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Set Free

I sat with a woman a while ago who though tears, asked me to pray for the salvation of her kids. Her heart is broken over the path they are choosing to walk. My heart broke for her. 
Then she asked me something that caused my heart to hurt more. "Do you think God is punishing me for my past?" I was quick to reach across the table to touch her arm, look her in the eye and with confidence say, "NO! God loves your children even more than you do and He wants them to turn to Him more than we can ever imagine, He would never withhold His salvation from them." 

I remember  when I first came to know Jesus and my eyes were opened to all of my past sin. It was heart wrenching. The way I lived and the things I had done that I had no idea were sin in God's eyes. The remorse and shame I felt was painful and yet I was overwhelmed with God's complete forgiveness. So much so that I wanted to repent, to turn from that past and turn to Him. To seek His will in my life. 

When a transformation like that happens, Satan comes to kill and destroy. He would love for me ( and you) to stay in that place of guilt for our past. Why? Because it keeps the focus on us rather than on Jesus and what He did for us. That's what spiritual warfare looks like. It's as if a big ball and chain represent all our sins. They are chained to our ankles making us immobile. By His death on the cross Jesus cut off those chains and threw away the key. That ball and chain are at the bottom of the ocean. And we can walk freely with Him now. Then Satan comes and reminds us of our past, tempting us to think that God won't forget those sins, "who do you think you are?" If we agree with Satan, it would be like swimming to the bottom of the ocean to retrieve that ball and chain and choose to continue to carry it ourselves. Yikes! That's prideful. And imprisoning, if that's a word. 

Jesus frees us from guilt by forgiving us from sin. Guilt is from the enemy. When we claim Jesus as our Lord and Savior, putting our trust in Him, we are set free once and for all. We can trust Him with our lives and with those we love. Because He loves them as much as He loves us. I find that comforting as much as freeing. You and I aren't meant to carry guilt of our past. And God most certainly isn't punishing us for those sins. Our past sins died with Him on the cross. The chains are gone and we've been set free. 

-Pressing On 


“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
John 10:10 NIV

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV


“Then he adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.””
Hebrews 10:17 NIV

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
2 Peter 3:9 NIV

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