Spooky Past.

A lot of people can't move forward in life because they are haunted by their past. They are bound by their past. We often define ourselves by what we have done, what has been done to us, or what has been done around us. The truth is that God wants to demolish the demons of your past so he can fulfill your pure desires while you fulfill your destiny.

Romans 8:1-6

Life Through the Spirit

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.

Jesus was, is and will always be perfect. We are not. So to be in Christ, or to say you want to do this life thing with him, means God sees us like he sees Jesus, without blemish.

It comes down to believing it even when we don't feel it. God sets us free from sin that we did as well as sin that happened to us. God even sets us free from sin that we inherited. That is how good God is. So any lingering doubt about being set free is actually unintended pride on our behalf, causing bondage. Unintended pride says we are the final judge in our life, and not the Lord. Unintended pride is living in the flesh. We subconsciously desire to be in charge, not leaving room for God to be in charge.

When slaves were set free in the 1860's, there were still slaves because they were being lied to about freedom. Don't let the devil lie to you, you are free. There were still slaves because they chose to remain slaves, afraid of independence. Don't remain a slave. There were still slaves by mentality even when they were situationally set free. This is where many of you are. Believe you are free even when you don't feel it. Take one step at a time and God will order your steps.

You are not your past.

I don't regret anything from my past. If I could go back, I don't wish I could do anything different. I've done a lot of crazy things and a lot of horrible things have happened to me. I am not proud of my past, but I am who I am today because of what I have been through.

God wants to remove your shame, remove your guilt, remove your condemnation. Conviction is good, but condemnation is not. Live free, be free. You can have a clear mind, a clean heart. You can have total peace in your life and feel joy from the moment you wake up to the moment you fall asleep, even in the midst of less than desirable circumstances.

Living in the Spirit means having a mindset and heart attitude, with actions that follow, that match up with God's Spirit and what he says about you: you are loved and forgiven. Move forward. Move forward in Christ.

Forgive yourself, forgive others. Forgiving others doesn't mean you agree or cosign what they did to you. Forgiveness releases your heart from bondage. God will deal with them. I've seen it happen for me.

And once again, forgive yourself.

Believe who God says you are.