When you're in Christ-
1. Your "I try" turns into "I trust."
2. Your performance doesn't change your position in Christ.
3. Your history does NOT disqualify your destiny.
These 3 points were the main outline for a sermon that changed my life. This was the beginning of the end of my own self-sufficiency. We all have a past. We have all sinned and done things we've wished we could take back. We all have a history, and that's true for every human being on this earth.
Oftentimes, when we commit a sin that we feel ashamed of, we naturally want to bottle it up. Our human nature wants to hide it away so no one can ever find it. The problem is that now, the sin is inside of you and it won't go away. And you will protect that secret at all costs. We naturally want to depend only on ourselves to take care of this problem we've created. Our human nature tells us that the less people that know about this secret, the better. Doing this will never allow that wound to heal. It will take control of your thoughts, your emotions, and your whole life.
The key to healing is confession. Confessing your sins gives you release. It can release you from shame, from the grip the sin has on you, and can allow you to start along the path of recovery that was previously hidden.
In my personal life, verbally repenting of a sin to another trusted person in my life has been one of the best decisions I have ever made. Now, there is light in my life where there once was darkness. I have no secrets left from the people I love, and that is such a liberating feeling. Liberate- To set someone free from a situation, especially imprisonment or slavery, in which their liberty is severely restricted. What a perfect word...
When you truly repent and get these sins out in the open, the enemy can no longer hold these transgressions against you. My dad told me something that will always stick with me. "The ethic of the Christian faith is love, repentance, and forgiveness." God loves us so much, He will never hold His forgiveness from us. And once you seek forgiveness, he will guide you along the path of recovery, where he will take away the shame, and take away the burden that this sin has created. Someone very special to me told me a quote that has always stuck with me. "God loves you right where you are, but He loves you too much to leave you there." Our history does not define our destiny. Our oneness with Jesus Christ starts now!
You have an awesome dad! Thanks for sharing. This is powerful because it is personal to you. You have a real understanding of sin and what it can do to us. It is very insideous...and we need to keep telling people what you are saying because it is so important for all of us. I am so glad that you are experiencing this kind of freedom. Lots of love to you!
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