Are you a junkyard dog chained to your past?

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. – 2 Corinthians 5:21

A junkyard dealer was losing more through theft than he was selling, so he bought a dog – a mean one that barked and bit. To restrain the dog, the old man put a chain on it. When someone would climb over the fence, the dog would charge and run, with teeth bared, as far as its chain would reach. In time the dog knew how far the chain reached and instinctively would stop short of the end.

In time, however, the chain rusted out, yet the junkyard dog continued the prescribed number of steps, not realizing the chain no longer constrained him and he was free.

Many, somewhat like the junkyard dog, become Christians and are forgiven yet have trouble realizing the chains from the bondage of their sinful pasts are broken. Discover these truths:

1. Your feelings are not a barometer of your spiritual health. The promises of God’s Word that you are forgiven, that you are a new person, that the past is wiped out, are facts, regardless of how you feel. Educate your feelings by claiming the promises of God’s Word. What God has set free, no man or devil has the right to put in bondage.

2. When God forgives you, He wipes the slate clean as though you had never sinned. Paul said, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). In other words, He paid the price of failure, which means the chains are gone!

3. Restoration and healing are all part of what Jesus came to do. He’s in the business of bringing liberty, not bondage. Emotional healing is all part of the package, so don’t hesitate to leave the junkyard of the past.

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Used with permission from Guidelines International Ministries. To learn more about Guidelines and the ministry, send an e-mail to [email protected]. You may also visit www.guidelines.org.