“the time has come”, Jesus said, “The Kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news” Mark 1:15
This invitation is not simply to leave behind the world and the kingdom of darkness, but to enter into our inheritance – the Kingdom of the beloved Son. We do that by faith! What good is it to repent from all your sins and renounce the works of the devil, yet remain in the prison that has held you captive? If Jesus has unlocked the prison door, isn’t it time to push it open and come out to a new life?
Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11:1-45) but what good would it have done Lazarus if he had not been willing to leave the tomb?
Is it not the same for us? The Father through the Divine Mercy and grace of Jesus Christ has forgiven our sins in the Sacrament of Confession – He has broken the chains of those sins, He has shattered the prison doors of the guilt and suffering caused by those sins. Through the cross, Jesus destroyed the power of those sins in our lives. But, if we can’t forgive ourselves and step out of the prison cell created by those sins of our past, are we really set free? Have we accepted this great gift of freedom? This isn’t a pardon that will stay are on our ‘record’ and keep us from being a full citizen of the Kingdom – no, this is true freedom of everything through the Precious Blood of Jesus. But, as Jesus told us, we must forgive to be forgiven (Matthew 6:14-15) – if we can’t forgive ourselves our trespasses that are already forgiven by the Father, what then is our blessing?
The grace and power of the forgiveness of our sins comes when we can renounce all the power of these sins in our lives – the current hold they’ve had, the future temptations AND the past guilt and shadow of these sins in our life.
“In the name of Jesus I break the power of every evil spirit behind every sin and guilt I’ve been washed clean of in the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ and I command them all to leave right now. I break the power of (state sin) and I command it to leave now”
Then in confidence walk out of that dark prison looking forward to a bright future in the Kingdom of God as His beloved child and aim your spirit on a trajectory to what God the Father sees in you from the day He first thought of you – a great saint rejoicing and praising Him forever in Heaven