… that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.
Eph. 5:27
Let’s talk about “spots” and “wrinkles.”
Retained Sin
A spot refers to a blemish. A blemish or spot is a retained sin. Please understand that I’m not referring to things that affect one’s salvation, but those things which affect our faith walk; those things that touch our soul.
Jesus is looking for His bride to be free of the sins that so easily beset, or entangle us.
As an example, a besetting sin is unforgiveness. Unforgiveness keeps us in bondage to the past: it makes us a continual victim; it causes us to live in victimhood.
Another type of besetting sin is self-condemnation. These voices are created when others condemn us, and we stand in active or passive agreement. Self-condemnation shapes our self-image, it changes how we experience life.
Finally, a besetting sin is a hurt we do not let go of, we bring with us on a routine basis. An example is a grief: it is living in the past and allowing the past to define and shape our future.
Old Self Wrinkles
Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him
Colossians 3:9-10
The second thing that Jesus is looking for in His Bride, is for Her to be without a wrinkle. Wrinkles show up on old people. The wrinkle being referred to here is the “old man” that we are to leave behind after being born again.
As a normal course of life, we learn bad habits, things, and behaviors from the world, and we tend to retain those evil practices. As new creatures in Christ, we are to rid ourselves of those destructive behaviors by dying to ourselves, by putting them under the cross, and leaving them behind.
Self Condemnation & Trauma-Bonding
These two things, wrinkles, and blemishes have a great potential to remain with us day-to-day. When we hold on to these things, we place ourselves under self-condemnation and bondage to the past. In doing so, we carry the weight of our sin when it should be released to the cross.
Even when taking these failures to our Father, and asking forgiveness, we sometimes continue to live in these self-condemning places.
These types of self-condemnations are just as bad as carrying the harmful burdens of others. When we improperly sympathize and empathize with the trauma of others, we can trauma-bond with the hurts of others. This means we carry the pain of others, making it our own when we never should.
This does not mean we never empathize with others, but it does mean there are times for weeping, and times for rejoicing (Romans 12:15, Ecclesiastes 3:1).
Being Free
Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.
Matthew 18:18
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Matthew 11:29
Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
John 8:31-32
If you want to be free from your spots, wrinkles, and the bondages of trauma, then take your injuries to God through the following prayers.
Prayer
Fill in these <items>
- Dear heavenly Father, I want to be free from the injuries of <sins> committed against me by <name>.
- I want to forgive <name> for their sin against me.
- I ask that you separate <name> sin from them, and place it on the cross of Jesus.
- I release any obligation <name> has to me for making me whole, and I thank You, heavenly Father, for making me whole.
- I bind myself to Your forgiveness and to the blood of Jesus you provided for me.
- Through the blood of Jesus, I loose the sin of <sins> committed against me, and condemn every effect they had over me.
- I loose Holy Spirit to heal the wounds and to make me whole.
A Recovering Legalist 