How to Live Forgiven and Free from Past Sin and Shame
Shame began in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve took a bite of the forbidden fruit and then hid from God. Adam and Eve had lived in a perfect world until sin entered and their eyes were opened to their brokenness, guilt and shame.
We too live in a broken world. We all have sinned and we all have ways to deal with our shame. Some of us hide in our busyness and work, others hide in food, fun, relationships, alcohol, the iphone, humor, introversion or a myriad of other ways. We all have our own coping mechanisms.
But God’s way is different. He wants to set us completely free!
Join me on today’s video as we look at Psalms 103:12 and how to live forgiven and free from past sin and shame.
{If you are reading this in an email or feed – click here to view the video}
So after watching the video and understanding the grace and forgiveness of God – you may ask – can I continue to sin and just rest in the abundance of God’s forgiveness? Paul asked this very question in Romans 6 and then he answered it…
1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?
2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
Once we experience the forgiveness of our sins – our life is new! Our old selves die with Christ’s death on the cross and our guilt should no longer linger.
A changed life is evidence of genuine repentance.
A change should take place, as we break free from old habits and move forward into obedience to God.
But sometimes, we find ourselves off the path God has for us and we are out in the weeds…lost. As I said in the video, we may be 10,000 steps away from God, stuck in a cesspool of habitual sin – but we are always just one step back to God – just one step of confession, one step of repentance…just one step back to God!
1 John 1:9 says:
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Our God is faithful.
He truly forgives those who humbly ask for forgiveness and he cleanses us from all of our unrighteousness, so that we can live free.
Freedom in Christ is not the same as the world’s definition of freedom.
The world sees freedom as living independently and doing whatever we want.
But the freedom that comes from Christ is a freedom from the penalty and power of sin over us.
When we repent of our sin, we no longer face the penalty of eternal consequences. As we believe and trust and follow God – sin loses its power.
Past sinful habits, thoughts and attitudes begin to disappear.
Past worries and fears and guilt and shame dissipate.
As we obey God and his Word, doing what is right becomes easier and easier and love, joy, peace and freedom – true freedom – appear!
Do you want to be free today? Jesus said, “Repent and believe.” (Mark 1:15). Do this and live free. Jesus Loves You!!!
Keep walking with the King,
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Thank you, I really needed this! After the video I sat down and prayed to ask forgiveness for sins that I still dwell on because I can’t remember if I really ever asked for forgiveness, it’s been so very long since I prayed. It felt so good, and I cried. So cathartic! I’m so glad God pointed me in the right direction to find this bible study group. This was something I really needed, thank you for sharing.
Amy, That’s so wonderful!!!
Dear Courtney, need to tell you how happy i am to see that there is a video of you, I missed them so much, now I can go and watch it peacefully
Thank you for this video and insight, really makes a person think about our daily sins. I know I need to ask for forgiveness everyday in this broken world.
God Bless
Terri
Thank you for your encouragement from God’s Word
Thank you. I needed to watch this today. There was a time when I felt like I was forgiven and I wrote down everything that I’ve done. I repented. I felt great afterwards. I think I even cried myself to sleep that night. I somshow have picked everything back up again. I feel the weight of it daily. I think the worst thing I could have done was to have sex before marriage. My son has paid dear for that. I’ve ruined his life. I don’t know if he’ll be able to forgive me when he is old enough to understand how my sin affected his life. I know we are not to pay for the sins of our parents but he has not had a father. He has been in jail once. He has a lot of problems, OCD, ADHD. I still don’t know if he’s on the right track again. I cry as I type this. He once told me that he doesn’t understand how his father didn’t want him. I had no explanation because I don’t understand either. My choices have affected him dearly. I wonder if God will ever truly take the hardships away from him or continue to allow his life to get harder.
Janet, I am so sorry you are hurting so much right now. I know as a mom when our kids hurt we hurt. But I also know that God is good and faithful. He is trustworthy! We are to cast our burdens on Him. He does not want us to carry them. I struggle with this as well I give him something and then the next thing you know I am taking it back. Sometimes I have to keep giving Him the same thing over and over again. Take it to Him ask Him to help you leave it there let Him know that you are sorry for taking it back. Pray for His strength. Pray for your son. Yes our sins affect others as well but we have a God who can handle all of that. Do not blame yourself. He can put his trust in Jesus as well. He may not have an earthly father but he has a Heavenly Father who loves him who chose him who desires a relationship with him. Who will never leave him or forsake him. I do not know where your son is at but I do know that as a mom we can intercede for our kids and others. Do not focus on what was done we can not change that. The enemy wants you there. Fight through that and pray continually and trust that the Lord can handle it all. The Lord is working even when we can not see it or feel it. Trust Him and wait upon the Lord. Lifting you up in prayer right now
Good morning Janet!
This is something a lot of us do. We dwell on past sins never really believing that God could forgive us for that one thing we did that we feel is worse than anything anyone else has done. I was there myself early on in my walk with Christ. I felt so guilty and so burdened even though I had asked for forgiveness.
When we can realize the truth that God forgives and our sins are then as far as the east is from the west, we can be set free of the burdens the enemy lays on us to hinder us from being the disciple we are called to be.
I am praying for each one that is weighed down with the burden of past sins.
Love to all!