Today I met a young believer who was so excited about the LORD Jesus, and said, ” It’s the most freeing, wonderful loving experience.” As we chatted I shared with her some verses and she shared about one area that she struggled in. I told her I had been there, had the t-shirt! I’m sure there is not a Christian that has not experienced “the fiery dart” of the evil one and his accusations and condemnations! As we chatted she shared how at times she can not believe He can forgive her. So I began to share some verses, I hope they will help, encourage you or someone you know who may be hit with these accusations.

Several things I spoke and shared with her was …

1- DON’T TURN INWARD!

The Greatest commandment is to “Love the LORD with all of your heart and MIND… and your neighbor as yourself!” -{Luke 10;27}. LOOK Up… TO HIM… LOOK Out …To Love OTHERS… Don’t TURN INWARD as it will led to despair. There is no good thing that dwells in you apart from Him. The enemy will seek to turn you inward and away from Him. And the battle is for your mind. Why? Because the first and greatest  commandment is to “Love God with all of your …MIND!”  So if the evil one can tempt you, remember he does not have the power to force you to give in to the temptation to turn you inward  and away from Him. When I was first saved I use to go into a pasture and pray and sometimes a past sin would come to mind and guess what? I would start thinking about it and for several days I stopped praying. Why? I was looking at my sin rather than the LORD who has forgiven me all of my sin through His blood. I was turned inward. So what to do?

2. – RECOGNIZE And REPLACE.

Recognize the lie, the evil one trying to get you to see yourself outside of Christ! REPLACE the lie with the truth of His Word such as,” And the Blood of Jesus cleanses from ALL”  – not just some but “all’ unrighteousness!” If it is a sin issue we have an “Advocate with God, Jesus the Righteous!”-{1 John 2:1}. His righteousness is ours! We are accepted totally, wholeheartedly, eternally “In the BELOVED!” RENEW your mind with TRUTH!

Remember RECOGNIZE THE LIE… REPLACE with the WORD of GOD to RENEW your Mind! {Read Romans 12:2}. The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin and what is usually the initial response? We immediately turn to Him and as you do something to the effect,”Forgive me LORD.” It’s like a Boomerang. He convicts and points us to Jesus our sufficiency. The evil one condemns and leaves us looking at ourselves, our performance, and accuses us with thoughts such as”How could you…again… the LORD doesn’t love you, how can you be a Christian?” Subtle at times, other times vile, filthy, critical bitter thoughts are fired at our mind but again we do not to have to yield and embrace the thoughts as if they are our own, the evil one tempts us to seek us to look to ourselves for perfection which is only found in Jesus Christ.

Paul, thirty years after he was converted said, “Brothers,I do not consider myself yet to have laid hold of it.But one thing I do:Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,I press on toward the goal to win the prize of God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus.… ” -{Phil 3;13-14}. He had not reached perfection that would come when he would see the LORD. But what he did was “‘forgetting what lies behind’ the word means to willfully neglect, “cease to be affected by,” not to let it influence you. Don’t allow your past sin, failures influence you. It is a command instead press on, looking to Jesus as He is revealed in His Word… press on. There is no future in dwelling in past sins.

If the LORD does not hold your sin against you. why do you. or allow anyone else to?

The enemy will accuse and with condemning thoughts to tempt you to turn where? Inward and AWAY from the LORD… the evil one will never point you to the love of Christ… the blood of Christ…your life and standing in Divine favor In Christ {Read Col 3:1-3;Rom 5:1-2}. “But God…” He is your sufficiency! You are “Complete in Christ.” The word “complete” speaks of “the state of no deficiency.” There is no deficiency in  your Salvation,- {Read Col 2:11-13}. No Deficiency in your Forgiveness. – {Col 2:13-14 }; No Deficiency in your Savior.-{Col 2:15}, You are “complete” everything you need you have in Him. Your STANDING with Him is perfect, your understanding of Him needs to grow!

3.- SAY WHAT GOD SAYS ABOUT YOU AND ONLY WHAT GOD SAYS ABOUT YOU!

Listen to what He says, not what you “feel” or what others say about you! Listen to His WORD. A Good study is to read Ephesians 1:3-13. And underline the phrases “In Christ,…In Him…in Whom…” and see what He says about you! Verse 3 begins with “Blessed… Praise… “the word  means to “Speak Well Of…” Him! So when you read in the passage that you are “Chosen before the foundation of the world” the proper response is to BLESS, Praise, Speak well of ” Him… He says you are “Holy “- Praise Him! He says you are “Adopted”– Praise Him… He has “Accepted” you in His beloved Son- Praise Him…He has “sealed you with His Holy Spirit,” which speaks of you being eternally secure and safe in HIM…Praise Him… Remember you are who He says you are, always who He says you are and only who He says you are!

4. – YOUR “ACCEPTANCE IS IN THE BELOVED.”

It is not  based on your performance but on His! Too often we slip back into a “works mentality,” tying to appease Him that He might “accept” us when we are already, eternally “Accepted is in The Beloved.”-{Eph 1;6}. What is the problem? We fall back into seeing ourselves outside of Christ and we go INWARD and ultimately DOWNWARD emotionally, spiritually.

5. – NO CONDEMNATION “IN CHRIST,” FOR YOU!

“There is therefor NOW No Condemnation for those who are In Christ.”-{Rom 8:1}.

We often leave out the word ” NOW.” What time is it presently? “NOW time!” When you feel condemned, “no,” it is not the LORD.  He bore our condemnation on the cross- all of it!Condemnation leaves you looking where? At yourself! THE evil one seeks to tempt you to turn where? INWARD! And if  you choose to, and remember it is a choice, you do not have to! If you choose to because you are living by what you “feel” rather than by faith in Him and His unchanging Word, You are then  turning AWAY from the LORD and who you are “In CHRIST.” You do not have to yield to the temptation.”…take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one “-{Eph 6:16}. For the condemnation, accusation, immediately meet it with truth, for truth sets us free “It was for freedom that Christ has set us free never again to be enyoked to slavery.”{Gal 5:1}. If the thought lead and leaves you in slavery then it is not from Him. No matter what you “feel,” His truth is what liberates! You are who He says you are!

 

6. THANKSGIVING!

I shared about giving Him thanks as it does two things when you do. Thanksgiving Glorifies God. The one leper whom Jesus came back who had been healed Jesus said he Glorified God . How did he do so?He said Thank You! {Read John 17:15-17} and when you give Him thanks You are DOING His will,”In everything give thanks for this is…”Is what? “…the will of God for YOU in Christ”-{Read 1 Thess 5:18}. When you say Thanks to Him you are not only GLORIFYING Him but DOING His will. If you say thank You to Him ten times you are glorifying and doing His will ten times. Develop the habit of thinking on Him, His character, people, circumstances and things to offer Him thanks giving!

These are some truths we talked about. I hope they will encourage you, and you can use to pass on to encourage others!

ASSIGNMENT;

  • Read Ephesians 1:3-13 and underline everywhere “In Christ… In Him…In Whom…” is used and see and say what God says about you! And the proper response is to Bless Him, Praise Him and Speak well of Him…who has Blessed you. Which means when God bless’s you he does Good to you… when you Bless Him, we speak good of Him!
  • REMEMBER The blood of Jesus cleanses from all un-righteousness and you are who HE says you are! Take the truths from Ephesians 1:3-13 and speak to Him and praise Him for each one. Speak to yourself and thank Him you are who He says you are…and forever will be, Glory to the KING!