You know what fires me up? When someone finds freedom from sin. I am talking about the chain breakin, Holy Spirit fire burning freedom from sin. That kind of freedom.
I experienced a break through from my heavy, shame carrying sin about a year ago.
Freedom doesn meant that you will never sin, it just means that what you encounter doesn’t have a grip on you like it used to.
We are sinful human beings.
We all sin…like a lot.
Growing up I learned about Jesus dying on the cross to forgive us of our sins. That was it, I always saw it as just a sentence and not as a life changing experience.
BUT…
There was a time in my life where the two didn’t really add up. I learned what forgiveness was, I practiced it with friends and strangers.
If that’s what forgiveness really is and if Jesus did that for me, then why am I full of shame and guilt for my sin?
Hating your sin is good..God hates sin, so we need to feel that way as well towards our actions that are against God’s law.
There is another half to that, that leads to forgiveness
I don’t really think I had a good grasp and understanding on what forgiveness actually was.
Therefore the freedom I was “experiencing” wasn’t really freedom at all. It was just a statement that I knew but not that I grasped and lived out.
Romans 8:1 is a verse that changed it all for me, this turned a switch in my head to understand the difference.
It reads:
“There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”
This verse brought freedom in my mind.
Read it again if you have to, then understand that is true for you.
I started to understand that my sin didn’t define Jesus died on the cross so we don’t have to feel condemnation for our mistakes, but when we do sin he wants us to go to him and ask for forgiveness so we can accept his response of love and grace.
I know the heaviness sin can hold, and I know what it feels like when sin seems like it’s overpowering.
I NEED you to know that if you are feeling tempted by sin, there is a way out.
1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”
The title of this blog is “It doesn’t have to end up like it did last time”.
Because my goal for this, is that you won’t feel the guilt and shame that you have felt for so long. It doesn’t have to end up the same way it did because the truth you know now is stronger than ANYTHING the devil tries to tell you in your mind.
You are not alone in your fight with sin, even if you feel like it’s the worst sin in the world. (I’ve been there, and it’s a big lie)
Next time you feel the devil trying to tell you thoughts in your mind that don’t belong there, just tell him it’s not going to end up like it did last time, and he has no place in a pretty head like yours.
Here are some ways to help you while you are feeling tempted.
- Remember 1 Corinthians 10:13 and say it outloud. Resiste Scripture.
- Have an accountability partner, someone you can text/call when you feel tempted.
- The bible says flee from your sin, legit run away if you have too!
Do anything you have to, to get your mind and body away.
These are just steps that I take, and have practiced that have helped me not end up like I did in the past.
All in all the Lord cares for your heart and does not want to see you carrying around shame and guilt when he died to take that all away. Lay it at the foot of the cross and know you’re forgiven. I am so excited for you to change the way you see freedom and understand how to put the devil in his place.
You are so important and worthy.
Heaven is cheering you on, and so am I
XOXO Emma
Emma Stender is a Senior at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota. She is in her 2nd year of being a wedding photographer and loving every second of being able to capture someone’s best day ever, and witness the miracle that marriage is when two become one. Emma’s heart is to help girls find freedom from their hidden and heavy sin. She is a 2 on the enneagram but all her friends think she is a 7 because she have a high energy personality basically 24/7.
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Wow, I simply cannot put into words how powerful this is. Thank you, Emma, for your wisdom-filled, life-changing words.