Day 5: I am Free from Sin

21 Days to Discover Who you are in Jesus

Day 5

I Am Free From Sin

Our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin.

Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.

Romans 6:6,7,14 nlt

Your old sinful nature died on the cross with Jesus. You have a new nature of righteousness. Sin no longer has a hold on you. Jesus set you free from the Old Covenant, which was based on the law, and He brought you into the New Covenant of grace. The law simply reminds you of how guilty you are, but grace empowers you with God’s ability to live free from all sin.

Have you ever had an area of your life you felt like you couldn’t get victory over? I used to relate to the apostle Paul when he wrote in Romans 7:18,19,24,25 nlt:

And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.

Oh what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.

The devil would like you to believe the lie that you have to try harder, discipline yourself, or he may have even convinced you that you’ll never change.

I remember as a young wife feeling so defeated. I seemed to always get into strife with my husband. Even though the Bible taught me to respect and honor him, instead I found myself being resentful and angry toward him. The law constantly condemned me.

One day I cried out to the Lord to show me the truth that would set me free. When I understood that Jesus had made me a righteous and godly wife, I began to see myself differently. When I was tempted to get angry or upset, I would run to Jesus and receive His grace to overcome.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

                                      Hebrews 4:15,16 niv

I didn’t have to depend on my own strength anymore. I could look to Jesus and trust Him to do the work in me.

[Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.

                                    Philippians 2:13 amp

I began to pray, “Lord create in me the desire and power to love my husband with your love.” I want to act like You, Jesus, but I know I can’t do it in my own strength.”

His promise became the anchor of my soul as I looked to Jesus continually to transform me into His image. The more I saw myself as already righteous in Jesus and looked to Him daily for the grace I needed, the more I saw the fruit of righteousness come out in my life.

For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.

                                Romans 5:17 nlt

I have a friend who struggled with her weight her entire life. She was more than 100 pounds overweight and felt very condemned by it. She had tried for years to lose weight in her own strength. She would lose weight for a time but would simply gain it all back. She saw herself as a failure in this area of her life.

Then she began to believe who she was in Jesus. She began to see herself as a healthy righteous woman in Christ. She asked Jesus daily to create in her the desire and power to exercise and eat healthy. We all watched as she was transformed from the inside out. Sin no longer had dominion over her. She triumphed over sin and death by receiving the gift of righteousness and His overflowing grace.

When you try to live by the law, it will only condemn you and keep you in the vicious cycle of sin, but when you truly begin to walk free from condemnation by seeing yourself as already righteous, already free in Jesus, sin will no longer have dominion over you. As you depend on Jesus to strengthen you, you’ll live free from all sin.

So believe who you are in Jesus. Speak the truth out loud:

·       I am free from the power of sin because of Jesus.

·       I am the righteousness of God in Christ.

·       God’s grace empowers me to live free from sin.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for setting me free from the power of sin. When I am tempted, help me to remember who I am in You. I can run to Your throne of grace to receive the strength I need to overcome. Create in me the desire and power to bear the fruit of righteousness. I want my life to glorify You.    

Day 4: I am Free from Condemnation

21 Days to Discover Who you are in Jesus

Day 4

I Am Free From Condemnation

Therefore, [there is] now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus.      Romans 8:1 amp

Jesus has given us the gift of no condemnation, yet many Christians still live under condemnation because they view themselves outside of Christ. They are still trying to be righteous through their human efforts instead of resting in the truth that Jesus has already made them righteous in Him.

Condemnation is feeling bad about yourself. It’s a feeling of guilt for not quite measuring up. Anytime you have a negative view of yourself or you think God has a negative view of you, you’re living in condemnation. Condemnation is a deception of the devil. He tries to make you feel guilty for everything. As a spouse, parent, friend, employee, or Christian, he’s always trying to speak this lie to your heart, “You don’t measure up.”

In John 8:1-11 niv, Jesus shows us His heart toward those who have sinned in the story of the Pharisees bringing an adulterous woman before Jesus to be judged.

“’Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?’” (v. 4,5).

Jesus answered, “’If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her’” (v. 7).  

After everyone had dropped their stones and walked away, Jesus looked at the woman with love in His eyes and said to her, “‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’” (v. 10).

She answered, “’No one, sir’” (v. 11).

And Jesus said, “Then neither do I condemn you…. Go now and leave your life of sin’” (v. 11).

The law made it clear that this woman deserved punishment. She was judged guilty in the court of law, but Jesus in His great love set the woman free. He told her that He didn’t judge her guilty of wrong.

Have we fully comprehended the amazing love our Savior has toward us? We all know in the Old Covenant that there were many instances where people were condemned and punished for their sins. We often hold on to that view of ourselves and God, but the truth is that our heavenly Father had a plan to release us from all guilt and condemnation by sending His Son, Jesus, to set us free.

