Renunciations and Affirmations

Heart Guide for Lesson 1:
The Spiritual Roots of Disease

        Renounce any agreements with untruth; believe Jesus' truth as your new way of life. (John 14:6)

Why is it so hard to live a life of grace? A life of grace is a mercy-based, peace-filled life—the very thing we all so deeply and desperately desire which also happens to be the polar opposite of the stressed up or depressed down emotional states we carry around. A life of grace is characterized by living as the Bible says that we are meant to live: by trusting to, reply upon and rejoicing in the grace that is always being given to us (Romans 1:17).

'Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.' Habakkuk 2:4 ESV

If such a life has been eluding you, then you need to know what the problem is, but before seeing where the problem really lies, it will be helpful to understand what it is NOT.

As you go over this list renounce any anger, blame or frustration with your life that you have been placing on the wrong culprit for what has been causing "the problem," making it a scapegoat. Then begin confessing the truth of Ephesians 2:8: We are saved by grace (which is always being given us by God) through faith (that's the only place where the disconnect can happen!).

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God. Ephesians 2:8 ESV

The problem is:

Not you; Not your past

Not God; Not your circumstances

Not others; Not your weaknesses

Not the world; Not your ‘personality’

Not your flesh; Not your addiction

Not the devil; Not your disease

Not your sin!

Then what is the problem?   The problem is what we choose to believe in our heart of hearts about ourselves, our God and our world. Believing the truth—God's truth—with a full heart of faith will always work to set us free (John 8:32). Believing a lie, any lie, will always work to destroy us.

What you choose to believe determines:

1) Your immediate and future emotional state (your inner world).

2) Your level of contact with Reality (others, all of creation, God).

3) Your consequences. You are not the only player: God, the devil and all of creation are responding to choices you make based upon what you believe deep down and act upon.

Return to The Spiritual Roots of Disease: Head to Heart Guide for more ways to go deeper into these truths or stay 'on course' by going to the...