Galatians 5:1
1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.(ESV)
Everyone has difficulty in their past. There are no exceptions to this, only varying degrees of difficulty. Many are presently convinced that they are currently not experiencing the freedom Christ has provided because of the events in their past. This is simply not true.
John 8:32
32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”(ESV)
Freedom is a result of knowing the truth. The clear implication is that the absence of freedom is a result of knowing something untrue. It is the lies we believe that hold us in bondage, not the past events of our lies. These two are connected however, for often we came to believe the lies that we believe during the difficult moments of our past. Hard things happen and we assign meaning to those events. We experience grief and loss and in moments of pain embrace a definition of reality that at the time seems to make sense of them. This means that I am…This means that God is…This means men are…This means authority figures are…
We hurt and in our hurt we decide things about ourselves, about God, about others. And very often the reality we adopt is incongruent with reality as God sees it. One of us is wrong. I bet it’s not God. So God heals memories not by erasing the past but rather by freeing us from the deception we embraced in the past. You are not in bondage because of what you experienced. You are in bondage because what you came to believe about reality is a lie. Freedom doesn’t erase the past. Freedom redefines what the past means about God’s goodness, nearness, and power. Freedom redefines what the past means about your value and identity. When you experience the Truth, freedom is the result.
16 Comments
I know I’ve been duped by what I was SURE was truth (situational) and believed it to be true in the vacuum of revelation. How do we find truth DURING the pain so that we are not deceived? It is, as you say: “We experience grief and loss and in moments of pain embrace a definition of reality that at the time seems to make sense.” How, in those moments of pain, do we find truth?
Anthony,
Great question. As with most things related to Freedom, the key is in hearing God’s voice. Our source of truth must be experiential and personal encounter with God himself. Spiritual warfare is always about choosing which voice we will agree with. What we agree with is empowered in our lives.
II Cor. 3 – free from condemnation, the veil is lifted. The lies we might believe usually come in the form of condemnation either toward ourselves or toward others. Isn’t it great to lay that burden down!
Carol – that’s so good. So much better to lay down condemnation than to carry that weight around.
My adherence to determine what is good or evil on my own understanding, which is born from my participation in eating from the tree of knowledege of good and evil, complicates things as well. When I am willing to lay down my desire to interpret life based on my understanding and allow the Spirit to speak to me about the moments of my life (both past, present, and future), only then do I find truth – which brings healing and freedom. That is the tree of life – experiencing the creative power of God to create in my experience what He dtermines and interprets every second of my life to be. He loves me. He loves us. He is good.
I love this Carl. Thanks for adding your thoughts.
Great message!
Hi Jaime! Thanks for taking the time to read my blog. Blessings to you and your family!
Alan,
It goes back to the age old question…”why are we so ready to believe the lie when we know the truth?” I had a personal experience with this Sunday night…I knew what I was hearing was a lie yet I battled to remimnd myself of the truth of God. The only way to drown out the lie was to sleep with the truth embedded deep inside me. In the morning after much needed rest God reminded me that he battled for me when I had no strength and provided confirmation of the truth through His Word. God is so good.
Keep the truth coming Alan
Hi Karen,
What a cool story! I think the lie is so easy to believe because the circumstances can sometimes make the lie “feel” so real!
Thanks for reading!
Alan
Alan,
Love the post as usual. It is so true what you said aboutGod healing memories and not erasing the past. I think, for myself, I thought once I was free that meant I would not remember the past. I completely understand the whole thing that it is what we believe in the lie. Oh, I am learning that. I have believed so many lies over the past many years, and I am so glad that I am free, and I am glad the junk in my trunk is being removed on lie at a time.
Thank you for this post. I know someone who will benefit from it. I am going to forward the link.
Good message.!!..I need to memorize this post… Thank you Alan for your simplicity…
Memorize? I’m not sure it was that good.
Thanks for reading Joan!
Alan
Another Brilliant post Alan … I will share this one as well!
Thank you for your heart.
Kristi – thanks for reading. Thanks SO MUCH for sharing.
Blessings,
Alan
Great word, if only people can get this in their spirit they would see it is worth it. Freedom from this world, can they really have it, YES YES!!