Freedom In Christ

What does this mean to all who would put their faith in Christ?

5:1-4 and 6-12 – WE CAN CHOOSE TO BREAK FREE FROM THE CYCLE OF SIN-CONFESS, SIN-CONFESS. Now through Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, we can say “No’ to sin and “Yes” to choices to please God! WE CAN CHOOSE NOT TO SIN and choose to walk by the Spirit. The power of Jesus is greater than the power of the one who is in the world. THRU HIS POWER, you CAN RECOVER WHAT SATAN STOLE FROM You! I hope to encourage you with a recovery story, a testimony of life changed by Jesus at Saddleback Church in California:

RECOVERY STORIES - My Name Is Elaine - I’M A BELIEVER WHO STRUGGLES WITH CODEPENDENCY

I grew up in a loving home. We took vacations together and kept in close touch with our extended family. Faith and church attendance were important in our lives, and I was involved in church youth groups throughout my young adult life. I met my husband in the summer of 1966. We started dating in the fall, and he asked me to marry him just before Christmas. I should have known things weren't going to be easy. One clue was Howard's arrival at church on our wedding day two minutes before we were to walk down the aisle. Howard wasn't accustomed to family gatherings, but I naively thought I could "fix" him. I also convinced myself that his drinking habit wouldn't be a problem. Nine months and twelve days after our marriage, our son Jim was born, followed two-and-a-half years later by his brother, Troy. At this point, I was attending church only a couple of times annually; my life felt complete without it.

My parents and siblings never realized the anguish I was enduring due to Howard’s drinking and unfaithfulness. It was easier for me to look the other way and pretend I wasn’t hurting. I didn’t want to become a statistic and was determined to keep our family together. I put my hope in Howard's repeated promises to change. Every time I reached my limit and thought I couldn't go on any longer, he'd promise to clean up his life. Things would get better for a while, but he would revert to his old patterns, hurting me again and again. After 28 years, I was still holding on to the false hope that I could remedy the situation.

We moved to California in 1982. At that point, Howard started using drugs along with alcohol. He hit bottom in 1994, and our sons and I managed to get him into rehab. Afterward, I thought everything would be okay. "What else could go wrong?" I asked myself, fully expecting a negative answer. But Howard made an inappropriate comment to our younger son's wife. Although Howard tried to apologize, she was offended, but the damage had been done. The incident tore apart our family and caused lasting bitterness. That was the final straw. I was ready to give up on my marriage, convinced that I didn't have it in me to forgive Howard this time. In the spring of 1995, our friend Jim asked whether we would like to attend his church's Easter service with him and his wife, Gail. We agreed, and that was our first Sunday at Saddleback Church. Howard wanted to return the following weekend, and God began softening our hearts. Howard committed his life to Christ, and I recommitted mine. Now, with Jesus Christ included in the equation, I began for the first time to experience real hope. Jim, Gail, Howard, and I were baptized together, and Jim and Gail have stayed with us through our tough times. Since then I've seen a miracle happen in my husband. We renewed our wedding vows, and we'll celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary in February of next year. Although I prayed daily for reconciliation with my son, I hadn’t seen Troy in several years and had never met my grandson Jordan. Two years ago, I began receiving Mother's Day cards from Troy, and he finally called to talk. He phoned again after their new baby, Jacob, was born, and when I was in the hospital with pneumonia, he called to say that he and the boys were coming out to California for a visit. One evening I went to Jim's house, and Troy walked into the room with both his sons. This was the beginning of our healing process, and I know God will continue to help us every step of the way. Sometimes I'm asked, "How could you forgive 28 years of shame, grief, and pain?" The reality is that it's hard for me not to forgive when I know that Jesus sacrificed so much for my forgiveness. We can't change ourselves or others by forcing the issue through sheer willpower. Only Jesus Christ, our Higher Power, can facilitate lasting change in our lives.