With the sound of the gavel, the sentence was handed down. The next five years of her life were sealed. They wouldn’t be spent watching her young children grow into teenagers – or caring for her newborn baby girl. She would spend the next 1,825 days locked in a small cell at the state penitentiary. Guilty as charged.
She – was a young woman I was mentoring through a prison ministry program. There were a few typical excuses for why she went along with the crowd that fateful day – peer pressure, a bad home life, drugs. But for the most part, she fully accepted her blame. She admitted her fault. As I read her letter, I realized there was a far greater sentence she was serving – the one inside her heart. “I’m a terrible mom,” she wrote. “I deserve to be here for what I’ve done – and my kids deserve better.” Self-condemnation.
We often hand the heaviest punishments to ourselves, born from the guilt and shame of our hearts. Self-condemnation can imprison for as long as we allow. It doesn’t matter if we are locked in a jail cell, or roaming free among society. If we carry the burden of unforgiveness and self-condemnation, we are prisoners. But how can we accept that Jesus died for our sins, and yet refuse to forgive ourselves of those same sins? Maybe it’s because we haven’t truly accepted the free pardon Jesus offers us.
In the gospel of Luke, Jesus reads from the scrolls of Isaiah:
Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. . . . “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
(Luke 4:18; emphasis added)
“To proclaim freedom for the prisoners”! Jesus was not speaking of only those physically imprisoned. He was speaking of the condition of humanity – our imprisonment to sin and death. Jesus was saying that He came to set us free from the condemnation of sin! And He said, “today, this scripture is fulfilled.” There is nothing more needed. Jesus brings complete freedom from all condemnation and power of sin over our lives – and He alone fulfills that prophecy!
The Greek word used for freedom is “aphesis” which translated means “pardon.” Receiving pardon doesn’t mean the offender is innocent, but merely forgiven and set free from the sentence that has been handed down. Pardon can only be granted by the highest authority for the appropriate jurisdiction. At the state level, only the governor can grant pardon; at the federal level, the President; and in a kingdom, a pardon may only be granted by the King himself. Sound familiar?
We are under the law of the Kingdom of Heaven. The highest authority in Heaven and on earth, is God himself. Being sinful in our very nature, we are already guilty – and the punishment for sin is death. But the King has granted pardon for those who will accept this free gift of clemency. If we don’t acknowledge our guilt, we cannot accept the pardon for it. And if we confess our guilt, and accept the King’s pardon, we must also accept the forgiveness and freedom we have been given!
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
We do not have to be ashamed before the Lord. We do not have to carry the burden of guilt for the sins we have acknowledged before Him. We are forgiven – completely. This doesn’t mean we don’t feel remorse for our sins. Without remorse, there is no acknowledgment. Also, feelings of guilt and shame can be a necessary condition of a repentant heart. But once we have confessed and truly repented – we must accept the forgiveness and pardon we’ve been given. We must release ourselves from all condemnation – just as God has released us from it. Consequences may be inevitable. But the eternal judgment has already been paid. Jesus was condemned and put to death for our guilt. He was also raised victorious over death because He was without blame.
“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)
By the power of His name, we can be forever cleansed of all guilt and shame – and our sins are no longer counted against us. Jesus stood condemned before the Judge – and we stand justified beside our Redeemer.
When we confess and repent, God no longer sees a thief on a cross –an adulteress at a well –a prostitute at his feet – or a mother sitting in a prison cell. God sees our hearts. He sees our potential. He sees what we will become when we surrender our lives to Jesus. Redemption isn’t about what we deserve. Redemption is about the gracious God we serve. He has set the captives free!
Special thanks for my dear friend Rebecca from Rebecca Lynn Devotions for writing this beautiful post! I kept praying and thinking of the words to write today, but I kept being drawn back to this message she sent me a few weeks ago. Thank you Rebecca for being a contributor to A Momma’s Joy . . . and to me 🙂
This post is part of the Jesus & Coffee Linkup. We invite you to join us by linking your blog to our. The topic for the month of May is Redemption but we welcome all faith-based posts! Click on the blue frog below to link!
This post is also linked up to the fabulous Carolina at Open Mic Monday!
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I pray all the time for that young mom. Her sentence is still being served . . . but in Christ, she is already free! What a wonderful Savior and Redeemer we have in Him! Never let guilt or shame keep you from the love of Christ Jesus.
Such a wonderful story! And I love how He is being glorified in the midst of her trials!
Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. ” – Praying this mom will experience the freedom that is hers in the Spirit. Thank you Rebecca for reminding us of the great gift of redemption.
Amen!
Beautiful verse! It’s very hard to accept His complete love sometimes. But when we do, we break the power of the enemy.
What a powerful piece of writing, soaked in God’s Mighty Truth. What beautiful freedom we are given in Christ. Thank you for sharing this and encouraging us to keep receiving this freedom with open arms.
How is she doing now, Rebecca? How can we best pray for her and her family?
It is something we have to keep receiving isn’t it? I will let Rebecca answer the question, but I know this story has inspired me to be more in prayer for women behind bars. I can’t even imagine!
Thank you, Anna. Yes, His love and mercy are truly life-changing. The ministry I worked with no longer does mail mentoring – and with several changes in where she was housed, we lost contact. I do know that she was receiving very encouraging news with her children — and their father becoming more open to visitations. She had been set free from many strongholds, too. But she expressed fear of being released and falling into the same crowd and lifestyle. So please pray that she would continue seeking strong Christian friendships, and building her relationship with Christ. She’d also started taking college classes which would give her many more opportunities once she’s released. I don’t share the names of the women I mentored, but God knows their names. 🙂 Thank you for praying!! They need our prayers, desperately!
Thank you, Rebecca. It sounds like God has been continuing to work in her life. I’ll be praying for her.
Hey Jennifer, I just wanted to stop by your blog! Thanks again for leaving your kind words on mine. I enjoyed this piece that Rebecca wrote. It really made me reflect on what God has done for me! These lines are powerful:
“When we confess and repent, God no longer sees a thief on a cross –an adulteress at a well –a prostitute at his feet – or a mother sitting in a prison cell. God sees our hearts. He sees our potential. He sees what we will become when we surrender our lives to Jesus. Redemption isn’t about what we deserve. Redemption is about the gracious God we serve. He has set the captives free!”
Yes! Thanks for checking in. I am blessed by Rebecca in many ways. Hope you will stop in again!
Thank you, Monica! It means so much to know God spoke to your heart!