Freedom in Forgiveness

Because of our fallen and depraved fleshly nature, everyone makes mistakes.  These mistakes, some large some minute, affect relationships and prevent us from love.  Moreover, this relational discord hinders our ability to claim our promised freedom in Christ.  Jesus has promised relief and freedom from a life of guilt over past sin.  Unfortunately, sometimes we are trapped by our own guilt over previous mistakes.

When we continually dredge up the sins of our past we are not claiming the forgiveness and freedom that God has already given us in Christ.  The Lord desires for us to live fully free lives.  Regrettably, many believers live lives as if God only forgives future sins or sin that is in recent memory.  The reality is that God forgives all of our sin, including all of our previous sin.

All this being true, our memories of mistakes gone by still remain.  Because of this truth we have the ability to replay previous scenes and situations in our minds again and again.  This can weigh us down with guilt and remorse.  Basically there are two ways to deal with previous sin that continues to haunts us with guilt: we can either confront or conceal.

If we attempt to conceal our previous sin, we ignore it in hopes that the regret or guilt will lessen with time.  Concealing sin so that we don't ever deal with it prevents us from applying the fullness of Christ's forgiveness personally.  We end up with piles of pain and regret.  Hiding our regret and our previous mistakes so that we never have to deal with them means that we continually relive the pain and regret associated thereof.

Instead we should confront previous sin head-on.  We should not shy away from encountering the pain and guilt of previous sin but when it comes up, we really address it.  When we choose to confront our previous sin we begin to live lives in the freedom from sin that God has promised.  Remember, Satan is the accuser of the brethren so when we feel under indictment for our previous sin, it is not God, it is Satan who is accusing us.

Additionally, when we confront previous sin directly, we will seek and offer overdue forgiveness. Sometimes this means we forgive others.  Sometimes we ask for forgiveness from others.  And other times we simply need to forgive ourselves.  Through all this, it is the Lord who ultimately supplies the forgiveness that is given through human agents.  Therefore, when we seek to live in the forgiveness and freedom that God has promised to bestow through the work of His son, Jesus, we will confront our previous sin with an attitude of restoration and reconciliation.  Let us press on to live in the freedom and forgiveness of Jesus!