Sin-shackles

Pain tightened

blood trickled

and dripped

Alas, the sin-

shackles fell

Clank!

And now within you

the Holy Spirit

does dwell

Freedom!

Reach out,

for God

you will find

Fly!

As He heals your broken heart

and renews your shattered mind

Love tightens

as His forgiveness

sets you free

Do you have bondage to unforgiveness, guilt, and/or shame? Just a little bit? Or even a whole lot?

As we focus hearts and minds on Christ's death and Resurrection, are you thinking on what this means for you? For your sins? Oh, we easily recognize what this means for us--just as Christ defeated death, so will we. We will spend eternity with Him and our brothers and sisters in Christ. Not to lessen that miraculous and merciful and unmerited gift, I would like to take a little different route today with another question. What does all of that mean for my sins. For your sins?

They died.

They died with Christ.

Gone.

Bye-bye.

Finished.

Then, after bleeding and dying a horrific death, three days later, He was walking and talking again. His Resurrection is all about Life. My life. Your life. It is not about dragging around those super heavy, cumbersome sin-shackles that cut through skin and pierce flesh deep, right to the very soul. It is about living the life God wants for you. It is about pointing others to Him.

It is about taking off the sin-shackles and flying free!

* Christ's death and His Resurrection free us from sin. Really, it is true! Each sin. Every sin. All of my sins. All of your sins.

Do you hear the sin-shackles clank heavy to the ground?

* The Holy Spirit gives us power and even infiltrates our thinking so we can think and live as a true Christ-follower. Yes, indeed. It is true!

Being freed from sin, do you purposefully draw close to God or do you resist, even ever so slightly? Do you pull back, thinking it is not all really for you?

Remember those sin-shackles? They fell. You are free! Free in Christ.

* God purifies and empowers us for His purpose and His will. Praise God, this is true!

Do you stand a bit aloof and just try to muscle through it all on your own? If you are still dragging those sin-shackles, aren't they heavy? Too heavy for you alone to bear?

Reach out, dear friend, and grab His hand! He will lead you where He wants you to go. He will infuse your heart and mind with Truth. And the journey will be easier, for He already loosed those sin-shackles and heaved them entirely off of your road.

For the grace of God that brings salvation

has appeared to all men,

teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts,

we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,

looking for the blessed hope

and glorious appearing

of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,

who gave Himself for us,

that He might redeem us

from every lawless deed

and purify for Himself

His own special people,

zealous for good works.

~ Titus 2:11-14

*This post was written after reading Titus 2:11-14 and the notes from my NKJV Life Application Study Bible. Their notes and my words are woven together... The beginning poem flowed from Him through my pen.

Let us humbly pray:

Father God, give us the grace that brings salvation. And teach us that while we deny ungodly and wordly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this age. Help us to look for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of Jesus Christ. Fill us with the knowledge and Truth of our redemption and purification through Christ's death and His glorious Resurrection. And Lord, make us zealous for Your good works, that we may be a beacon in the darkness, leading others to You. In Jesus' name, amen.

Gently, oh so very gently, offered to Ann's community at A Holy Experience, in hopes of encouraging just one who yearns for healing or someone who knows just one who craves renewing...