I don't think anything makes me sadder than when someone forgets who they are. Alzheimer patients often forget who they are and who their family is and it's heartbreaking. But at least that is beyond their control. Sometimes we forget who we are on purpose. And that is utterly tragic. With every Christian, there is an intense battle between who we used to be and who we really are. We look in the mirror and see who we used to be, we look at our friends and all they see is who we used to be. Sometimes we look inside our minds and it screams, "you are who you used to be!" But do not misunderstand, you are different! I am different! If you have been washed in baptism by the blood of the Lamb, you are a new person. One of Satan's greatest weapons is to make you forget faith and focus on the physical. He wants you to ignore God and think, "there's no way I'm forgiven." I've seen it in my life and in the lives of others. It usually starts with the influence of others. You spend time around old friends or new friends that don't understand God's will and they challenge you on your faith. Or even still, you think they will challenge you on your faith. That is usually the case. Most people are looking for a genuine Christian. But you anticipate them rejecting you, so you try not to act too "churchy", and you put on your old mask. Then, over time, you forget which is the mask and which is really you. When you finally realize your dilemma, you think it's too late; that you're too far gone, there's no way you can be forgiven.
But I'm here to tell you that you are wrong! How do I know? Because I've been there. I've been in the place of self-imposed spiritual Alzheimer's and then I saw him, Jesus, still standing there, in the same place he always has been. He never leaves, he never changes, the only thing he forgets is your sin! All you have to do is fix your eyes back on Jesus. He will help you remember, He will bring you back to reality. You can look in the mirror again and know who your are!
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