To read the other posts in this series, click HERE.
As I’ve been writing this series, and as we’ve been talking about our identity, and that our past doesn’t define us, I’ve been spending a lot of time in the letters of Paul. Verses keep jumping out at me and it’s like I’m reading them for the very first time. Of course I’ve read these books tons of times since I was a kid, but the Lord is allowing me to see them with new eyes. He’s allowing me to hear the truths because my heart isn’t so weighed down with the lies I believed so much of my life.
You know how when you have an opinion about something, all you see and hear are “facts” that back up that opinion? I’d venture to say that’s how most of us read the Bible, we’re not actually able to see what it really says because we’re focused on what we want to hear.
You can make the Bible say anything you want when you use it out of context, but the fact remains that the truth is in there, you just have to be open to hear it.
For example, I’ve probably read Galatians 5 a hundred times but when I read it last month it was the first time I actually believed it.
Let me be clear, the Anointed One has set us free – not partially, but completely and wonderfully free! We must always cherish this truth and stubbornly refuse to go back into the bondage of our past.” Galatians 5:1 (tPt)
When I read this I was able to accept that I have been set free because I wasn’t believing the lie the enemy has told me for so long, that I’m “free” but I still have to carry the weight of my mistakes. I know it might seem silly but that’s the way I’d always read it before, almost like I was only able to see some of what was there because I wasn’t living from a place of walking in my identity, I was living in a place of bondage.
I love the last part of this verse, “We must always cherish this truth and stubbornly refuse to go back into the bondage of our past.” I love how adamant Paul is that we must choose not to go back into bondage, but fight for our freedom, knowing Christ has set us 100% free! But wouldn’t you say that we most often do the opposite of that?
Instead of stubbornly refusing to back to our bondage, we stubbornly refuse to hear the truth.
It’s much easier to believe the lie that we’ve only been partially set free, than to believe the truth that we could really, truly be set free from the bondage of our past. But later in chapter 5 Paul says,
Don’t you know that when you allow even a little lie into your heart, it can permeate your entire belief system?” Galatians 5:9 (tPt)
He’s talking to the church about believing false teachings and when we choose to not believe we have been completely set free from our past, we are believing false teachings. We are believing the lies of the enemy and we are placing ourselves in bondage.
I’ve said this a couple times in this series but you have to know that NOTHING (if I could add more emphasis I would!) you could have ever done, experienced, or believed is not too great for the Lord to heal, redeem and set you free from!
The Lord wants you to allow Him to set you free. He wants to heal you, He wants you to know who you are because of the resurrection and He wants you to experience freedom, fullness and life.
But the choice is yours. He’s not going to force anything on you because He loves you, but His heart is aching for you and He’s calling you to Him. NOTHING else is true. NOTHING. Anything else you feel, hear, believe is a lie from the pit of Hell.
You have already been set free, you just have to allow yourself to experience that freedom.
As your spiritual strength increases, you will be empowered to discover what every holy one experiences – the great magnitude of the astonishing love of Christ in all its dimensions. How deeply, intimate and far-reaching is His love! How enduring and inclusive it is! Endless love beyond measurement that transcends our understanding – this extravagant love pours into you until you are filled to overflowing with the fullness of God! Never doubt God’s mighty power to work in you and accomplish all this. He will achieve infinitely more than you greatest requests, you most unbelievable dream, and exceed your wildest imagination! He will outdo them all, for His miraculous power constantly energizes you.” Ephesians 4:18-20 (tPt)
The choice is yours – freedom and a love beyond measurement, or bondage and enslavement to your past. I don’t know about you, but I say we, “stubbornly refuse to go back into the bondage of our past” (Gal 5:1). What do you say?
That was so good. I remember when we first moved to Redding and I was living in the bondage of my past. Holy Spirit showed me that I had “bought in” to the bondage I was in. It wasn’t my church’s fault but my fault for believing leaders and other influencers that their way was the only right way. Chain by chain I wrapped myself in that bondage over the 20 years we lived in the Bay Area. God invited us to move to Redding. He said, “You can stay in San Jose, you are doing good things. But if you really want to see Me move, come to Redding.” We said yes and link by link He opened the chains and showed me freedom. After 40+ years of knowing Jesus, I was finally understanding what freedom was. I’ll NEVER go back.