Be Free!

February 27, 2009

Recently, I had been convicted when I spoke something out of frustration about someone that I should go to the person I spoke about and ask forgiveness. The person I spoke about wasn’t even there when I made the rash statement however, God was there and he was determined to hold me accountable.

I love that about God. Some years ago I had asked him and have continued to ask him to not let me get away with anything. I so want to be transparent and free from sin in right relationship with God but I can identify with Paul who writes in Romans 7:15 (cjbv) “I don’t understand my own behavior—I don’t do what I want to do; instead, I do the very thing I hate!”

And in Romans 7:19 & 24-25 (cjbv), “For I don’t do the good I want; instead, the evil that I don’t want is what I do!” “What a miserable creature I am!—who will rescue me from this body bound for death? Thanks be to God, he will!—through Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah, our Lord!”

Thank God for God! What would I do without him? So, after a long battle within myself rolling this over and over…after turning up the radio so that maybe that would fix it (ya know ya can’t hear God so well with the radio up) and after saying to God, “God, maybe this isn’t your voice…” to which he replied, “You know my voice.” I gave in and made the call to ask for forgiveness.

All the games I play but he is patient with me. Sometimes I beg him…God please don’t give up on me! To which he reminds me of Philippians 1:6 (NIV) “….being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” I’m so grateful for his wonderful grace when I sin.

I love that God has made a way for us through confession but that requires courage. James 5:16 (cjbv) says, “Therefore, openly acknowledge your sins to one another, and pray for each other, so that you may be healed,” and then it goes on to encourage in the light of what’s been previously written “…The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” Wow how redeeming!

We are to confess our sins openly before one another and in the very same verse is the power of a righteous man’s prayer! It is the righteous that act according to this manner and it doesn’t hinder their prayers a bit in fact the word indicates that it makes their prayers powerful and effective.

There is no shame in this! This is the way out! This is the door!

John 3:19-21 (cjbv) “Now this is the judgement: the light has come into the world, but people loved the darkness rather than the light. Why? Because their actions were wicked. For everyone who does evil things hates the light and avoids it, so that his actions won’t be exposed. But everyone who does what is true comes to the light, so that all may see that his actions are accomplished through God.”

Coming into the light is painful to our spirit. It means that our sins will be exposed and burned by the rays of God. But just like we go to the doctor when we have an infected wound, we go to Jesus our Healer…we come into his “office” of light and he cleanses the sores that sin inflicts on us. He burns them to stop the spread of infection and bring healing.

Is it painful? Yes. Does it take courage? Yes. But God will help you and he has already paid the price for you to be free. Come into the light today. Don’t be afraid. God is there to cleanse your sinful wounds and bring healing to you. He is the door and he can stop the cycle you are in…you can trust him.

He stands waiting……come to him and be free.