There is a complete freedom that God has provided for all who believe in Him.

The word freedom means: liberty
The word liberty means: freedom from slavery

God has set us free, but do we walk in that freedom?

The first step that we need to take in order to walk in the freedom that God has provided for us is to accept God’s forgiveness. Those of us who are believers, have accepted Jesus as our Savior and our sins have been forgiven. But do we walk in the freedom that God’s forgiveness gives to us?

The word forgive means: to give up wanting to punish

Guess what, God doesn’t forgive the way that we do. When we forgive someone, we still remember what that person did that hurt us or offended us. But when God forgives, he no longer remembers what we did! It’s as though whatever we did never happened.

Isaiah 43: 25 (New International Version)

"I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more."

(The Message Bible)

"But I, yes I, am the one who takes care of your sins - that's what I do. I don't keep a list of your sins."

Praise the Lord! He does not keep a list of our sins. He doesn’t keep reminding us of what we have done!

1 John 1: 9 (New International Version)

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

When we confess our sins to God, He is faithful to forgive us completely! As if we had never done it.

So the first step to walking in the freedom that God has for our lives is to truly accept, not just in our minds, but deep in our hearts, that God has forgiven us. He has given up wanting to punish us. He no longer remembers our sins! It’s as if it never even happened. So we have freedom because we know that God doesn’t look at us and see our past. When He looks at us He sees our potential, He sees us as who we are going to be when we have those perfect, eternal bodies that he is going to give us. He sees us through the blood of Christ. The blood of Christ covers us.

The second step in walking in freedom is to forgive ourselves.

Romans 8: 1-2 (New International Verson)

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death."

The word condemn means: to declare guilty

When we repent and accept God’s forgiveness, we are set free from guilt. We are no longer condemned! We can walk in the freedom of forgiveness. But quit often we feel guilty for the things that we have done. We don’t feel free. Why? Because our enemy, Satan, continually throws our sin, continually throws our past in our face. Guilt is not from God. God will convict us of sin, so that we will be motivated to repent and turn away from it. But God does not cause us to feel guilty. He has set us free from guilt and condemnation! When you start to feel guilty for sin that you have already confessed, remember the verse that we just read. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 103: 11-12 (New International Version)

"For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us."

God has removed our transgressions, our sins from us. They no longer exist in His eyes! So, we do not have to feel guilty for something that no longer exists! We need to accept God’s forgiveness and then forgive ourselves, so that we can walk in the freedom that is available to us.

The next step in finding freedom through forgiveness is to forgive others. Carrying unforgiveness in our hearts towards others will prevent us from being able to walk in freedom.

Luke 6: 37 (New International Version)

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven."

Ephesians 4: 32 (New International Version)

"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."

When we harbor unforgiveness in our hearts towards some else, we are actually being disobedient to God. When we refuse to extend to another person one of the benefits Jesus died to give to us, we put ourselves in a bad place. God has called us to forgive others. When we don’t forgive, it keeps us from being forgiven ourselves. It causes us to become bound up in its chains, so we are no longer free. So what can we do?
We need to release those who have hurt us or offended us. When we do, we set ourselves free from the bondage of the enemy. We need to take any unforgiveness and lay it at the Cross and exchange it for the grace and mercy of God.

So here is how we can walk in freedom through forgiveness. We accept God’s forgiveness, we forgive ourselves and we forgive others. Sometimes we have to do these three things on a daily basis or even an hourly basis. But when we do, we will discover true freedom in Christ.

Prayer For Freedom Through Forgiveness

Father God, I confess to you my sin and I ask you to forgive me. Right now I accept your forgiveness. I thank you that I am forgiven and my sins are remembered no more. Right now I choose to forgive myself for the things that I have done. I am free from guilt and shame. Right now I choose to forgive those who have hurt me or offended me. I walk in the freedom that you have given to me through Jesus Christ. Amen.

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