A New Name!
By Carl Kimbro, member of the Devotional Team at Fellowship Bible Church Celebrate Recovery, 3/27/2019
Clothes that had once defined their
IMPRISONMENT now instead defines their FREEDOM! They no longer look on
these clothes as part of their sinful past. Instead they have been washed clean
and are part of their bright future. They are still a piece of a prison
uniform. But they no longer offer condemnation and hopelessness. Now they have
been washed clean and offer a hopeful filled future.
Recently we visited a booth for Nichole House (a
residential house for women recovering from
addiction) where they were selling
hand bags they
had made. These were different than any we had seen
before. They
were made from prison uniforms that
were worn by countless women who had served
time
in Benton County Jail. Instead of throwing them out,
they were
professionally cleaned and used to make
the bags by the very women who had worn
them.
What a statement for these women:
Clothes that had once defined their
IMPRISONMENT now instead defines their FREEDOM! They no longer look on
these clothes as part of their sinful past. Instead they have been washed clean
and are part of their bright future. They are still a piece of a prison
uniform. But they no longer offer condemnation and hopelessness. Now they have
been washed clean and offer a hopeful filled future.
Guilt from past failures often keeps us from moving
forward. Thoughts about past mistakes surface at the worst times. People can’t
wait to remind us of our failures and the chaos we have caused. The dirty
“prison uniforms” of our past we wear are constantly there to remind us of our
failures. But just like the prison uniforms the women at Nicole’s House once
wore, ours too can be washed clean and put to a new use.
“In Him we have redemption through His
blood,
the forgiveness of sins, according to the richness of His grace.”
Ephesians
1:7
When we have accepted Christ as Lord and Savior, we
became a child of God, forgiven for our sins. God granted us eternal life as a
gift. We did and can do nothing to earn it. Our sins were cleansed for us by
Jesus who died in our place.
As a child of God, we strive not to sin and not to live a
life outside His will. There will be times we fail to live a Christ centered
life. Addiction and other hurts habits and hang ups can lead us astray. Life
spirals out of control. But its not the end! When we turn to God and cry out
for help He is there.
1st
John 1:9 says
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just
to forgive our sins
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
When we ask God for forgiveness, He will forgive our
sins. This doesn’t mean there aren’t consequences for our sin. But God will
remember them no more and help us move forward in our recovery. He will lead us
to freedom from our hurts, habits and hang ups. He will give you lifelong
recovery and freedom from your past.
Do you want freedom from your chains? Do you want to turn
your prison uniform of sin into “handbags” of freedom? Turn to Jesus today and he will wash you clean from sin and bring you the freedom and hope you seek.
He is waiting!
Click HERE to listen to "I Have A New Name" by Hossana Poetry
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