Roger Thrower

Freedom’s Toolbox

1. HOPE – a picture of a preferred future in Christ
First and foremost is that Jesus gives us hope for a better life. It comes with the power of his love that impacts our hearts.
So, here’s the impact of the Gospel on the human soul:
We discover that we are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.

What do we do when we are stuck in a behavior that has become a habit and therefore a hang-up?

2. Repentance – a change of mind, a reversal
Matthew 3:2 - “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

2 Timothy 2:22-26
22 So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 23 Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. 24 And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

3. Confession – profess forth from the heart freely

James 5:16 - Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

4. Forgiveness – Jesus paid the debt for our sin and on the basis of our receiving complete forgiveness from him he requires us to give complete forgiveness to anyone and everyone who has sinned against us.
It takes the powerful grace of God flowing through us to truly forgive because most of us have ‘roots of bitterness’ from past hurts from people who have sinned against us.

Hebrews 12:15 - See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;

Colossians 3:13 - bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

5. Renounce – to speak out, set forth, declare, to forbid, to give up

2 Corinthians 4:2 - But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God.

6. Authoritative Prayer – prayer addressed to God and prayer
Luke 10:19 - Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.

Mark 9:29 - And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.” (and fasting)