The Power of Redeemed IdentitySample

Day 6 – Steps To Forgiveness and Freedom

We have looked briefly at the vital importance of having Redeemed Identity, the Father’s Affirmation and Impartation of Divine Identity to the Son (Matthew 3:16-17), and how embracing the Spirit of Adoption will heal us from neglect, abandonment and rejection. Now we can move on to cleansing our old wounds by practicing biblical Forgiveness which does not deny painful facts, but releases us (and our offenders) by the Finished Work of the Cross. Consider this powerful verse:

31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. – Ephesians 4:31-32 NIV

Step 1: Recognize that the negative things that happened to you when you were young [such as neglect, excessive discipline, abuse] were not YOUR FAULT! This may seem obvious but it is necessary to acknowledge. You need to declare aloud in prayer, “This [name the traumatic event(s)] was NOT MY FAULT!!” Get specific, in order to be specifically released in that area.

Step 2: Sometimes early trauma (left unaddressed) manifests in dysfunctional "chosen" behaviors later – things such as cutting, drugs/alcohol, sexual experimentation, etc.

So again, it’s very important to state – and pray aloud: “I forgive myself". Again, state specifically what you are now forgiving for and releasing yourself from. That is vital to finding freedom.

NOTE: It is CRITICAL to remember that this entire process is based entirely on what God says in His Word, the Bible – that we ALL (no matter if we might have been victim or the victimizer or BOTH) have access to full pardon and cleansing in the Cross and the Blood of Jesus Christ!!

Step 3: Having now gone through Steps One and Two, it is now time to pray – out loud: “I now forgive my abuser(s)" [you may need to silently name them, or maybe write down the names of parents, teachers, coaches, Sunday School teachers, scoutmasters, etc].

It is best to engage the help of a trustworthy guide (coach) to walk you through all three of these steps. They can also hold you accountable if you feel like you are going back on your commitment. Note - Sometimes our painful early memories are “blocked”, to protect us. You may have to do this step again later, as the Lord brings more memories back to mind. That’s OK.

Remember that for all these steps, you are calling on GOD – relying on His strength, not yours! And remember that you are doing this because forgiveness is His Will. He paid the ultimate price by sending His only begotten Son to die on a cruel cross – and He had done NOTHING wrong. God will always help you to do His will.

To use a sports analogy, you can't “play well” on the game-field of Life in an injured state because “hurt people hurt people”.

God will use this 3-step process to set you free –

John 8:32 (NIV) - You shall know the truth, and truth shall make you free.