During and since the completion of this study, I have recommended it to several other men struggling with faith and issues of the past. I had no experience with abortion. However, I found myself consistently blowing up in anger at my wife, and sometimes turning to sexual sin to salve my hurt and calm my anger. As I walked through the study, I was reminded afresh of the sacrifice of Christ on my behalf. I had forgotten. On page 61 the study states, “We forget that flesh and bone hung by nails on a cross. We forget that every nerve in Jesus’ body was excruciatingly aware of every move He made against the rough bark of the cross He hung on. We forget the beatings and the scourging by Roman soldiers that marred Him, leaving Him unrecognizable as a human being. We forget that the only One who could again breathe life into man, could breathe only as He pushed against the spike piercing His feet. Most importantly, we forget the incomprehensible horror and the shame He endured as He bore the sins of mankind, past, present, and future.” As the One who bore my sin, guilt, and shame, Jesus was the only One who could set me free. He brought me through many places of pain in my soul to set me free through the process of forgiveness and repentance. He has restored estranged relationships, brought freedom and joy, and a new desire that He be glorified in my life. There is still a battle with my flesh every day, but He is at work, and I am grateful. As the words of a worship song by Cody Carnes say, “My heart found a surgeon, my soul found a friend. So I run to the Father, again and again and again and again.”