Brothers, listen! We are here to proclaim that through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins. Everyone who believes in him is freed from all guilt and declared righteous—something the Law of Moses could never do.

                                      Acts 13:38,39

One time right before I was getting ready to teach a Bible study, I got very upset because of a disagreement I had with my husband. I remember as soon I as walked out of the room, the devil came immediately to condemn me. He held the law over my head and began accusing me with it. “You don’t deserve to teach Bible study. Look at you, you just sinned.” I wanted to crawl in a hole and cry as condemnation began to envelop me. But instead I turned my thoughts toward Jesus and asked Him to help me. My Savior reminded me of a very powerful truth in the Bible.

God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross of Christ. So don’t let anyone condemn you.

                              Colossians 2:13-16 nlt

Jesus reminded me that He cancelled the charges against me by nailing them to the cross. The devil couldn’t use the law to accuse me anymore. His weapon had been disarmed. The devil was the one who was shamed when Jesus won the victory for me. I didn’t have to feel condemned anymore. I could receive His forgiveness and walk free. I remember how empowered I felt that day after the Holy Spirit had reminded me that there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. I went to that Bible study and shared my recent revelation with every lady who was there, and they were also set free by the truth.

Jesus has forgiven all our sins. When He died on the cross, He paid the price for all of them to be cleared from our record. In Hebrews 8:12 nlt our heavenly Father says,

“I will forgive their wickedness,

and I will never again remember their sins.”

When the Father looks at us, He declares us innocent, perfect, and faultless because of Jesus.

The next time the devil tries to accuse and condemn you with the law, remember that Jesus looks at you with love in His eyes and says, “I do not condemn you, go and sin no more.”

So agree with the One who loves you. Speak the truth out loud:

·       The charges that the devil uses to accuse me have been nailed to the cross.

·       I am forgiven. I am free from all guilt and declared righteous.

·       I am free from condemnation because of Jesus.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you for reminding me that I am free from condemnation because I am in Christ. I don’t have to feel guilty or condemned. You have forgiven me for all my wrongs, and You don’t even remember one sin I’ve ever done.

I am truly free from all guilt because of Jesus.

21 Days to Discover who you are in Jesus Day 3: I am justified

                                                     Day 3

21 days to Discover Who
you are in Jesus

                            I Am Justified

Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses.           Acts 13:38,39 niv

Not long ago I was thinking about the word justified. I had read it many times in my Bible and realized that in Christ, I am justified; but what does it really mean?

I wanted a deeper understanding of who I am in Jesus and what He has provided for me on the cross. I looked up the word justified in a Bible dictionary, and this is what I discovered:

Justification: “the judicial act of God by which He pardons all the sins of those who believe in Christ, and He accounts, accepts, and treats them as righteous in the eye of the law. In addition to the pardon of sin, justification declares that all the claims of the law are satisfied. The law is not relaxed or set aside, but is declared to be fulfilled in the strictest sense; and so the person justified is declared to be entitled to all the advantages and rewards arising from perfect obedience to the law (Rom. 5:1-10).

Justification proceeds on the crediting to the believer by God himself of the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ.  (Rom. 10:3-9.) Justification is not the forgiveness of a man without righteousness but a declaration that he possesses a righteousness that perfectly and forever satisfies the law, namely, Christ's righteousness. (2 Cor. 5:21; Rom. 4:6-8.)”

The sole condition on which this righteousness is credited to the believer is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith is called a "condition," not because it possesses any merit but because it is the only instrument by which the soul apprehends Christ and His righteousness. (Rom. 1:17; 3:25,26; 4:20,22; Phil. 3:8-11; Gal. 2:16.)”

When I read the definition of justification, I was amazed at what Jesus had really accomplished for you and me. When we put our faith in Jesus, the Father justified us. Even though we are guilty of many sins, He judged us as perfectly obedient to the law.

He gave us the perfect righteousness of Jesus. He declared us to be entitled to all the rewards arising from perfect obedience to the law even though we didn’t deserve it. Justified means it is just as if we’ve done everything right in the sight of God. Jesus took the judgment we deserved, and we got the judgment that Jesus deserves. That’s amazing love!

When I was a teenager, I got pregnant before I was married. I was a Christian girl, and I knew it was wrong. The devil began to speak his lies to my heart

“Your marriage will never be blessed because of your sin.”

“You have to pay for your sin for the rest of your life.”

“God is disappointed in you.”

Because I believed the devil’s lies, I lived condemned by my sin. I had a difficult marriage and felt like it was the punishment that I deserved.

