In yesterday’s lesson, we explored how getting a revelation of God’s kindness and goodness toward you is what enables you to experience the deep change of repentance. In today’s lesson, we are going to tackle another key aspect of living free—learning to tune out the wrong voices and tune into God’s voice instead.
Anyone who has struggled with a stubborn sin—perhaps especially sins of a sexual nature—is quite familiar with the voices of shame, accusation, and condemnation. What many don’t realize is how these voices are at work in their lives to keep them stuck in a cycle of defeat. You will stay stuck to the extent that these voices are given influence in your life—so learning to identify them, reject them, and instead, stand in the truth and revelation of what God says about you is critical to the journey toward living free.
In the 8th chapter of John, we have a vivid example of the voices that compete over our lives. Beginning in verse one, we read:
Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.
“Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”
They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.
When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”
“No, Lord,” she said.
And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” (John 8:1–11 NLT)
When you mess up and fall into sin, the voices of accusation and condemnation scream loudly over you—but Jesus speaks a better word. He sends your accusers away, speaks life over you, and invites you to leave broken ways of living behind.
Most of us are familiar with the story above—but do you know what the very next verse is? In John 8:12, we read:
Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” (John 8:12 NLT)
Light is what makes seeing possible. If Jesus is the light of the world, that means that He is the one who makes it possible for us to see things as they are. When you choose to see things through Jesus, you see that you are loved, you are forgiven, and you are rescued from the voices of accusation and condemnation. Those voices seek to define you by what you have done rather than who Jesus says you are.
When we follow Jesus and allow His words to light the path before us, we are set free from the bondage of darkness. Even better, we discover that He is the light that leads us to life. The life we’ve been so desperately searching for in all the wrong places, we finally find in Him, and when we taste it, we’ll know what it is to come fully alive.
Day 17 Freedom Work
Scripture Reading — Read John 8 and Romans 8, being careful to note the differences between where the voices of condemnation come from, and what God says about you.
Journaling Exercises — Answer the following questions at length in your journal. Aim to write for about 5 minutes per question:
- What accusations do you feel when you give into temptation? Be as specific as possible here.
- Do you feel like God condemns you when you fall into sin? Did you get that idea from God, or did it come from the enemy?
- If you got it deep in your heart that God does not condemn you and that He actually sends your accusers away, how would it make you feel? Would it make you want to sin more or less?
- Take a minute and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal what is in God’s heart toward you when He tells us “Go and sin no more.” Write down what you hear Him say.
Prayer — Father, thank you that though my accusers are many, that you do not condemn me. I can feel so beat up and beat down by the voices of shame, accusation, and condemnation. Sometimes, I have wrongly assigned these voices to you—but I pray that you help me to identify these voices as coming from the enemy who seeks to destroy me. Help me to tune them out and tune into the words you say over me—that I am loved, forgiven, and free. Thank you that even when I fall, you are not a God who is waiting to kick me when I am down, but who stoops down and lifts me out of my brokenness. Thank you that you love me where I am, but because you love me, you never leave me where I am. Send away the accusing voices in my life, and help me to see myself through your love so I can walk in the light that leads to life. Amen.
