Why Fellow Jesus - 17. To Be Set Free From Your Past

Hello and welcome to Van Life Devotions. We are in Bundaberg in Queensland which is known for its famous Bundaberg drinks in which Ginger Beer is our favourite. Also around this area is Macadamias Australia, a wonderful factory that tourist can visit and learn the history and processes that are used here. And as you drive around this region sugar cane farms are everywhere.

We all carry something. For some, it’s a past full of shame - decisions we wish we could undo. For others, it’s anger, addiction, fear, or the deep ache of feeling unworthy. We try to outrun it, hide it, fix it, or numb it. But the truth is: we can’t free ourselves. But here’s the good news: Jesus can. This is one of the great reasons to be a follower of Jesus is you are set free from your past. The Bible says, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free…” (Galatians 5:1 NIV).

Jesus doesn’t wait for you to clean up before coming close. He steps right into your mess - into the prison cells we built ourselves - and unlocks the door with His grace.

When Jesus went to the cross, He didn’t just pay for your sin. He broke the power of sin. He shattered the chains. He tore the veil. He opened the way.

Now, through Him, you are no longer a slave to what once held you. Jesus didn’t come to improve your life. He came to set you free.

Certainly, life as a farmer is a tough one. Hard work, extreme weather conditions and events, and the constant pressure of the rise and fall of prices and sustainable farming techniques.  Angus Buchan was a hard-nosed, no-nonsense farmer in South Africa, who lived a life driven by anger, pride, and control. He frequently lashed out at workers, argued with neighbours, and carried a heavy burden of fear and insecurity.

Though outwardly successful, Angus was inwardly a prisoner- haunted by his past, enslaved by pride and anger.

One Sunday morning in 1979, everything changed. Angus and his wife Jill attended a Methodist church service at the invitation of a friend. That day, Angus encountered the living Jesus. In a moment of clarity and surrender, he broke down in tears and gave his life to Christ.

It was not a soft conversion—it was a radical transformation. Everything changed when he became a follower of Jesus. Angus became a new man. He reconciled with his family, treated his workers with love and respect, and began to run his farm with honesty and humility. He became deeply involved in his local church and in time began preaching the gospel throughout rural South Africa. He later said: “I used to be a man filled with rage. Jesus took that rage and gave me peace. He set me free from my past.”

Why be a follower of Jesus? You are set free from your past.  

How can be set free? Trust and obey. Trust in faith that Jesus is God’s Son who saved you on the cross. And follow Jesus as Lord by obeying His teachings.

Jesus said of Himself about you, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36, NIV).

I invite you to pray this prayer with me:

Father God.

I am sorry that I am a sinner.

Thank you for forgiving me when you died on the cross.

Please set me free from the things in my past that enslave me.

Enable me to put my trust in You and

to obey Your teachings.

In Jesus’ name

Amen

David Moyes