FORGIVEN! Don't let the enemy deceive you!

Have you ever experienced moments when your thoughts lead you to remembering past failures, past sins? Your thoughts than lead to what I call emotional yuckiness; a sad feeling that takes over, stealing your joy and bringing condemnation, maybe even making you feel anxious. You see yourself as unworthy. As you enter down that slippery slope negative thoughts and emotions take over. You begin to wonder how God could love you or bless you, at least not completely. With a continued cascade in this direction, you doubt His promises are actually for you. You have bitten into the apple that satan has enticed you with; the apple of deception, making you think you are flawed beyond repair, a sinner and a terrible person that God sees with all your mistakes. These are lies from the enemy! This thinking causes all that Jesus has accomplished for you by the cross to be of no effect! Yikes! Yet, all the while God’s promises have not changed; His word is true. But you have journeyed away from all that His love has provided, and the truth of what Jesus accomplished for you because you have bitten the apple of deception. It is exactly where the devil wants you to be; away from the center of God’s love and doubting His word!

Scripture tells you to resist the enemy and he will flee from you (James 4:7). In order to resist him, however, you need to know what his lies are and what are God’s truths. You also must be fully pursued that God’s word is true and believe what He says. This is an important foundation.

What is God’s truth about your sins and failures?

“I will forgive your wickedness and I will never again remember your sins” (Hebrews 8:12).

“…Christ died once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins for many people” (Hebrews 9:28).

Jesus removed sin by His death as a sacrifice (Hebrews 9:26).

“Jesus, our High Priest, offered Himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time” (Hebrews 10:12).

“I will never again remember their sins and their lawless deeds” (Hebrews 10:17).

According to God’s word, you are forgiven for every sin, forever; that is past, present, and future sins, not because of your sacrifice, or any good work that you have done or might do. You are forgiven of every sin because of Jesus’ work! That is grace!

“For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time” (Hebrews 10:10).

It is the sacrifice of Jesus Christ that makes you good, that makes you holy; the Bible describes this as righteousness. So, if you believe in Jesus Christ and the One Who sent Him, God the Father, then you are holy as Jesus is holy by the work of Christ; His sacrifice on the cross. So, when God looks at you, He doesn’t see anything but your goodness, because all He sees is what Jesus has done!

“…because as He (Jesus) is, so are you now in this world” (1 John 4:17).

Remember, this holiness refers to your spirit. If you don’t know that, it may seem confusing when you do sin or fail in some way after you are born-again. However, since Jesus died for the sins of mankind once for all, this new sin or failure does not change the way God sees you. Your spirit was sealed the moment that you believed as you were given the Holy Spirit that was promised (Ephesians 1:13). You were made pure and holy that instant and you remain that way. What is in the process of being made holy is your soul, that is your mind, will and emotions. They are made holy as you renew your mind to the word of God. But God is Spirit (John 4:24), so He relates to you by your spirit and sees you according to your spirit where you and the Holy Spirit are one. Your spirit is now holy because of His Spirit, which makes you just like Jesus (1 John 4:17).

“There is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

Sin has been judged once for all by the sacrifice of Jesus. There is no more sin to judge. You must be aware of the lies of the enemy against these truths of God. Don’t let them take root in your mind as your life will go in the direction of your dominate thoughts; “For as you think in your heart, so are you” (Proverbs 23:7). Accept the truth of what Jesus did for you; accept the gift of His sacrifice and come into agreement with the outcome of it! Cast down any other thinking! If you don’t accept His sacrifice, it is like slapping Jesus in the face and saying to Him, “what You did is not enough”!

When you see yourself as holy, and worthy because of Jesus’ sacrifice for you, you humbly take your stand as God’s child and receive His love, which also means His blessings. You are able to participate in His promises that He has provided by grace, and live a life in His abundance, which is His desire for you (John 10:10).