Maintaining Freedom ~ Part 3 ~ Repentance

Maintaining Freedom ~ Part 3
Repentance

By Pastor Gary Wayne

Ga 5:1 “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” NIV

I can be a Christian all my life, and yet not live my life in freedom.
Different things happen when I open the door to our enemy and as a consequence, I can live with bondages and live without complete freedom.

In this series, the first area we talked about was forgiveness. When I don’t walk in forgiveness, I give the enemy a foothold in my life to keep me in bondage.
In this part 3 of “Maintaining Freedom,” I want to talk about Repentance.
Much like the area of forgiveness, if I don’t walk in repentance, I give the enemy an advantage in my life.

Text: Acts 3:19, Matthew 4:17, Matthew 3:2

What does it mean to repent? Most of my life I thought in terms like, when I confess my sin, God forgives me and cleanses me from all unrighteousness, so not I need to repent – to turn and walk away from that sin.
That is a part of repentance, but I believe it is more a consequence of biblical repentance then the action of repenting.

The Greek word for repent = metanoeo, met-an-o-eh'-o – to think differently or reconsider - to change your mind or way of thinking.
When I change the way I think to match God’s way of thinking, a heart change is the product.
Phil. 2:5 “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus…”
Rom.12:2 “…be transformed by the renewing of your mind…”

John & Jesus were talking about changeling the way you think about your relationship with God.

Acts 3:19 Times of refreshing comes only after I change my thinking.

How does all this word study play out in the topic of Maintaining Freedom?

If God touches something in my life and I resist changing – for whatever reason – I allow the enemy to take advantage of me and I start losing the freedom I have in my Christian life until I repent – until I change the way I think to match God’s heart.
I know I should change, but I am SOOO GOOD at justifying my actions / attitude / belief because my situation is different.

“Most Christians repent enough to get forgiven, but not enough to see the Kingdom.” – Bill Johnson

All the way through this message we need Holy Spirit to reveal my heart, and anything I have hidden – most of the time without knowing I’m hiding.
“God we are asking right now you would reveal to us what You know is in my heart that hasn’t changed to match Your heart.”

Most of us have been in situations where you spent time trying to train someone else in something you know. You spend time instructing, illustrating, demonstrating to help them see and understand only to have them continue to do it their way.
What does your mind think towards them? (Either they don’t understand, or they don’t want to change to your way.) What do you do about that?

Apply that illustration to how God deals with my independent thinking.
What is His recourse?

After God speaks to my heart His truth, and I still maintain my viewpoint, I open myself to the enemy manipulating my thinking process.

If I’m on a diet and I walk by a bakery, and I pick up two chocolate éclairs and go home and put them in the refrigerator then get down on my knees and pray, “Oh God, please help me not to eat those chocolate éclairs.”
How effective will my prayer be?

Let’s analyze the power of this prayer. Does God look at our words or our heart?
The words don’t make any difference unless they are aligned with the heart.
Why did I put the éclairs in the refrigerator?
So they would stay fresh – until I could justify eating them!

So what’s the condition of my heart? Resisting God’s ways.

A question I want each one of us to as our Father – who KNOWS everything in my heart- “Do I have éclairs in my refrigerator?”

Step One: Ask God for revelation. “Do I have a thought process that is resisting You?

Step Two: Repent. "Father, forgive me. I’m sorry. I ask your forgiveness for [fill in the blank.] “Father, help me to change the way I think about this.”

Step Three: Renounce. To reject, put away from me.
If I have éclairs in the refrigerator, intending to eat them after this prayer time – I give the enemy an advantage to steal freedom.

"Father, I renounce this. I renounce [fill in the blank]. I renounce choosing this; I renounce giving it a place in my heart and soul. I renounce every claim I’ve given to the enemy through my sin. I reject this, in Jesus’ name. I banish this from me. I am dead to sin, and alive to God."