President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. This document paved the way for the eventual end of slavery. When the Civil War ended on April 9, 1865, the battle for freedom had just begun. It was challenging to implement change, even though the anti-slavery forces won the war and congress passed emancipation into law. With the battle won and the new law established, the slave-owners tried to keep their slaves in the dark. They figured if the slaves didn’t know or understand the new law, they would remain enslaved.

For many who trust in Jesus, walking in the victory and freedom He provides can be elusive. Our old master doesn’t want us to know Jesus won the battle and that there is a new law that rules the land. Like the slave owners of the antebellum Deep South, the old slave driver, Satan, wants to keep us enslaved. How does he do this? He sows seeds of confusion concerning forgiveness.

We understand that Jesus forgave our past sins, but we struggle to believe He forgave our present and future sins. God dealt with all sin at the cross, once and for all. Romans 8:1-2 says, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.” Under the old law of the land, sin brought condemnation. However, for those who trust in Jesus, there is now no condemnation under God’s emancipation proclamation. The new law of the Spirit of life sets us free from the law of sin and its destructive outcome.

Jesus paid for all our sins on the cross, once and for all. To live out from under our old master, we must embrace the all-inclusive forgiveness provided by Jesus. We gain confidence in our relationship with God when we trust that there is no condemnation for followers of Jesus. As we trust God, the victory Jesus won becomes our victory. Unlike the slaves of the antebellum south, ignorance will not keep us in the dark. We will walk in the light of our no condemnation status. Living loved and living forgiven will empower us to sin less and less.

Galatians 5:1 says, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” For years, I did not feel free. I knew Jesus paid for my sins. He fought the war and won, but I wondered, “Why do I still struggle with sin?” As a sincere follower of Jesus, I did everything I knew to overcome my shortcomings. The more effort I put in, the more I felt like a failure.

Haven’t we all struggled with one sin or another, only to come up short? We feel “convicted,” and we grow weary in the battle. At that point, we may try harder or give up. We may double our efforts or resign ourselves to the idea that we will never measure up. Trying harder can lead us down the road of self-effort and self-righteousness. Giving up creates a disconnect from intimacy with God, which leaves us discouraged and disengaged. I have traveled both paths, and neither led me to victory.

My journey to freedom began with a deeper understanding and a more profound experience of God’s unconditional love. His love includes forgiveness of all my sins. Romans 4:8 says, “Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them.” As children of God, we gain great joy when we know the Lord has cleared our record of sin. There is no condemnation for those whose faith is in Jesus.

When our focus shifts from our failure to God’s success, condemnation becomes a thing of the past. If we always “remember” our sin and continually examine our shortcomings, victory will elude us. However, walking in victory becomes a daily habit when our attention turns to who God is and what He did for us. Jesus paid the penalty for our sin once and for all.

We do not need Jesus to provide forgiveness over and over again. We need to appropriate the forgiveness He already provides. If we don’t accept the sacrifice of God’s Son as the once and for all remedy for sin, it insults Him. When we look to our self-sacrifice, effort, and willpower to overcome sin, we look away from God’s amazing grace.

If we do sin, we take it to God, lay it at His feet, and ask for the gift of repentance (see Acts 5:31 NIV). We then turn our attention to who God is and what He did for us. Jesus won the war. He paid the penalty for our sins. Victory over sin happens when we trust in His victory and stop trying to create our own. Most of us want to work for the blessings of God. It doesn’t work that way in God’s family. All spiritual benefits are ours because God united us with Jesus through His amazing grace (see Ephesians 1:3 NIV).

God gifted you and me with forgiveness and freedom. If you have not already done so, I encourage you to receive this incredible gift from God.

“Father, I thank you that Jesus paid the penalty for sin once and for all. I believe in you, and I receive your forgiveness. I place my trust in what You did to defeat sin. I receive Your victory over sin as my victory. Thank you for my no condemnation life in Christ. Amen.”

Live loved, embrace forgiveness, and be free.