John 8:31-36 31 To the Jews who had believed Him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” 34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
To the Jews who had believed Him, Jesus said the truth would set them free. Can you believe Jesus? Can you believe you can be set free from anything that binds you? This text tells us that we can be set free from sin and consequently, we can be set free from the shame that accompanies it.
When we violate God’s laws, when we sin, we give Satan control over our lives. Satan wants you to live ashamed. That’s what happened to Adam and Eve in the Garden. When they sinned against God, shame was immediate. It came over them. It cloaked them and choked out their spiritual life. Their relationship with God and each other was broken, and they went into hiding. Adam and Eve started fighting and blaming each other for what had happened. Their hearts were burdened by what they had done.
Shame sends us into hiding. Shame changes who we are, leaving us broken, and in turn, it damages our relationships.
Jesus has come to call us out of hiding, into relationship with Himself and others, and into a life of wholeness. My question for you today is, “Do you believe it?” To the Jews who believed Jesus, He said they could be free. Do you believe you can live free from the power and pull and drag of sin and shame in your life?
Romans 8:1 and 2 say this, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you[a] free from the law of sin and death.”
Who will believe Jesus with me? Who will believe you can walk out of the grave of shame? Who will believe you can break the destructive cycles of sin?
The shame of sin will keep you failure-focused, but God’s forgiveness will get you future-focused. I don’t know about you, but I want to live for my future instead of living chained to my past. God has a special future for you that you cannot know unless you allow Him to free you.
Confess your sin to the Lord. Open up to Him about the shame that binds you. Tell Him about your weakness and your failures. Tell Him about the things you have experimented with and have explored that are beyond the parameters of what He says is good for you. Tell Him you are sorry for going your own way. That is what confession is. Let Him free you today so that you can live free in every tomorrow!
