Hello creative friend!
This is week seventeen of twenty in my Freedom Friday posts on Identity in Christ. These blog posts are based on my I Am Journal and I hope you are joining me on this journey whether you own the journal or not.
Our truth topic today is: I am forgiven!
I am forgiven, you are forgiven too. Do you believe it? I mean like, really believe it? As a Christian, it’s our core belief isn’t it? Christ died in our place so we can be forgiven, but do we live like we are? I know, I certainly didn’t. There was something really wicked in me that just wouldn’t leave me alone and it’s called a religious spirit. It literally never shut up. It accused and condemned me 24/7. It would tell me that I must be punished for my sins and since God isn’t doing it then you must punish yourself. Of course it didn’t use those words, that would of been too obvious. Nope, what it did was tell me subtle lies that made me think that what I was doing was actually good. This took on many different forms and for a good Christian girl it all appeared to be very godly. Some of you might be able to relate. You must read the bible MORE, you must pray MORE, you must fast MORE, you must do MORE, you must work MORE, you must suffer MORE, you must deprive yourself MORE, you must memorize scripture MORE. You get the drift. It’s never enough no matter how hard you try. Earning forgiveness is totally impossible, that’s why Jesus paid the price for us but sometimes our brokenness gets the best of us and we stay stuck in these horrible lies.
And then…to make matters worse…well meaning people try to “help” by telling you that you should stop this behavior because it’s like a slap in the face to Jesus when you don’t. They say it’s like telling Jesus that what He did wasn’t enough. Great, just what I need when I’m already down in the pit of depression. MORE accusations, MORE condemnation, MORE shame, MORE self-hatred, MORE religious spirit.
Evil spirits don’t drive out evil spirits…only Jesus can do that.
It’s God’s kindness that leads us to repentance…(Romans 2:4)
God’s kindness…it’s the kind you can run to WITH your sin and shame. It’s where you can cry in His arms because you’ve blown it again.
Or you can choose the alternative. You can choose to run away and hide and let yourself drown in shame and condemnation. You can go to that hopeless place where you think “oh well, I blew it again and there’s nothing I can do to change so why bother trying? You’ve already sinned so doing it again won’t matter, right?
God’s kindness leads to repentance.
Condemnation leads to more sin and separation.
Yes, separation. That is what I experienced every time I chose to run and hide. Too ashamed to approach my Daddy, I would hide for days on end as it ate me up inside. To make it worse, I was full of fear, especially the fear of punishment. Oh how it must of broke His heart to see His precious daughter like this.
I’ve been told that running to God with my sin is just a way to excuse my sin. Nothing could be further from the truth. At His feet is where healing begins. I can promise you that you won’t find it by throwing yourself in a pit of despair. The more I tried to fix myself, the more I failed and hated myself and the more I stayed stuck in my sin.
Love covers a multitude of sins. (2 Peter 4:8) It’s that love that changed everything. It’s that love that broke through the chains I was in for so many years.
Shame and condemnation are powerful foes but they don’t stand a chance against God’s love.
Running to God with my sin and shame was the best thing I ever did because it was in that place that my Father started whispering truth to me, and it was that truth that set me free.
Some would say that it’s the ultimate pride that kept me from accepting God’s forgiveness. I would say that a mindset like that is just more religious spirit. Jesus wants to make you whole and that means healing the broken pieces of your heart that have such a hard time believing and accepting.
What does God do with our sin? He forgives them, He lifts them off of us and covers them. He removes them as far as the east is from the west, He washes them away and cleanses us. He sweeps our sins away and throws them behind His back. He throws our sins into the sea and doesn’t charge us with them. He puts our sins out of His sight. He nailed our sin to the cross and remembers our sin no more.
As far as the east is from the west…do you know how far that is? East and west go on forever and never meet. If you go north, you eventually end up going south and vice versa. Not so with east and west, there are no poles that meet up, no connection point. East goes on forever and so does west!!
Forgiveness is a gift, and you can’t earn a gift otherwise it’s not a gift. Jesus paid a high price to offer you forgiveness. Tweet That!
Will you run to Him if you’re having trouble accepting it? Friend, don’t let shame keep you from being set free. He longs to heal you and make you whole. He is waiting,
Marjolaine Walker
“We can’t embrace God’s forgiveness if we constantly run and hide in shame because of our sin. Let His kindness lead you to repentance.”
He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:10-12
Here are biblical declarations that you can read out loud every day. Declare truth over yourself daily and you will soon believe it! I have included a free printable for you to use, enjoy it!
1- I am kind and tenderhearted to others. I forgive them as God in Christ has forgiven me (Ephesians 4:32).
2- God does not deal with me according to my sins, nor punish me according to my iniquities. In His great mercy and as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed my transgressions from me. (Psalm 103:10-12)
3- God blots out my transgressions for His own sake; and will not remember my sins. (Isaiah 43:25)
4- God canceled the record of the charges against me and took it away by nailing it to the cross. (Colossians 2:14)
5- In His compassion for me, God tramples my sins under His feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean! (Micah 7:19)
6- God is merciful toward my iniquities, and remembers my sins no more. (Hebrews 8:12)
7- In love God keeps me from the pit of destruction and has put all my sins behind His back. (Isaiah 38:17)
8- When I confess my sins, He is faithful and just to forgive me my sins and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)
9- I am blessed because the Lord will never count my sins against me. (Romans 4:8)
10- God’s kindness leads me to repentance.
On this good Friday, I pray that you would believe with your whole heart that you are forgiven. He paid the price friend, receive it.
