Living Free - Week 3 May 2007
THE 5 R'S
1. RECOGNIZE
A. With humility and determination, resist every desire to defend and/or justify yourself. Be
intentionally willing to recognize in yourself feelings, thoughts, behaviors that are
broken, twisted, and sinful.
Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be
exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he
has done has been done through God.
John 3:20-21
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
Psalm 139:23
Come, O house of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the LORD. Isaiah 2:5
B. Recognizing Sin
• Thoughts
• Feelings
• Behavior
• Works
• Fantasy/Images
C. Key Attitudes
• Humility
The fear of the LORD teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor.
Proverbs 15:33
• Courage
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.
1 Corinthians 16:13
• The Pursuit of God's Glory
...and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:11
Copyright©2006 ChristChurch Fulham
Living Free - Week 3 May 2007
2. REPENT
A. We must reclaim "repentance" as a wonderful gift.
Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not
realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?
Romans 2:4
B. Repentance breaks the enemies hold on us.
When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made
you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its
regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the
cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them,
triumphing over them by the cross.
Colossians 2 :13-15
C. Sin as a Reaction to Injustice.
Injustices against us are not our own responsibility. We are not at fault.
However, our response to the injustices in our life and the subsequent sins
that rose up out of that response are our responsibility.
We must accept personal responsibility in order to break the
passive/victimization mindset.
D. Name the Sin Clearly.
Beware of playing down the sin by giving it a nicer more acceptable name. For
example call "worry" by its real name, which is "FEAR."
E. The Need to forgive the injustices against us.
We must face the sins that have been done against us and call it by name.
We must forgive, to the extent that you are aware of anger and pain.
This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from
your heart. Matthew 18:35
There must be a willingness to forgive what you understand, as well as a willingness to let
God reveal more regarding each issue.
This is a process. There are often many layers to the injustices in our life. The Lord is
gracious and does not overwhelm us or give us more than we can handle. He gives us
revelation to the point we can see it, receive healing and repent of our sinful reactions,
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Living Free - Week 3 May 2007
and then move in the opposite spirit. As we step into what has been revealed, and as we forgive what we
have the revelation of, He then will dig out another layer of pain and anger.
We must forgive out of obedience to scripture.
We must forgive, because we have been forgiven.
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one
another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Colossians 3:13
Give the person into God's hands.
Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: `It is mine
to avenge; I will repay; says the Lord. Romans 12:19
Our granting forgiveness is not dependent on the one who is being forgiven receiving that
forgiveness. Forgiveness is simply saying they no longer owe you a debt; everything they
have done against you is cancelled.
Ask for forgiveness for your sinful reactions of anger, resentment, bitterness, and
unforgiveness.
Choose to bless them, and cry out for a heart that would see them as God sees
them.
F. Receive the forgiveness of God.
Take time to thank God for his forgiveness and truly receive the grace, mercy and favor God
pours out into your life.
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
1 John 1:8
G. Beware of "condemnation" turning correction and repentance into a depressing
and exhausting experience.
H. Repentance is the gateway into true life and freedom!
Therefore this is what the LORD says: `If you repent, 1 will restore you that you may
serve me' Jeremiah 15:19a
For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent
and live!
Ezekiel 18: 32
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Fulham
Living Free - Week 3 May 2007
3.RENOUNCE
Therefore, O King, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing~ what is right, and
your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue.
Daniel 4:27
We must renounce in both word and heart. It is important to speak out loud the decision of the
heart to turn away from being aligned with sin to being aligned with God. Our words are powerful
and they carry with them the power of life and the power of death. We must speak forth the life and
transformation God is doing in our hearts.
A. He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds
mercy. Proverbs 28:13
B. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being
corrupted by its deceitful desires. Ephesians 4:22
C. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.
Ephesians 4:31
D. Renouncing involves choosing with the will to renounce the ways of the false self. Recognizing
that we are not trapped or defined by our past choices and actions. We align our will with God's
will.
