Learn to Let Go Like the Scapegoat: A Journey Towards Spiritual Fitness
Lev 16:21-22 And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness: And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.
We must be spiritually fit to be able to thoroughly let go of our past! Have you ever noticed that even though the only one that really matters (God) has forgiven us, and also chosen not to remember our sins against us any more, still, even then, it can be difficult for us to learn to walk away from the bondage and guilt of past sins and mistakes? God instructed Israel to send the scapegoat away by the hand of a fit man for a reason!
Just as that scapegoat would have been too stubborn and hard-headed to just walk away on his own, even so, memories of our past, if we allow them, will be too stubborn to acknowledge our new status of “saved and forgiven” in Christ! Our memories do not work alone; rest assured that others will come to assist, such as the devil, friends, family, co-workers, and even the brethren!
However, 1 Jn 3:20a says, “For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart...” As hard as we are on ourselves for past sins and mistakes, we must learn that it’s OK to just let it go! Vs. 22b “...and he shall let go the goat...”! Friend, if you’ve been washed in His blood, you have not only His permission, but His command to let it go!
How can you get spiritually fit enough to do this? 1 Jn 3 goes on to say in vs. 21, “Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.” Simply put, we must exercise our faith in Christ to get to this point!
Do not follow your heart into self-pity and condemnation, but lead your heart into the loving, forgiving, compassionate arms of a gracious and forgiving God! He “let it go” at Calvary, and so should you!
~ Pastor Gary Caudill
We must be spiritually fit to be able to thoroughly let go of our past! Have you ever noticed that even though the only one that really matters (God) has forgiven us, and also chosen not to remember our sins against us any more, still, even then, it can be difficult for us to learn to walk away from the bondage and guilt of past sins and mistakes? God instructed Israel to send the scapegoat away by the hand of a fit man for a reason!
Just as that scapegoat would have been too stubborn and hard-headed to just walk away on his own, even so, memories of our past, if we allow them, will be too stubborn to acknowledge our new status of “saved and forgiven” in Christ! Our memories do not work alone; rest assured that others will come to assist, such as the devil, friends, family, co-workers, and even the brethren!
However, 1 Jn 3:20a says, “For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart...” As hard as we are on ourselves for past sins and mistakes, we must learn that it’s OK to just let it go! Vs. 22b “...and he shall let go the goat...”! Friend, if you’ve been washed in His blood, you have not only His permission, but His command to let it go!
How can you get spiritually fit enough to do this? 1 Jn 3 goes on to say in vs. 21, “Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.” Simply put, we must exercise our faith in Christ to get to this point!
Do not follow your heart into self-pity and condemnation, but lead your heart into the loving, forgiving, compassionate arms of a gracious and forgiving God! He “let it go” at Calvary, and so should you!
~ Pastor Gary Caudill