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Quicksand
February 28, 2021

Forgiving Yourself

by Darius Dunson
While on the journey to emancipating God’s greatness, letting go of unforgiveness is an essential part of…
Sermon Notes

Offense: (Greek) skandalon — a trap or snare; an impediment
placed in the way to cause you to stumble or fall
How you handle your history can hinder your destiny!
How to Get Out of Quicksand:

  1. Make yourself as light as possible—toss your bag.
    Hebrews 12:1 NLT
    Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of
    witnesses to the life of faith, LET US STRIP OFF EVERY WEIGHT
    THAT SLOWS US DOWN, especially the sin that so easily trips us
    up. And let us run with endurance THE RACE GOD HAS SET
    BEFORE US.
    Many of you have put the past behind you, but the problem is that
    you’re still carrying the weight of your past.

How Do We Gain Freedom from Our Past?

  1. RECEIVE His forgiveness.
    You really did sin! You really did fall short… We all did!
    Romans 3:23 NLT
    For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
    1 John 1:8-9 NKJV
    If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is
    not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us
    our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
    “There are two great lessons which every man must learn, and
    learn by experience, before he can be a Christian. First, he
    must learn that sin is an exceeding great and evil thing; and
    he must learn also that the blood of Christ is an exceedingly
    precious thing and is able to save unto the uttermost them that
    come unto it.” — Charles Spurgeon
    Psalm 103:8-12 NLT
    The LORD is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and
    filled with unfailing love. He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain
    angry forever. He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal
    harshly with us, as we deserve. For His unfailing love toward those
    who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the
    earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from
    the west.
    Psalm 32:1-5 NLT
    Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is
    put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has
    cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! When I
    refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all
    day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My
    strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Finally, I
    confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I
    said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the LORD.” And you
    forgave me! ALL MY GUILT IS GONE. Interlude
    Your shame is just a reminder that you owe but you can’t pay.

How Do We Gain Freedom from Our Past?

  1. Receive His forgiveness.
  2. RELEASE ourselves from the penalty of the past.
    Romans 8:1 NIV
    Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ
    Jesus …
    There is a difference between guilt and shame.
    Guilt: works for you to point you toward God
    Shame: works against you to get you to distance yourself from God
    Sometimes we live as if Jesus is the lien holder for all of our sins, and
    we still have to make payments on the loan.
    Romans 3:24 NLT
    Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this
    through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our
    sins.
    Hebrews 12:1 NLT
    … let us strip off every weight that slows us down, ESPECIALLY
    THE SIN THAT SO EASILY TRIPS US UP.
    Regret: to feel sad, repentant, or disappointed over a loss or
    missed opportunity
    1 Peter 5:6-7 NKJV
    Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He
    may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He
    cares for you.

How Do We Gain Freedom from Our Past?

  1. Receive His forgiveness.
  2. Release ourselves from the penalty of the past.
  3. REDISCOVER freedom.
    Hebrews 12:1 NLT
    … And let us run with endurance THE RACE GOD HAS SET
    BEFORE US.
    Philippians 3:12-14 MSG
    I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I
    am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously
    reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I
    count myself an expert in all of this (does not mean you won’t mess
    up again), but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning
    us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.
    (I’m no longer held back by my past.)
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