Part 2: Free because of Christ

What does it mean to let go of the past?

In part one of the series, we had a look at what it means to be spiritually set free by Christ and ways of accepting your freedom.

In part two we’ll discuss:

• Letting go of your past
• Stepping into your God-given future

Letting go of your past

Romans 3:23 KJV "for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"

Accepting our own and other’s weaknesses isn’t always easy. Yet, part of letting go of your past is to let go of past hurts and failures. Harboring pain and holding on to resentments will not let you live an abundant life. Sometimes the most difficult person to forgive is yourself.

Yet God in his infinite mercy through Christ Jesus wants to forgive you!

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you any pain or resentment you are holding onto that causes you to harbor a spirit of unforgiveness towards yourself or others.

Forgiveness is a choice. We choose whether to hold on to or to let go. The devil doesn’t want you to let go, so he will remind you very often of your own failures and stir up feelings of bitterness by reminding you of past hurts. It is important that we take those feelings to the Lord. Lay them down at the feet of Jesus. Choose to forgive and bless the other person or yourself. And ask God to forgive your unforgiveness.

You will be amazed how much freedom you will experience!

Now that you have taken this very important step: that is the step of forgiveness; it is important to do a self-examination and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any thing in you that is a sin in God’s eyes. This is not to bring condemnation, but conviction so that you can ask forgiveness for it and experience God’s grace.

Romans 8:2 KJV "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death."

Now that you are set free, you have to remain free. Living a spirit-filled life is important for every believer. The Holy Spirit is our helper and our comforter and will always lead us with truth from God’s word.

• Saturate yourself in God’s word, so that when the enemy attacks, you already have your sword ready.
• Use your new found freedom by serving others in love.
• Surround yourself with other believers because where two or more are gathered in Jesus’s name, there he will also be present.

Stepping into your God-given future

You are now on a journey of being set free by the truth of your salvation through Jesus Christ. Take a moment each day to declare who you are in Christ: accepted, secure and significant. Take up your armor and stand firm against the enemy’s attacks.

Life will still happen, but God cares about you (1 Peter 5:7). Continue to seek the Kingdom of God, give him all your cares and worries and step into his joy and peace.

Use gratefulness and praise as a weapon (1 Thessalonians 5:8, 16 – 18)

In your journal:

• Write 3 things that you are grateful for
• Write down 1 area of your life that you have to lay down and ask forgiveness for or ask for guidance
• Ask the Holy Spirit to show you where God wants you to walk in good works to the glory and honour of His name. (Ephesians 2:10)

Conclusion

To become spiritually free in Christ is a journey. Some things are easy to let go of and accept, others take time and intentionality to overcome.

My hope is that with this mini series you will step into your own journey of being set free. Don’t let it stop here. Saturate yourself in God’s word, meditate on it, pray and seek God’s presence daily. Ask council from other Christians who you know are living lives for Jesus. Test everything against the Word of God.

Philippians 1:6 KJV "being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:"

Blessings

Catherina

*Disclaimer: I’m not a certified Christian councilor. If you have any areas in your life where you need assistance to be set free, kindly contact a reputable Christian councilor or speak to your local pastor for assistance. The steps in this series are based on my own experiences and daily journey that I am on.