Yet, in my journey to discovering who I am in Jesus, one day the Holy Spirit revealed to me that I am justified. When I sat in the courtroom and was being accused by the devil for my great sin, Jesus was my defense attorney (1 John 2:1,2.) He said, “Father, I took the punishment for all her sins. I gave her My perfect righteousness. She is free to be blessed as though she obeyed the law perfectly.”

My heavenly Father who sat in the Judge’s seat slammed his gavel on the desk and said, “I don’t remember a sin she has ever committed. She’s entitled to all the advantages and rewards arising from perfect obedience to the law. She is justified because of her faith in My Son, Jesus.”   

I was free from the curse based on the law that was due to me. Jesus had set me free. I was justified. It was just as if I had never sinned. The question was who was I going to agree with: the prosecuting attorney (the devil) or my defense attorney, Jesus Christ, who already paid for my freedom? I chose to believe Jesus. When I began to see myself as righteous and justified, I asked for God’s grace in my marriage. The power of the Holy Spirit healed my heart and God’s blessing began to come on our relationship. Today, my husband and I love each other very much, and our marriage is blessed because I am justified in Jesus.

Is there a sin in your past that you feel you have to pay for? Has the devil been speaking his lies to your heart? You can be free by receiving the gift of justification today.

Agree with what Jesus did for you and live free from all guilt and shame. Speak the truth out loud:

·       Jesus took the punishment for all my sins. He freed me from all guilt and shame.

·       My heavenly Father judges me perfectly righteous in Jesus.

·       He declared me entitled to all the blessings arising from perfect obedience to the law because I am justified in Christ.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you for justifying me in the court of law. I know I don’t deserve the blessing for perfect obedience, but Jesus paid the price for me to be declared perfect in Your sight. Thank You for setting me free from all my past mistakes and giving me a new life. I am justified because of Jesus.     

21 Days to Discover who you are in Jesus Day 2: I am Righteous

21 Days to Discover who
you are in Jesus

Day 2

I Am Righteous

I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God!

For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation

and draped me in a robe of righteousness.

I am like a bridegroom in his wedding suit

or a bride with her jewels.

Isaiah 61:10 nlt

When you put your faith in Jesus and accepted His invitation to belong to His royal family, He dressed you in a robe of righteousness. He changed your identity from a sinner into a righteous princess in the kingdom of God. He proved His love by laying His life down for you. When He looks at you, He sees you as justified, innocent, and perfect; and His opinion of you will never change. You have been declared righteous by the blood of Jesus.

But God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ…died for us. Therefore, we are now justified (acquitted, made righteous, and brought into right relationship with God) by Christ’s blood…                                   Romans 5:8,9 Amplifed 

What does it mean to be “declared righteous by His blood”? Righteous means to be obedient to all God’s commands;to be justified, good, innocent, and perfect in God’s sight.

In Deuteronomy 6:25 nlt, God reveals how a person could be declared righteous through the law: “For we will be counted as righteous when we obey all the commands the Lord our God has given us.”

Only one man met these conditions of righteousness. His name is Jesus. The Father declared Him righteous because He obeyed every law of God perfectly. He had on a beautiful robe of righteousness. He was justified, good, innocent, and perfect in the Father’s sight.

Yet, all of us were sinners. We’ve all disobeyed God’s commands. No matter how hard we try to be good, we’ve all failed. The Bible says our righteousness is like filthy rags. We were dressed in dirty, sin-stained clothes. Yet Jesus loves us so much that He was willing to take the punishment for our sins. When we put our trust in Him, all our sins were wiped away with His blood. He took off our filthy, sin-stained clothes and dressed us with His righteousness. It was His love gift to us. No matter how hard we tried to be righteous by obeying God’s commands, we could never be good enough in our own ability. So, Jesus did it for us.

None of us deserve to be called righteous, that’s why it’s called a “gift of grace.” It’s the greatest Christmas gift ever. When Jesus offered it to us and we opened it, inside was a beautiful robe of righteousness. He looked at us with love in His eyes and said, ”Let Me dress you with who I am.” Now the Father sees us as righteous, good, innocent, and justified because we are in Jesus. Hebrews 10:14 says that Jesus made us perfect forever. The Bible also says:

Christ did no wrong thing. But for our sake God put the blame for our wrong ways on Christ. So now God sees us as good, because we are in Christ.

                    2 Corinthians 5:21 Worldwide English

Your heavenly Father wants you to exchange trying for trusting. I used to try so hard to be good. I wanted to be like Jesus, but because I failed at times, I believed that I wasn’t good enough. The devil planted these lies in my mind:

“You’re not like Jesus.”

“You need to try harder to be good.”

“You’ll never be good enough.”

