 12:2“Put off your old self… and put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”
—Ephesians 4:22–24
When you were saved, you didn’t just trade teams—you were given a new operating system. But if you keep running old software, it’s no wonder things keep crashing.
My mom recently traded in her old Camry for a Honda Pilot. Everything’s in a different spot—the buttons, the sensors, even how you shift into gear. And if she tries to drive that new vehicle like it’s the old one? She’s gonna end up in a ditch.
That’s what a lot of believers do. We’ve been made new in Christ, but we’re still living like we’re stuck in who we were.
It’s time to learn the new rhythms.
To lean into grace.
To let your identity reshape your behavior.
Final Word from the Porch
So here’s the big question I want you to reflect on today:
What old name or identity are you still carrying that Jesus already buried?
What would it look like for you to wake up tomorrow and actually believe you’re new?
You are more than your job.
More than your politics.
More than your past.
You are a child of God, a new creation, and it’s time to live like it.
⬇️ A Quick Back Porch Update
A big thanks for everyone who gave input in helping me name the bonus (mid-to-late week) content. I’ve settled on The Back Porch. And a quick reminder: This content is currently available to all subscribers for free through the end of July. Think of it as a free preview of what paid subscribers get.
And thank you to everyone who has shared and reposted The Porch. You’re helping others find hope and encouragement, not to mention being a huge encouragement to me!
By the by, if you missed Monday’s post, check out The Long Game. Quite a few readers resonated with its message. I bet you will too.
👣 Walk With Me
If you believe in this kind of ministry—one that encourages weary believers, uplifts rural pastors, and celebrates small-but-sacred faithfulness—would you consider:
Subscribing to The Pastor’s Porch
Becoming a paid subscriber to support future content
Referring a friend—when you refer 3 people, you’ll get a free digital devotional download. (More perks to come!)
Let’s spark a movement of everyday believers and healthy, rooted churches living out their identity in Christ.
Thanks for sitting with me on the porch today.
—Adam