It may take time to know the opposite!
4. REBUKE
The New Testament clearly takes the realm of the demonic with absolute seriousness and this is
essential for true and lasting change
A. If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is
`crouching' at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.
Genesis 4:7
The connection between sin and the demonic can clearly be seen in the following.
Crouching, an ancient Middle Eastern word, describes a demon crouching at a door.
B. Do not give the devil a foothold. Ephesians 4:27
The Greek word for foothold is `TOPOS,' which means a specific area or place.
C. Temptation in the desert - And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Matthew 6:13
D. Airplanes only land where there is a runway!
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Living Free - Week 3 May 2007
• The sacrifice of Christ, when appropriated by man, `disarms' the enemy of his hold/legal right
to the `foothold.'
E. Access points for the demonic
• Sin against the person
• Trauma e.g. car crash, war , famine
• Generational sin
• Word curses
• Soul-Ties
• A persons own sinful behavior.
Enabling people to walk into their full freedom will involve teaching in the area of their authority
in Christ and their on-going need to stand and resist against the devil's scheme
5. REPLACE
In that day their burden will be lifted from your shoulders, their yoke from your neck; the yoke will
be broken because you have grown so fat. Isaiah 10:27
Why does repentance seem ineffective at times? Repentance can seem fleeting and short lived
when the vacuum principle is in effect.
The inability to embrace truth throughout the whole of the person's soul is a major reason for an
inability to stand in a consistent place of freedom, security and healing.
Replacing with truth shores up the soul to resist evil and to bring healing to the holes/wounds from
which the sinful and wounded thoughts and feelings flow.
A. THE MIND
...to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word.
Ephesians 5:26
How the mind thinks (didactic, rational, sequential, straight line). Therefore there is a need for
didactic truth, and a need for us to take captive every thought.
Diseased Thinking God's Word of Truth
B. THE IMAGINATION
• The imagination is the cinema of the heart. It embraces symbolic truth that nourishes the
heart's ability to feed on truth, beauty and goodness.
• The images in our hearts determine our destiny.
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Living Free - Week 3 May 2007
• We need to replace the old imagery with holy and healthy good new imagery: Finally,
brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is
lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.
Philippians 4:8
C. THE WILL
• Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to
death-- even death on a cross! Philippians 2:6-8
Christ's example of living in the opposite spirit
• We need to replace the old patterns of behavior by living aggressively and intentionally in
the very way that you ran / hid from.
• By living in the opposite spirit we
o Face our fear
o Choose life
o Learn to trust God
o Break the victim / passive/ defeatist mind-set
D. THE EMOTIONS
• Having poured out negative and destructive emotions in an authentic way and brought them
to the cross, having rebuked the spirit that energized destructive emotion and made a choice
before God to live in the opposite spirit / attitude; we receive by faith the love and grace that
we need from God Himself.
• Beware trying to force the emotions
• Beware looking to the emotions to determine your healing
• Beware introspection and analyzing your emotions.
• Remember: I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry.
Psalm 40:1
CONCLUSION
Each of the 5 foundational principles is key to Christ-centered transformation in your life. These are not
a religious formula, but these are principal which when employed by one who has the humble heart
condition of seeking God's will and character for their life, can help lead the person into restoration and
freedom.
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Living Free - Week 3 May 2007
Colossians 2 - Renouncing
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Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as
though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 21 "Do not handle!
Do not taste! Do not touch!"?
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These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on
human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an
appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and
their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual
indulgence.
Laws and advice and ‘boundaries’ etc if of human origin don’t actually help us
with the power sin has over us.
COL 3:1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ , set your hearts on things
above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
It’s the change of identity which changes behaviour
Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and
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your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life,
appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
COL 3:5 put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly
nature: (change based on identity)
sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry
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Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its
practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in
knowledge in the image of its Creator.
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