Freedom in Christ - Part 7
The Eagle with Eyes Sewn Shut

The Eagle has had his eyes sewn shut, so he can't see what he really is, in the same way Satan has tied us down. Satan would have us believe we are like chickens, but we are more like an eagle. We should be looking up to Christ.

God says, walk one step at a time.

God does not fix our past, but sets us free from it.

Satan wants our past hurts, to control our present actions/emotions.

If we don't understand why we are reacting to people or situations in a certain way - ask God to reveal to us the reason.

How does God intend us to Deal with Past Experiences?

In Two ways:

1. Evaluate Past Experience

•  Compare who we are now, to who we were before.
•  Understand we are a new creation. So we need to renew the way we think.
•  We can look at the past experiences now, based on who we are today.
•  God won't take us out of bad situations, but He will be there with us.
•  God doesn't fix our past - He sets us free from it.
•  Jesus is in our life right now and He's come to set us free.
•  Our past cannot change who we are now - nothing changes us.
•  Our security is in Christ and what He has done.
•  We are children of God.
•  What ever we do on earth now, will not affect our inheritance.

We are not the same person, we are a new creation, we are free. We are going to heaven. We are guaranteed a place in heaven.

We don't have to worry about what happens here on earth - we know where we are going.

God holds our future.

It doesn't matter if we get things wrong here. God will never leave us (eternal).

2. Forgiveness

Before we criticise, remember how much God has forgiven us.

Satan uses un-forgiveness to enter our lives. We need to forgive so that no advantage can be taken from us.

Ephesians 4:31-32
You must put away every kind of bitterness, anger, wrath, quarrelling, and evil, slanderous talk. Instead, be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you.

We don't need to go to the person and say "I forgive you". Unless God directs us, to do it.

We should FORGIVE TO STOP THE PAIN. Because the un-forgiveness is destroying us.

To forgive someone is, "not to use the past against that person".

If people continue to hurt us, we don't have to tolerate it. Its ok to forgive another's past sin, but to take a stand against further sin.

God will judge them in the end.

Satan will use our resentment and criticism, if we don't forgive.

We forgive others for our sake. Forgiveness heals us.

We let them off our hook, God doesn't let them off His.

Give our emotions to God. Shout at Him if necessary. He will heal us. We must not bypass our feelings. We must not suppress our emotions.

God knows what were thinking.

If were angry with someone - go and shout at God.

When we forgive we must not retaliate at all.

Do not wait to forgive, do it straight away.

Although the other person may be in the wrong, our priority is to be free from them.

Don't expect a change in others, although we've forgiven them - pray for them.

Don't try to understand them, don't try to understand their behaviour.

WE ARE CALLED TO LOVE NOT LIKE.

When old feelings come up - STOP - re-evaluate them and move on. Satan wants us to recycle the past. We must move on.

1 John 1:9
But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness.

When we learn to forgive, we will make a giant step with God.

We must get rid of our baggage. It is worth it - we forgive for us, to heal us. If we allow Satan to recycle we will be chickens and not eagles.

Scripture quoted by permission. NET Bible® copyright © 1996-005 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. www.bible.org . All rights reserved.