The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit…Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! —2 Corinthians 3:17–18; 5:17

Our relationship to God is the most important thing we human beings have. And even though we have fallen away from God, a faint reflection of him still remains in each of us. God does not want us to lose sight of this image. Therefore he sent his son Jesus, who can restore this image in each of us.

Jesus came to reconcile us to God and to our neighbor, and everyone who seeks him will find him. Through him we have access to the Father. This is a promise. Jeremiah says, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jer. 29:13). And Luke writes that “anyone who seeks will find; to anyone who knocks, the door will be opened” (Luke 11:10).

The way to God is open to everyone. No one is excluded. We know this by the miracle of Pentecost, when the Spirit descended to the earth, and which can happen again, anywhere in the world. At that time the people cried out, “What shall we do?” – and Peter answered, “Repent and be baptized, in the name of Jesus, for the forgiveness of your sins… Save yourselves from this crooked generation” (Acts 2:37–40).

How to Find Healing

If we give up the sin and evil which has enslaved us, we can find freedom in Jesus. We can never redeem ourselves or better ourselves by our own strength, but we can surrender ourselves to Jesus. My father, J. Heinrich Arnold, writes:

If we want to be healed of the wounds made by Satan’s tricks and arrows, we must have the same absolute trust in Jesus as he had in God. Ultimately, all we have is our sin. But we must lay our sin before him in trust. Then he will give us forgiveness, cleansing, and peace of heart; and these lead to a love that cannot be described.

What does it mean to “lay our sin before him in trust?” Freedom and reconciliation begin whenever we confess the accusations of our conscience. Sin lives in darkness and wants to remain there. But when we bring to light the sins that burden us, and admit them without reservation, we can be cleansed and freed.

Talking to another person about the burdens in our hearts is crucial. Pouring out one’s heart is like opening the sluice gate in a dam. The water runs out, and the pressure is relieved. In the same way, honest and heartfelt confession can bring deep relief.

Your Conscience is Your Friend

Ultimately, we will have to stand before God. We cannot run away or hide from him, as Adam and Eve did. But if we are willing to stand before his light, he will burn away all of our guilt. Jesus can forgive our sins because he is free from all stain. He can stir our consciences and set them free from impurity, bitterness, and discord (Heb. 9:14). If we accept the stirrings of our conscience, and embrace God’s judgment and mercy, it does not matter how sinful and corrupt we have been. In Christ, the conscience that used to be our enemy is now our friend.

This forgiveness of sins is so powerful that it will change our lives. Everything that makes us fearful or isolated will disappear. What is up will come down, and what is down will come up. This change will start in our heart, and then our outer lives and relationships will be transformed as well.

This is shown most clearly when a person faces death. Those who have been at the bedside of a dying person will know how absolute each person’s inner relationship with God is. They know that in the end this bond is the only thing that counts.

Love Can be Restored

It is the life-task of every person to prepare to meet God. Jesus tells us how to do this when he says, “Whatever you do for the least of them, you do for me.” He also says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God.” I have experienced at deathbeds that if a person has lived for others, then God is very close in the last hour. I have also experienced the torment of those who have lived selfish and sinful lives.

All of us need to grasp more deeply the eternally healing words of Jesus: “Lo, I am with you always, even to the close of the age” (Matthew 28:20). In Jesus there is life, love, and light. In him our lives and our relationships can be purified from all that burdens us and opposes love, and God’s image in us can be restored.

 

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Responses

This is a great writing in that it reminds us all that we first must begin with "Being True To Ourselves" before we can live a life centered on God. This writing really drills down to what's important. I especially liked the reminder to exposing our sins to God but most importantly to ourselves. We must examine our conscience every day to be synchronized with what is important in living a faith filled, HONEST relationship with Jesus. To stay conscience of who we are is the trick of life, to stay aware of what's good and what isn't. When I was growing up, TV had some wonderful messages. The Disney weekly show always ended with Jiminy Cricket saying "let you conscience be your guide". I know now, it was a prophetic statement.

Don Rochelo
Dalton, MA