The Gift of Freedom

This is the final post of a six-part mini-series. To read from the beginning, click here.

Today we’re wrapping things up. We covered guilt, shame, self-hatred, condemnation, judgment, and self-abuse. Then we added (most beautifully!) forgiveness.

And this is where this morning’s post begins.

I suppose I wrestled a bit in choosing to write what you’re about to read. Partly because it’s a topic about which I feel so deeply, and partly because I’m still a work in progress.

But — aren’t we all?

I may have yet to arrive at my destination, but the important part is that I’m walking it out. The real trouble comes when one lays down. Refuses to move forward. Dies.

Today I want to talk about freedom.

In the last post, I briefly mentioned how we have to forgive ourselves. If you’re anything like me, YOU are not the first person on your hit-list.

…at least, you don’t THINK you are.

But you see, if you want freedom from guilt — from condemnation, from shame,  from self-hatred and judgment — then you must forgive yourself. You are holding yourself in a self-imposed prison of punishment, abusing yourself because you think you deserve it.

I’ll wait while that sinks in a little.

(In the gentlest tone that I can possibly present electronically), why would you condemn yourself if you didn’t think you were bad?

You see, when God looks at you, He doesn’t see ‘bad.’
He sees Jesus and the Blood.
He sees beauty, He sees grace, He sees peace, He sees delight.
He sees love.

If you’re having issues feeling or receiving the Father’s love, chances are you need to forgive yourself. You can’t open your hand to love if you’re still grasping tightly to unworthiness.

Once you loose your hold on guilt and sever your mental agreements with the lies of the enemy, you are free to come into agreement with the truths of your Father — to see yourself the way He sees you and feel His delight over you.

“Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.” Luke 7:47

There’s a correlation between forgiveness and love:
little forgiveness = little love.
big forgiveness = big love.

At the beginning of this post, I mentioned that we were “wrapping things up” tonight. Well, let’s do it. Will you join me?

Take the biggest box you can find. Throw into it all of the shame, guilt, condemnation, self-hatred, and LIES that have been lurking here and there within your heart. Shove the lid shut. Wrap the box up in the prettiest paper you can imagine — the forgiveness that comes through the sacrifice of Christ. To top it off, stick on the most captivatingly gorgeous bow of God’s love. (Hint: it’s a bow so big that you can’t even lift it!) Gaze upon the beauty. Take in it. The best part? Your nastiness isn’t just out of sight — it’s gone. That pretty paper doesn’t just conceal; it converts.

Family, God can take our ugliness and turn it into beauty. He can take those things that were meant to ruin us and turn them into a healing gift for the hurting around us .

YOU are not bad. YOU are a gift.
Forgiven.
Set free.
Abounding in love.

This is your portion. Will you accept it?

The Missing Link (Not What You Think!)

This is post number five of a mini-series. To read from the beginning, click here.

In the last post, we talked about self-condemnation and judging others. I encouraged you to dig deep and ask the Lord to reveal any hidden measuring devices that might be lurking undiscovered in your heart. Before that, I spoke about self-hatred; self-abuse; and guilt, condemnation, and shame.

(By the way, something wonky happened with that last post. [Does anyone else love the word ‘wonky?’] Some of you may have gotten a weird jumble of stuff at the bottom of it – maybe a formatting error? Anyways, it has now been corrected!)

Today I’m here to talk about the missing link — and not the evolution nonsense! (See this post.) I want to talk about the missing link between all of the previous topics!

The missing link acts as a key, unlocking the cage around your heart and allowing you to rise up into your full inheritance in Christ. It’s that one beautiful thread, skillfully woven through the tapestry of a redeemed life. It ties up the loose ends.

Tying up the loose ends.

1. Judgment

“Judge not, and you shall not be judged.” Luke 6:37a

2. Guilt

“Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned.” Luke 6:37b

3. Forgiveness

“Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” Luke 6:37c

Ever notice the relationship before? I hadn’t until a year ago. The verse goes from A to B to C. Jesus is very specific with His wording. He didn’t just throw words around. Every single word is placed significantly.

Why are judgment and condemnation mentioned right next to each other? It’s because, as we saw in the last post, judgment leads to condemnation.

But here’s the missing link, the skeleton key, the single thread that frees you from judgment, guilt, shame, condemnation, self-hatred, and a slew of other vulturous atrocities: forgiveness.

Forgive.
And be forgiven.

Forgive others. Forgive yourself.

“Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart.” Corrie Ten Boom

Forgiveness is not a feeling; it’s a choice. Jesus tells us to forgive, and thus, we obey. No questions asked.

To quote the Christian literary legend C.S. Lewis,

“To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.”

When we gave our lives to Jesus, we promised to make Him Lord over our lives. If He is Lord, He makes the rules. And we follow.

We receive the forgiveness of Jesus. Then, He says to forgive, and so we do. And in His mercy, I am confident that He will (eventually) cause our feelings to align with our decision. God honors obedience and blesses it. It may not initially feel like you’ve forgiven, but eventually, I believe it will.

Repent. Receive God’s mercy. Walk in grace. Be forgiven. Be free.

(And stay tuned — the conclusion of the series coming up next!)