The Ghost of Christmas Past……. Chris Highfield
Romains 8:35, 38-39 - 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The Ghost of the Past
· We can try to BURY IT
Proverbs 28:13 – He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy
· We can BEAT OURSELVES UP
Psalm 38:4-8 – I am drowning in the flood of my sins, they are a burden too heavy for me to bear. Because I have been foolish, I'm utterly worn out and crushed, my heart is troubled.
· We can BLAME OTHERS
Genesis 3:13 – The serpent deceived me, and I ate.
· We can BELIEVE GOD
2 Corinthians 5:17 – Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come
II. Getting Past My Past
How do you move past your past?
1. Stop trying to EARN FORGIVENESS
Ephesians 2:8-9 – For it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith; and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not by works, so that no one can boast.
2. DEFEAT EVERY LIE with the truth
John 8:44 – When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
1 Corinthians 1:30 – Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and freed us from sin.
3. Allow God to TURN IT AROUND for good
. Romans 8:28 - And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, and who have been called according to his purpose.
· You don’t need strength to move past the past, you need Faith
· Faith to extend forgiveness
· Faith to receive forgiveness
