Christianity is not a democracy. It’s a Kingdom…with a King. In God’s kingdom there are laws, which are actually here to benefit us. God’s desire is to bless you, your family, and your family’s future. However, if we violate these laws there are consequences.
These laws operate whether or not the person is saved. It doesn’t matter. They’re automatic. God doesn’t get angry and punish you for violating His laws. There are spiritual repercussions which occur without God having to do anything.
Is God Angry?
Consequences are set in motion by our actions. If you jump off a twenty-story building…you’ll die. You won’t die because God was angry with you…you’d die because you demonstrated the law of gravity.
There are many laws at work in our lives…and they’re working regardless of whether we know about them or not. Let’s use them for our benefit and not our downfall.
Jesus came to offer us abundant life. Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10) I’m willing to bet if you examine your life you’d notice it is far from abundant.
Do you see areas in your life where you feel as though something is wrong? I know I do. There are many areas in my life that still hurt. The good news is we’re able to apply the blood of Christ to these areas.
Writing Checks for Healing
When you receive Christ, you don’t automatically receive all the freedom that’s available. Other areas of your life still need Jesus invited in. However, being a child of the King gives you some special check writing privileges.
Jesus paid for my healing; therefore, when I see areas in my life that hurt; I write a check. I apply the blood. Believe me, the check is good. Jesus’s death gives us the ability to receive healing for life’s hurts. You were created to be awesome…and awesome you can be.
Working Out Salvation
We’re told to work out our salvation. “…work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12) When I read this verse the phrase that pops out is “work out.”
Brad Pit and I have something in common. We both have muscles. However, If you’ve met me and seen the movie “Troy”… you can tell Brad’s muscles are much more developed than mine. We both have muscles, the same muscles, but Brad works out…and probably eats healthy as well. I’m learning to do the same…slowly.
Maybe, when Paul said we should work out our salvation, he really meant we should flex our salvation muscles. Why do some people live in more freedom then we do?
They work out their salvation. I’m willing to bet they only take in healthy thoughts as well. They think healthy. If you want a fit body, work out your muscles and eat healthy. If you want a fit soul, work out your salvation and think healthy.
You can…and should be…strengthening your spirit…its your connection with the Father. Checkout my post “Do You Realize Your Value” to learn more about your spirit.
The Three Keys of Freedom
How do we work out our salvation? We receive and apply what Jesus bought for us…freedom. When freedom comes we also receive healing from our Father. As we go through some of the areas that affect us we’ll be using three keys to open the door of freedom. Those three keys are confession, repentance, and forgiveness.
Confession
The first key is confession. Confession is telling God the mistakes you’ve made. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) When you confess, the confession brings freedom to your soul as your Father cleanses you from all unrighteousness.
Repentance
The second key is repentance. Repenting is like a doing a u-turn while driving. Sometimes it may be a little scary but every time you’ll end up going in the opposite direction.
When we’re going in the wrong direction we are to repent. Turn around. One step in the right direction is better than one hundred in the wrong direction. So the excuses “it’s too late” and “I’ve done this for too long” doesn’t work.
Repenting is a process. The larger the vehicle the longer it takes to turn around. Give yourself grace. Something spectacular happens when you turn around and begin the journey home. John the Baptist, my favorite locus eating prophet, preached saying, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 3:2)
I believe what Johnny was saying is when you turn around you’ll find the Kingdom of Heaven within your reach. Its at hand. “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” (Acts 3:19)
God longs to give us times of refreshing. Your loving Father is running towards you and the Kingdom of Heaven is about to invade your life as you feel the embrace of God. It’s more refreshing than lemon and cucumber water…if you haven’t tried lemon and cucumber water…why? You’re missing out.
Forgiveness
The third key is forgiveness. When you forgive others you release yourself from bondage. Not forgiving someone doesn’t hold them hostage…it holds you hostage.
“For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.” (Matthew 6:14-15) As we forgive so we are also forgiven.
Welcome to another process. Sometimes we need to forgive more than once. Forgiveness is more than a decision, it’s a lifestyle. When using this key we want to forgive anyone involved in whatever it was that hurt us.
We’re not saying whatever the person did was okay…we’re just saying we’re no longer going to hold it against them. By doing this we’re freeing them and we’re positioning ourselves to receive more freedom. The more you’ve been forgiven the easier it is to forgive.
You deserve to spend eternity in Hell…but God is offering you forgiveness. Saying you deserve to be tortured forever without relief is not very WWJD, but it does put forgiveness in perspective…So, please forgive me.
Respond…Don’t React
With those keys in hand we are now able to unlock the stuff in our lives in order to receive the healing and freedom our Father offers. The truth is for most of our lives we don’t operate out of our identity. We react instead of responding to the stuff happening in our lives.
