COMMITMENT #8 Freed from Sin

For more than 25 years of ministry, I found that too often, I was unaware of sins committed by our ministry pastors, ministers and/or volunteers, which unfortunately were not uncovered until after the sinner who was working for us caused havoc and created destruction. Destruction and chaos that caused so many, many innocent persons to suffer from it.

No, none of us is perfect, we are ALL sinners saved by grace. However, He’s clear how to rid ourselves of carrying around the spiritual diseases of sin in our lives:

"Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much." James 5:16

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9

"From the very first day, we were there, taking it all in—we heard it with our own ears, saw it with our own eyes, verified it with our own hands. The Word of Life appeared right before our eyes; we saw it happen! And now we're telling you in most sober prose that what we witnessed was, incredibly, this: The infinite Life of God Himself took shape before us." 1 John 1:1-2 MSG 

We've all seen Him, we've all heard Him, and now we're telling you so you can experience it along with us—the experience of communion with the Father (for wisdom) and His Son, who longs to be our Husband and who promises to lead us through everything we do for the ministry. Our motive for writing this lesson is simply this: We want you to enjoy your time here, too. Your joy will complete our joy!

Walk in the Light

"This, in essence, is the message we heard from Christ and are passing on to you: God is light, pure light; there's not a trace of darkness in him.” 1 John 1:5

"If we claim that we experience a shared life with him and continue to stumble around in the dark, we're obviously lying through our teeth—we're not living what we claim. But if we walk in the light, God himself being the light, we also experience a shared life with one another, as the sacrificed blood of Jesus, God's Son, purges all our sin.” 

"If we claim that we're free of sin, we're only fooling ourselves. A claim like that is errant nonsense. On the other hand, if we admit our sins—make a clean breast of them—he won't let us down; he'll be true to himself. He'll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing. If we claim that we're no longer sinning, we out-and-out contradict God—make a liar out of him. A claim like that only shows off our ignorance of God." 1 John 1:6-8 MSG

Over the past few years many women have held HIGH positions in our ministry and yet I found out later were living in sin. One came back more than a year later, after I dismissed her (and not knowing WHY, He simply told me to let her go), and that’s when she confessed that she was an alcoholic and was often horribly drunk while replying to new women filling out the marriage questionnaire. Heartbreaking.

Another woman confessed after leaving that she was a horrible chain smoker (many write to tell me after they’ve left) but due to knowing how I am fairly outspoken about my issues with smoking and smokers, they were afraid to tell me. 

For the record, No, smoking is not a horrible sin and certainly not a sin that can't be forgiven, but it needs to be simply confessed when you feel convicted to share it. But not coming clean and hiding anything that you feel you want to hold back from telling someone who it affects, is carrying a burden He wants to lift from your shoulders. You need to simply confess it to whomever—because it's the first step to becoming free and feeling free of anything and everything. 

While the contrary is also true— not confessing, and continuing to hide whatever it is means you have become a slave of the sin rather than doing what was right as He says,

“Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?" Romans 6:16

Another woman came clean—but only after years of ministry were destroyed along with thousands of lives— women who were locked out, blocked from one of our previous websites. She said she’d been living in sin, being intimately involved with another man, which again I knew nothing about. By not confessing, it causes her obedience to whom she was enslaved to (the enemy) run havoc in our ministry for months. So sad.

“It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Hebrews 10:31

Another woman allowed her greed for power and control to do the unthinkable, she stole a large group of volunteers, turned them against me and our ministry who they once served in. She took them for a publishing business she once headed up for me. Before she left I carefully warned her and told her it was so dangerous to do this to His ministry, but she simply laughed. It was only about a year later when one of those women returned to tell me what had happened. 

Less than 3 months later, she suffered a massive brain aneurysm and to this day (as far as I am aware) is still living in a vegetative state. This by far was the worst I’d ever heard, but no matter how shocking or small the penalty He’s made me aware of—it just isn’t worth risking.

