Your Past is Forgiven and You Need to Let it Go
If the Son sets you free, you are truly free. John 8:36
I don’t know about you, but I have trouble living under the freedom of forgiveness. I love dredging up old feelings of guilt and worrying over past sins.
Okay, I don’t really love it. But I’m good at it.
There’s nothing like living under the burden of the shame game.
But…
So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law. Galatians 5:1
Make sure you stay free!
The truth is … wallowing under old guilt and shame is acting like my forgiveness is up to me.
My guilt.
My redemption.
Nope! I can’t redeem myself. Not even a little!
Jesus set us free.
It is His love.
His forgiveness.
He is our redemption. The only One who can redeem and completely free us from sin.
It is a precious gift of grace.
Your Past is Forgiven
If you’re like me, even though you know God’s gift of forgiveness is all grace, there’s part of you that wants to earn it.
I can act like I need to keep coming back to guilt and shame because if I wear it really well God will be more understanding more forgiving.
But once you and I have confessed a sin, asked for forgiveness, and invited the Holy Spirit to help us change … it is gone. What is past is forgiven!
He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. Psalm 103:12
And I’ve realized that if my child kept returning to me, days, weeks, months, okay even years later, apologizing and groveling in repentance over something I forgave the first time they asked … I’d wonder why they didn’t believe or trust my forgiveness in the first place.
By God’s grace, through Jesus, you and I are forgiven.
Confess. Repent. Ask God to help us change. And let it go!
So, as I work through this word freedom and what it means to me . . . that is my goal.
To admit my failures. Lay them before God asking Him to forgive me and trusting Him to be faithful to His promises.
When Satan reminds me of my past failure and I’m tempted to once again wallow in guilt and shame, I want to run to Jesus letting go of the past while trusting His gift of freedom.
Then I will Satan square in the eye and say, “My past is forgiven. Today is a new day.”
Oh, what joy for those
whose disobedience is forgiven,
whose sin is put out of sight!
Yes, what joy for those
whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt,
whose lives are lived in complete honesty!
I confessed all my sins to you
and stopped trying to hide my guilt.
I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.”
And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.
Psalm 32:1–2,5
All my guilt is gone!
Not a portion or percentage, but all…
Dear friend, today is the perfect day for us to completely trust Jesus’ sacrifice. The perfect time for you and me to give Him every bit of our past guilt … let it go and live under His freedom.
I believe that with the help of the Holy Spirit you and I can completely trust God’s promises and truly believe that the past is forgiven. We are free! Celebrate and live under the gift of today’s freedom.
God’s promises about forgiveness!
No sin is too great.
He [Jesus] gave His life to free us from every kind of sin. Titus 2:14
If I confess. God will forgive.
But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to [completely] cleanse us from all wickedness. 1 John 1:9
God chooses to forget my past sins.
And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins. Hebrews 8:12
I can’t earn God’s forgiveness.
But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and His [free] gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:17
God is good and ready to forgive.
O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help. Psalm 86:5
I am holding His promises close. Trusting His complete forgiveness. And letting go of guilt and shame. Will you join me?
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You know, Deb, as human beings on this earth, I don’t think we will ever truly really grasp the reality of those promises. I’m sure you have moments, as I do, where I am so in tune with God, so caught up in His presence that I really get it, and live it for a time…then something happens and I feel guilty or embarrassed (leading to shame), or some other nasty thing and I have to go through being pulled out of the pit all over again. I, like you, am very good at self-flagellation (incorrect spelling, I think…). Thanks for a good word, as always.
Perfect agreement here. That pit can become a familiar place can’t it. I remember Beth Moore talking about moving in furniture and decorating it. Feeling comfortable even though I dislike it. My prayer is to do a better job of quickly giving it over to Jesus, taking His extended hand, and staying out of there for longer periods of time. Always great to hear from you, Mary. Enjoy a wonderful weekend.
I heard this loud and clear, Deb. I think it is a part of our human nature to dredge up the past and regret mistakes we made all over again. But God calls us to step away from our past and walk boldly with Him, trusting in His grace and forgiveness. That, I will do with His help.
Blessings!
It’s hard, Martha. Especially with things that we’re still living out. But even in the living, my prayer is to faithfully remember that the forgiveness never changes. His love is constant and I am so thankful!
Joining you, friend. What a good word!
Thank you Lyli!
Jesus has set us free – we need to be walking in His freedom every day!
That is my heart’s desire, Andrea! With His help I believe it is possible. Happy weekend to you!
“Just how far the East is from the West… from one scarred hand to the other”… That’s just how beautiful God’s forgiveness is; He takes our guilt in one hand and our punishment in the other and because they nailed to the cross with Him, the two will never meet!
Oh Deb, I’ve been there many times! It can be difficult to let go of the past shame and guilt…but there is such freedom when we do. Just yesterday old sins came back to my mind…ones of years and years ago…ones long forgiven. I knew it was the enemy trying to pull me down. So, Fortunately, I looked right to Jesus! He reminded me of His love and grace 🙂 Great post!
Counting my blessings, too, Joan
deb, i like this. it’s basic and so true! so many christians don’t know the truth of the gospel. that their sin is paid in a way that satisfied GOD’s justice and righteousness! now, just as romans 8:1 says, “there is therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus…”
what great news is that?!
Deb, It’s amazing to realize that my sins are forgiven by God and then He forgets them. I have such a tendency to seek forgiveness for sins from long ago–sins already confessed. It’s human nature to think we have to earn God’s forgiveness, earn salvation. However, Scripture indicates otherwise. This is where being in the Word–allowing it to read us as much as we read it–makes a huge difference!
Blessings!
truth. We are NEW creations with a NEW nature!
Thank you dear Deb for this.
Thank you, Garo! God bless you!
The gift of forgiveness is to great for me to fathom. To really, honestly believe it, is to much to grasp. I enjoy the thought, but to believe is another thing.
Thank you, Deb.
When I read your message, my mind returned to a transgression I committed out of lust over 50 years ago. I have confessed my sin to God and asked for his forgiveness. I truly admit and own actions. I feel Gods forgiveness, but Satan continues bring up my past actions , bringing up both a fear and guilt that is dabilitating. Thanks I am grateful!
Oh, how the enemy of our souls loves to keep us burdened by guilt and shame overwhelmed by fear. He loves to throw our past at us. I continually have to focus on the truth that God is greater than my thoughts, and my guilt and fear. We can rest assured that when we confess our sin to Him through faith in Jesus . . . it is gone. Praise God! His grace truly is sufficient. Thanks so much for visiting. God bless you!
Truly amazing message that is a much needed inclusion to daily prayer and meditation. Forgiveness, freedom and inner peace to live an honest and loving life is our greatest gift. Accept it graciously and with humility for it will unlock your true self. Peace
Thank you, Michael for letting me know that you were blessed and encouraged. May the Lord continue to bless you as you turn to Him in faith and prayer.