Forgiveness and Freedom

Imagine you are on vacation with your family at the beach.  You are sitting in your chair with sand between your toes, a cold drink in your hand, the warm kiss of sun on your skin, the smell of sunscreen and salty air filling your nose, and the soothing sound of waves crashing at your feet as your thoughts and eyes drift away.

Suddenly, you are jarred awake by panic and screaming in an all too familiar voice. You jump to your feet and see your spouse flailing and yelling in your direction. You can hear the voice, but you are unable to comprehend the words. You quickly look to your right and see one child, where is the other one?

Before you know what is happening you are running towards the sporadic splashing of ocean water. You search for your sinking child. Your beautiful, smart, funny, wonderful blessing is sinking and you reach out to him. I am here. I can show you the way, your eyes speak.

He is calling your name, however, he is resisting your touch. He won't let you save him. He is drowning. The more you try to rescue, the more he resists. You cry out, "let me help you, I know the way to dry land. I can erase this from your life, give you life. I can save you. I love you, please stop pushing me away." He insists he needs you, but will not let you near. With each splash of water you can feel him drifting from you.

With tears streaming down your face and salty water entering your mouth, you make one last effort to grab your sweet, perfect child and carry him to safety. But life leaves him and he drifts away.

~ ~ ~


"My sin is so great, the creator of the entire world could never forgive me."

"The guilt of my former life eats away at me day after day."

"My failures are so large, no one could ever forgive me, especially the God of all things." 

"If I had known participating in sin would've had such a huge effect on me after all this time, I would have stayed away from it." 

These are just a few statements I have heard from women over the short course of my adult life. 

I asked my husband if past sin left him with unimaginable guilt, he responded, "what do you mean?" I attempted to further explain, but was left with the all too familiar blank stare in which my husband looks as though I have suddenly begun speaking in tongues and all comprehension is lost. 

I quickly took this response to confirm my suspicions that this is an issue which mostly haunts women. 

We tend to have a difficult time forgiving OURSELVES. 

Long after our slate has been wiped clean by our redeemer through baptism and grace, we are still hoarding those sins in our hearts and minds. Leaving ourselves trapped in the bonds of sin despite the forgiveness that has been so freely extended to us.

Guilt literally eats away at us, while we miss out on the freedom our Father has extended to us. 

While the example above may seem ridiculous and extreme, I fear it is all to real to the Christian woman(and maybe man, sans my husband) today. We are calling out to God to save us and he is standing with open arms. I already have.

"If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I'm not going to judge them. That wasn't why I came. I came to save the world, not to judge it.  Anyone who rejects me and doesn't hold on to my words has a judge. The word which I have spoken will judge them on the last day." 

John 12:47- 48, The Kingdom New Testament


If Jesus came to save, why won't we let him save us?

If I am not willing to be saved, what good is a savior?

Sin is real. Judgement is coming. Death will happen.

However, through Jesus, we have been given an opportunity to break free from these things.

New life and hope has been breathed into believers who seek and follow Jesus. The old has been removed. We are cleansed. We are set free.

If our old lives of separation from God consume our hearts and thoughts, then we are unable to experience and fulfill the love, joy, peace and goodness our Savior brings us.

Satan is binding you to your sin by your guilt. He has you in his stronghold and is laughing as you drift towards him and away from freedom.

If you are burdened with the deep scars of sin from the past, I ask you, to let your Savior save you. Let Him draw you out of the deep waters of guilt and shame the enemy is binding you to. Allow God to provide you with peace and joy.

Offer forgiveness to yourself as your Father has forgiven you. Move along onto better things, my friend.

"If you remain in my word," he said, "you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." John 8: 31b-32

Join me as we let go of the old and forge ahead with the new.