Unfortunately there have been so many occasions when I have experienced women, who long after they have left our ministry, continue to embezzle the ministry funds (which had once been entrusted to them). Funds from donations that should have been used to build rather than pull down the ministry. And this could have been due to one simply not coming clean about being a smoker, which I have to say seems so insignificant, but even a cord that small can and will bind you. 

"For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the LORD, And He watches all his paths. His own iniquities will capture the wicked, and he will be held with the cords of his sin. He will die for lack of instruction, and in the greatness of his folly he will go astray."  Proverbs 5:21-23

Of course we learned a lot from each experience, since He’s faithful to use ALL things for GOOD—one of which is to be more vigilant. 

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28

“It’s my duty to make sure that Satan does not win even a small victory over us, for we don’t want to be naïve and then fall prey to his schemes.” 2 Corinthians 2:11 Voice

"No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it." 1 Corinthians 10:13

The way of escape is simply to confess. No matter what the enemy is using to stop you from confessing, which are all lies since he is the father of lies (John 8:44), don’t stay enslaved to anyone or anything—not when He proved His love for you!

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

Just recently I was given the opportunity to confess. Yes, the opportunity because it’s a privilege to see just how much power confessing yields!! Even though the offense wasn’t of my doing, anything that happens within the ministry, even if I had no control over it and was unable to stop it, it needs to be confessed! The results were immediate, and I believe (though it wasn’t directly stated but it was easy to see)—each who heard (I recorded it), admired me all the more. **My reason for stating this “admiration” is because one of the many schemes the enemy uses to try and stop us is by lying and saying the hearer will think less of us, maybe even despise us. 

This may be true elsewhere, but each and every time someone has come clean without us finding out and prior to leaving, not coming back months or years later to confess—EACH I have had the strongest admiration for and esteem them most highly. I do NOT esteem the sin, but confessing it.

Sadly, there are more examples, but I believe this is enough for you to begin to understand why it's important to confess all sin—with the opportunity to do so in your monthly Check-in form which asks you each month (see below) and why we do our best to try to protect our ministry and those we hope to minister to.

10. Choose a star color to indicate how well you feel you did this month, fulfilling the call He has on your life.*

Orange Star: I confess I let my team down.

10b. Why did He say He led you to choose that colored star?*

When you answer, simply Ask Him to show you and lead you to know how to confess.

11. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."—1 John 1:9

“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” —Hebrews 12:1. *

As you know, the natural response when we learn God's truth is to realize how many ways we messed up and to feel guilty about them.

Instead, each MONTH we want to give you as a minister an opportunity to confess anything that may be hindering your ability to serve.

Often the "accuser" is using half-lies to slow you down with burdens. None of us is perfect and often have struggled with the very same issues you're facing.

HOWEVER, don't miss this opportunity to be set free and lift the burden and also to not be taken down due to unconfessed sin.

Once you confess your mistakes to the Lord, first, maybe with your ePartners next (once you've been cleansed) and then share them here, you will feel His forgiveness overflowing on you and any guilt or shame will be gone!

Be Set Free!!

It’s so simple— and just think how wonderful it will feel to be FREE!! Imagine being set free and no longer taunted by the enemy. Each of your Ministry Check-ins English • Español • Português has a place to confess—so use it and be set free. Ministry Pastors, be sure to read and pray for your Team whenever you read their checkin confessions.  

To help, Erin did a series on what keeps us bound in sin and/or guilt, especially false guilt, which may be helpful to you. If you feel you simply can’t confess something you’re doing that you feel is wrong, and are afraid to confess it, please read or reread Living Lessons Weeks 4-8 below—so you fully understand just how easy confessing is and what may be a complete lie of the enemy because your “sin” is not a sin at all.

Week 4 “Convicted” ★★★★★
Journal

Week 5 “Cover Up” ★★★★★
Journal

Week 6 “Accuser” ★★★★★
Journal

Week 7 “Shackled and Yoked” ★★★★★
Journal

Week 8 “Temptations” ★★★★★
Journal

 

"It is better not to vow or make a commitment than
to make a one and not fulfill it" —Ecclesiastes 5:5