I choose freedom

Every human being ever born of man and even the first two who were created failed. That is a long line of failures in our DNA. We are each born with this defect of sin in our lives, we all have a messed up past because we all have descended from Adam and Eve.

This does not define who we are though, what defines who we are is how and who we choose to believe.

Brennan Manning, said this, “Wallowing in shame, remorse, self-hatred, and guilt over real or imagined failings in our past lives betrays a distrust in the love of God. It shows that we have not accepted the acceptance of Jesus Christ and thus has rejected the total sufficiency of his redeeming work. Preoccupation with our past sins, present weaknesses, and character defects gets our emotions churning in self-destructive ways, closes us within the mighty citadel of self, and preempts the presence of a compassionate God.”

It is true we are born the same way, we all have everything in common, we are all born into depravity away from God, we all breathe the same air, we all drink the same water, we live on the same planet, we bask in the same sunshine, and Christ came to save us all.

But not all will respond to Christ the same way, they will let the past control their today and tomorrow, (here is the truth no matter what you do or say the past is over it will not change), but we can change ,when we take our hearts and minds off the failures of our past and let God work through them to change our lives and the lives of those around us.

Failed business adventures, failed relationships, bad financial decisions, dysfunctional family’s, and other things are only temporary setbacks, they are building blocks of life in a fallen world.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re born in poverty or wealth, in America or the Congo we all share in these character traits and commonalities.

We need to so get over ourselves, get up and go forward. We must take what God has done and live in His presence, His promises, His power.

Scripture gives us example after example of failed people who learned too forget the past and live by faith in God, surrendering all things to Him no matter their own character flaws.

Noah liked to drink, Abraham came from a family who drank, worshipped false gods, he was also a liar and struggled in his faith until he surrendered to God, Sarah laughed and doubted God’s promise when she was told she would be a mother, Jacob was a liar and thief, a swindler of swindlers, but each of them learned to turn over their past, surrender their lives to God, their past, their failures did not define who they were, God did and called them His sons and daughters, just as He does us.

I love God’s word because He tells us how it is, how all those who are recorded in scripture He never sugarcoats their life story, He tells their failures as well as their triumphs.

It is time we learned to let go of what we cannot change and change who we trust in, if we are in Christ then we need to live like it, we are temporary residents on our way home don’t let the chains of the past slow you down or stop you for if Christ has set you free, you’re free.

Gods’ word says this

“As he was saying these things, many believed in him. Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you continue in my word, you really are my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” “We are descendants of Abraham,” they answered him, “and we have never been enslaved to anyone. How can you say, ‘You will become free’?” Jesus responded, “Truly I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. A slave does not remain in the household forever, but a son does remain forever. So if the Son sets you free, you really will be free. I know you are descendants of Abraham, but you are trying to kill me because my word has no place among you. I speak what I have seen in the presence of the Father; so then, you do what you have heard from your father.”John‬ ‭8:30-38‬ ‭CSB‬‬

“as it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans‬ ‭3:10, 23‬ ‭CSB‬‬

“For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. For rarely will someone die for a just person — though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans‬ ‭5:6-8‬ ‭CSB‬‬

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans‬ ‭6:23‬ ‭CSB‬‬

“If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on him will not be put to shame, since there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, because the same Lord of all richly blesses all who call on him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans‬ ‭10:9-13‬ ‭CSB‬

“Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen. For by it our ancestors won God’s approval. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.

Now without faith it is impossible to please God since the one who draws near to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

These all died in faith, although they had not received the things that were promised. But they saw them from a distance, greeted them, and confessed that they were foreigners and temporary residents on the earth. Now those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they were thinking about where they came from, they would have had an opportunity to return. But they now desire a better place — a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.” Hebrews‬ ‭11:1-3, 6, 13-16‬ ‭CSB‬‬​