Now it’s time to respond. Master motivator, Zig Ziglar, talked about reactions in some of his seminars. When a patient is having a bad side effect to a medicine, the doctor will say the patient is reacting to the medicine. If; however, the patient is getting better then the doctor will say the patient is responding to the medicine.
Uncle Ben put it this way, “With great power comes great responsibility.” God has given us great power and—with it—He gives us responsibility. The ability to respond. We can respond to our stuff. You have the ability to to be proactive instead of reactive.
You can allow the patterns in your life to continue, as you react to things bringing you pain…or you can stop the patterns by appropriating the cross. That’s being proactive. One question now remains; how much freedom are you willing to fight for?
When you’re willing to fight then you’re positioned to receive. God wants you to receive. If you long to receive as much of God as you can then contend for more freedom. It doesn’t matter where you are in your walk…there is more freedom. More freedom than you realize is possible.
Why? Because God is good and you’ve been setup.
Is Generational Sin Affecting Your Family’s Future?
You’ve been set up by the enemy. The “stuff” we deal with usually does not start with us. It’s passed down. Satan set you up. We get to deal with the mistakes of our fathers, our mothers, even our ancestors. This sounds bad but it’s actually really good.
The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation. (Exodus 34: 6-7 NIV)
God is good and maintains His love…He is love; however, when we mess up it places a curse on our families. This is not God becoming angry, but is a Kingdom law working towards our detriment. It’s automatic.
You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. (Exodus 20:5-6 NIV)
This law is meant to bring blessings upon us and our children. Like all laws, it can work backwards if we violate it.
God is so good. When we love and follow God’s commandments then God blesses a thousand generations after us, but if we mess up, the reverse is punishment will fall through the third and forth generation. A thousand generations compared with three or four is a huge contrast. It’s a good deal.
The Foundation of Your Family’s Future
Chester and Betsy Kylstra run a ministry called Restoring the Foundations (RTF). RTF teaches how to appropriate the cross so we might live in freedom. They also wrote a textbook concerning the matter titled Restoring the Foundations: An Integrated Approach to Healing Ministry. In it they write,
When the sins and curses coming down a family line are alcoholism, drugs, or sexual abuse, the problem is easily identified. The root cause and how to eradicate it from the family line; however, remain a mystery.
With “less serious” sins the source of the problem is usually not even identified as generational. People simply explain the behavior by concluding, ‘Oh, he’s just like his father, and you know what he was like!’
In your family I’m willing bet you’ve noticed similarities woven throughout. Does your family deal with alcohol abuse, drugs, anger issues, depression, and the like? Do you struggle in areas of your life? I bet you do. I know I do. It’s not us.
We’ve been set up. It’s our job to notice the symptoms and find the root…and eradicate it from our family line. When we receive freedom from the Father we’re able to break off generational curses. Meaning we don’t have to struggle with the same crap as our parents and grandparents.
Even better, neither does our children. We’re able to break the chain. We’re able to put it back in the right direction. You could make a decision that will bless not only you but also a thousand generations after you.
Stand in the Gap
“I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one.” (Ezekiel 22:30)
God is looking for people to stand in the gap…and we’re given the privilege of standing in the gap for our families. To do so…just use the three keys of freedom.
First, confess the sins of your fathers. Next, repent on behalf of your family…make the choice to turn your family around and grab hold of Heaven…Heaven then invades. Finally, Forgive all those involved and ask for forgiveness from our Father.
For example if it’s depression…forgive all parties in your family that dealt with depression. Then ask God to forgive you and your family. Please don’t call your family and tell them you forgave them for depression. If they don’t know they need your forgiveness…don’t tell them. Just forgive. It releases you.
Conclusion
God’s desire is to bless you, your family, and your family’s future. Take some time this week and stand in the gap. You can change the foundation of your family…you can change your family’s future.
Your children and grandchildren do not have to deal with the same stuff you did. You can stop it now…with you.
If you want to learn about another law that might be affecting you, your family, and your family’s future…check out my post “Are Inner Vows Destroying Your Life and Business?”
Quiet Time Challenge
One way I’ve found to really strengthen my spirt is to have a quiet time. If you struggle having a consistent and enjoyable quiet time, join me for a free 5-Day Quiet Time Challenge.
In addition to receiving my free quiet time guide, detailing the five things I do when having a quiet time, you’ll also receive one email a day during the challenge to help kick start your quiet time.
Bonus…I email a devotional every Monday morning to those who sign-up for the challenge…going through the challenge is the only way to receive my devotionals.
Take the challenge and get my free guide.
Take the Quiet Time Challenge
Question: What will you be changing for your family’s future? Let me know in the comments.
