Freedom in The Son
By Elin C. Greene
(verses from NKJV)
It seems that many Christians struggle in the area of repented sins being forgotten and put under the Blood, never to be remembered again. Why then, when past sins are remembered by us or brought up by someone else that it often induces feelings of guilt and shame? Sometimes people get defensive when past sins are mentioned. After all, the sin is forgotten by God and who is someone else to bring it up again? Micah 7:9 talks about casting our sins into the depth of the sea. Psalm 103:34 tells us that God removes our sins from as far as the east is from the west. Jeremiah 31:34 tells us that God will remember our sins no more. Some of us are torn somewhere between remembering and forgetting and forgiveness. It is my heart's desire that this article will set the captives free. John 8:36 "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." Allow the Word to minister to your heart.
We must first understand what a testimony is. According to Vine's, a testimony (marturion) has to do with personal experience. It is also translated as witness (martur), those whose lives and actions testified to the worth and effect of faith, testimony or witness as borne, a declaration of facts. Strong's #3141: Witness, historical attestation, evidence, judicial or general certification. Strong's #3142 defines testimony as, proof, evidence, proclamation of personal experience. The word, testimony is based on what one has seen. heard, and knows.
I will use Paul's life as an example of a testimony to show that God does not forget the sin event in our lives and neither should we. Paul had plenty of reason to feel guilt and shame for his past life. Before his conversion, he persecuted and caused the death of many Christians. In the Book of Acts we are introduced to Saul whose name later became Paul. During this time in his life he did despicable things to Christians in the name of God. He was not only a Christ hater but was gravely in error of the Word itself. He consented to the death of Stephen who was full of faith, the Holy Ghost and power of God. Paul was a Pharisee and was known as such (Acts 23:6, 26:5). Acts 8:3 "As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison." Acts 9:1 "Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were in the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem." The past life of Paul is permanently recorded in the Word. How would we feel if our past sins were written down for the whole world to see? Paul was an enemy of Jesus Christ and the church and everyone knew this.
However, on his way to Damascus, the Lord Jesus spoke to him and he listened to the Lord's voice. He then became converted to serve the Lord that he once hated! What an incredible testimony of the Lord's grace and changing power to make him a new creation! Acts 9:20-22 "Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God. Then all who heard were amazed, and said, "Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?" But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ." Paul had a true conversion experience when he met Christ that is recorded forever.
Paul has no shame or guilt concerning his past life as it was all put under the Blood of Jesus, once and for all. He readily admits his sin as a testimony of the Lord's love, grace and mercy in his life. 1Timothy 1:13-16 "Although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying and worthy of acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of which I am chief. However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a PATTERN to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life." Paul would use his testimony as a pattern to those who did not yet believe so that they would understand the Lord's changing power. We are to follow his example and do the same. Paul's knowledge of Christ was not by intellectual apprehension but through experience from his own personal communion with Christ. Paul's testimony is the Lord's grace applied to his life he now has in contrast to his former life without Christ.
Our former lives with all the sin is now under the Blood as Paul's former life, when we met Christ's changing power. We were all ignorant and full of sin before we met Jesus who changed our lives by His grace when we believed by faith, confessing our sins. Some have also, in the name of God had erred in doctrine and thought they were right with God as Paul did. Our past lives are our history and cannot be erased. We can't deny or suppress our past because we have lived it. The events of sin in our lives really happened. However, those sin events make a marvelous transition when we meet Jesus and confess our sins. 1 John 1:9 " If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." The penalty of death for those sins is removed. When His forgiveness is imparted to us through repentance, we must also forgive ourselves. The sin events with death attached make a transition and now become our testimony of His love, grace and mercy! 1 Corinthians 15: 55-57 " 'O' Death where is your sting? O' Hades, where is you victory?' The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." The penalty of death for our sins are swallowed up in the victory of Calvary. That is something to proclaim to others that are still lost in sin as a testimony of what the Lord did in our lives to set us free.
Without a personal testimony of the Lord's grace in our lives that washed us clean from our sins, then what is our witness or evidence? If we deny or suppress our past sins then the Lord's grace is of no effect in our lives. The alcoholic, the drug user, the prostitute, the murderer then has no testimony of how the Lord saved them from a life destined for hell. In order to be thankful for God's loving grace, the alcoholic has to admit the sin, repent of it, and praise God, use his experience and testimony to reach out to others that are alcoholics that there is a blessed hope. Our past is our testimony of the Lord's work in our lives. Paul's testimony of his past is a witness of God's loving mercy and grace applied to his sin and stands as an example to all.
When someone reminds us of our past life, there should be no shame or guilt. Jesus died and paid for it all. Our response should be, "Yes, I was an alcoholic and did terrible things during that time to myself and others but thank God that He delivered me and set me free. I am now a new creation because of Christ." 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." Satan is the accuser of the brethren and will remind us of our past to try and bring shame and guilt so that we deny the victory in our lives. Revelation 12:11 "And they overcame him (accuser of the brethren) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony." Satan's accusing condemnation and guilt are made void because of the victory at Calvary. Jesus' death and resurrection silence the attempts of Satan to intimidate those who are washed in the blood of Jesus. We can stand steadfastly in our confession of His grace and our faith because our past with the penalty of death was crucified with Jesus. Satan is overcome by our testimony. The Blood of the Lamb removes the penalty of death from our sin events and through Him we have the victory. What a marvelous testimony!
In order to have a testimony defined as sin purged of guilt and shame, the sentence of death removed, we must confess that sin or sins, naming them. Far too many people can't discuss their past or refuse to discuss it, they have no testimony of Jesus' healing power in His blood, they ignorantly state that it is forgotten, and we should never talk about it. These people have not truly repented, and since the sin remains so does the guilt and shame attached to it. They may not have forgiven themselves living in bondage of their own punishment. They may still carry grudges in their hearts. They may have never gone back to people they have hurt and asked for forgiveness of that sin. They may have prayed a prayer when they first got saved such as, "God forgive me of my sins," encompassing all the sins together. True repentance is with Godly sorrow, hating the sin, turning it over to Christ who paid for it (2 Cor. 7:10). When we repent as Scriptures commands us to do, we allow Christ to carry the sin, guilt, and shame attached to the sin. Repentance done on God's terms allows Jesus, The Son, to set us free. We can then discuss any past sin knowing we are free because of what Jesus has done, freedom that only His blood resounds through His perfect sacrifice, a freedom that allows us to use that sin in testimony confidently showing God's love in action. It is then that we can have a past that is truly washed clean and becomes a testimony of His power in our lives.
God does not want us to forget our past history as it is evidence of His work in our lives. The whole reason that Christ came was to remove the penalty of death from our sins when we confessed them. Our past is our testimony of the Lord's grace that changed us when we believed. In order to witness of that grace, we must testify of what we were saved from when opportunity presents itself so others can also decide to get washed in the blood and pass from death to life. By testifying, we give Satan a black eye as he still wants us in bondage to our past with guilt and shame. There is no guilt, shame or condemnation when our sins meet the Blood of Jesus. The death penalty for our sins with guilt and condemnation becomes a marvelous testimony of victory. Romans 8:1-2 "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me FREE from the law of sin and death." Strong's #1659: To liberate, acquit, set free, deliver. We overcome Satan by the Blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.