Colossians 2:13-15 (The Message)
11-15Entering into this fullness is not something you figure out or achieve. It's not a matter of being circumcised or keeping a long list of laws. No, you're already in—insiders—not through some secretive initiation rite but rather through what Christ has already gone through for you, destroying the power of sin. If it's an initiation ritual you're after, you've already been through it by submitting to baptism. Going under the water was a burial of your old life; coming up out of it was a resurrection, God raising you from the dead as he did Christ. When you were stuck in your old sin-dead life, you were incapable of responding to God. God brought you alive—right along with Christ! Think of it! All sins forgiven, the slate wiped clean, that old arrest warrant canceled and nailed to Christ's cross. He stripped all the spiritual tyrants in the universe of their sham authority at the Cross and marched them naked through the streets.
Stronghold of Unbelief
The enemy of my soul crafted many strongholds for me to be snared by in my fifty-some years. One that I'm just recognizing is the stronghold of unbelief. I've lived in self condemnation over past mistakes most of my life. Ex. I wasn't patient enough with my son when he was growing up. I spanked him far too much. I failed in numerous areas as a wife. I made mistakes as a widow that I wish I could undo. Hind site is excellent. Oh yes, I see a multitude of areas that I wish I'd done differenly or that I'm ashamed of. BUT I'm realizing that I'm walking in unbelief by not trusting God's Word and nailing those things permanently to the cross and leaving them there. My self-condemnation doesn't honor God, it only holds me captive. God promised to forgive me of my sins if I repented. He's not the one keeping the record, I'm the one, with some help from the enemy of my soul. The great deceiver reminds me of my failures and I've bought his propaganda for years. Praise God, that He has forgiven me and all that garbage that has entered my life through the years, He's cleaned out and thrown it as far as the East is from the West. I'm the one that keeps opening up the trash can of my soul and examining it and looking at the stinky layers. He's the one that's saying, "MY child, don't you know I forgave you at Calvary? Don't you know I knew you'd fail? Don't you know I want to work all that trash to your good? Sweet child, leave it at the cross and watch me use it as compost to grow something new and beautiful. I can't do that as long as you keep dredging it up and pulling it out of the compost heap to lament over how it reeks of failure. Let it go! Let me use it. Take a deep breath and Praise Me for it and for what I did on the Cross. Don't focus on your mistakes. Focus on Me and My redemption. Focus on my Victory. I CAME TO SET YOU FREE. Walk in it! Embrace it and bathe in my Peace. BELIEVE ME!!! Believe my Word. TRUST ME! REST IN ME!"