When I learned that I am righteous in Jesus, my heart was set free from believing the lies of the enemy. I didn’t have to try anymore in my own strength to be good enough. I was already righteous in Christ. When I began to believe who I am in Jesus, He empowered me to act more and more like Him.

You don’t have to try anymore in your own strength to be good enough. You can believe the truth that your heavenly Father sees you as good because you are in Christ. Jesus clothed you with His righteousness. It was His wedding gift to you. Now you can agree with what Jesus says about you and realize you are just like Him.

So believe who you truly are. Speak the truth out loud:

·        Jesus clothed me with His righteousness. I am just like Him.

·       I am good in my Father’s eyes because of Jesus.

·       Jesus made me perfect forever.

Prayer

Thank you, Jesus, for your love gift to me. I see myself clothed in the robe of righteousness that you purchased for me. You paid a great price so I don’t have to look at myself as a sinner anymore. Help me to remember who I am in You. You made me good and perfect in my Father’s eyes. I am just like You. Your love for me is amazing!



21 days to discover who you
 are in Jesus



Day 1

I Am Royalty

For He foreordained us (destined us, planned in love for us) to be adopted (revealed) as His own children through Jesus Christ.          Ephesians 1:5 amp

God loves you so much that He planned to adopt you as His very own child through your faith in Jesus. He chose you because He wanted you to be a part of His royal family. What makes a person royalty? A person is royalty because he or she is a child of a king. Your heavenly Father is the King of kings. When He adopted you as His child, you became a daughter in His kingdom.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation, [God’s] own purchased, special people, that you may set forth the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

                                      1 Peter 2:9 amp

When you became a part of God’s royal family, your identity was changed. You went from being a pauper to becoming a princess in the kingdom of God. The King of kings came to live within you, and you became a new person on the inside. You were chosen to display the glory of the One who lives within you. He called you out of the kingdom of darkness and brought you into the kingdom of light.

The kingdom of darkness is the kingdom of Satan. His kingdom is filled with lies. He hates you because you’re a child of God. He knows that you’re royalty, that you’re God’s special daughter.

If you ever really believe the truth about yourself, the glory that lives within you will shine out for the world to see. You’ll live victoriously in this world. The devil is afraid of that, so he uses the only weapon he has to keep you feeling defeated—deception. He doesn’t want you to know who you are, so he tries to deceive you with his lies. You can always know if you’re listening to his lies by how they make your heart feel. The symptoms of believing lies are negative emotions. Discouragement, depression, worry, and fear are all the fruit of believing the devil’s lies.  

Have you ever heard the devil speak these lies to your heart?

“You’re nobody special.”

“You’re not important.”

“You’re not good enough.”

Jesus came to rescue you from every lie of the enemy. He came to set you free.

Always thanking the Father…. For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.        

                                  Colossians 1:12-14 nlt

Everyone used to live in the kingdom of darkness where their sins separated them from God. The Bible says all were sinners and were not a part of God’s family. (Eph. 2:11-13.) But Jesus loves you so much that He came as your King and died for your sins. He rose again to rescue you from the kingdom of darkness. When you put your trust in Him, all your sins are forgiven and your identity changes. You’re a royal daughter in the kingdom of God.

But just like in the Garden of Eden, your heavenly Father lets you choose who you’re going to believe: the lies of the devil or the truth of who you are in Jesus. When you believe Jesus, the fruit of your life is joy, peace, confidence and security. 

When I learned what Jesus had done for me and that I am royalty in God’s kingdom, I began to look at myself differently. It didn’t matter anymore what the world thought or said about me; the only thing that mattered is what Jesus said because He is the Truth. I began to define myself by who I am in Him. I realized that I am chosen, special, forgiven, and perfect in my Father’s eyes because of Jesus. I didn’t have to believe the lies of the devil anymore. I could believe Jesus and display His glory in the world.

The same is true of you. You’re a royal child of God. You don’t have to believe the devil’s lies anymore. You don’t have to define yourself by what the world says or thinks about you. The truth is you are chosen, special, forgiven, and perfect in the Father’s eyes because of Jesus. He wants you to see yourself that way too. He’s called you to display His glory to the world by believing who you are in Him.

So the next time the enemy attempts to deceive you with his lies, remember who you are in Jesus, and speak the truth out loud:

·       I’m a chosen child of the King of kings.

·       My sins are forgiven. I’m perfect in my Father’s eyes.

·       I’m my Father’s purchased, special child. I am royalty because of Jesus.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I know You love me because You sent Jesus to rescue me from the kingdom of darkness and bring me into Your kingdom. Help me to see myself the way You do. The only thing that matters is what You think and say about me. I choose to believe who I am in Jesus. I am chosen, special, and forgiven. I’m royalty because of Jesus