A new year is a good time to reflect on the past, make changes that improve life, and to honestly deal with any unconfessed sin that may be lurking about. God is always faithful to forgive and remove it, but Satan sometimes has other plans for lingering guilt and shame and to keep us from living from a place of victory.
Rahab’s Story Living from a Place of Victory
Rahab is a beautiful example of how completely God forgives our sins. She was a prostitute in Jericho who hid two spies that Joshua sent to scout out Jericho. She’d heard how God had dried up the Red Sea and conquered many lands across the Jordan for His people, and she believed He would conquer her city for them as well. When the city leaders came to her and asked for the spies, she lied and told them they had already left and if they hurried they could most likely catch them.
Because of her faith and willingness to shelter God’s people, on the day Jericho fell, God spared Rahab and her family. The same two spies returned, rescued, and brought them outside the Israelite camp. Over time, she assimilated into the Jewish culture and then even became King David’s great-great grandmother, which means she is in Jesus’ lineage (more about Rahab here).
What I love about this story is how God used broken, sinful people to accomplish His purpose and even made her a part of Jesus’ earthly ancestry. What hope that can inspire in you and me!
Shame Clouds our Vision of Victory
I wonder how Rahab’s story might have been different if she lived in the shame of her past and didn’t believe she was forgiven child of God.
In our own lives, sin and shame have the potential to weigh us down. Satan wants nothing more than to render us useless. If he can keep us bound with chains of shame of our pasts and make us feel like we aren’t worthy of forgiveness, or that this particular sin is unforgivable, he will do it!
We, Too, Can Live from a Place of Victory
Forgiveness isn’t something God does because we earn it. He forgives because of who He is. Guilt can be a good thing because it brings us to confession. Shame, on the other hand, is a lie of the enemy. It brings condemnation and blame.
In Romans 8:1 it says, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. Jesus breaks those chains of sin and shame! So, when we experience His forgiveness, let us not stand there with pieces of the broken chains of sin in each hand, refusing to let them go. Drop those suckers, step over them and walk away, never to pick them up again! Hallelujah Victory!
Be Blessed!
Chain Breaker by Zach Williams You got chains? He’s a CHAIN BREAKER!