I was listening to a preacher on the radio as I was driving down the road a few days ago, and he said two words that struck a chord. Two simple words… Condemnation kills.
How many of us feel unworthy of anything good God has to offer because of our continued failure. Our intentions are good, but it seems as though we fall short every time.
We believe that Jesus died for our sins, we believe he rose from the dead, and we believe he ascended and now sits at the right hand of God the Father. That’s what we were told and we believe it. We have confidence that if we were to die tonight we would go to heaven to be with Jesus. At least we are reasonably certain. And yet there is that nagging thought that something must be wrong for us to continue to struggle with sin.
Can you relate? Then let me give you some good news. Romans 8:1-2 (NIV) says, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.”
You have been set free from sin and made alive by the Spirit through Jesus.
“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV).
The key to all this is that we are righteous because of what Jesus did, not because of anything we did or anything we do. That’s why there is no condemnation. Our failures have nothing to do with our righteousness or our standing with God.
Many of us have the idea that our sin somehow separates us from God, but once we surrender to the Lordship of Christ and He becomes our Savior, sin is no longer an issue. We still sin, and struggle with feelings of guilt, anger, frustration, or shame over our sin, but His Word makes it clear that, “If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.” 1 John 3:20 (NIV).
God doesn’t condemn us. God loves us. “For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 (NET).
Our best efforts can’t save us and our best efforts can’t keep us from sinning because as the prophet Jeremiah said, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.” Jeremiah 17:9.
As we grow and develop in our Christian walk we will get better at saying no to sin, but we will never tame the flesh. Our victory is not in overcoming our actions, but in our understanding of who we are in Christ.
Our righteousness is His righteousness. Our victory is His victory. And with that understanding comes freedom; not a freedom to keep from sinning, but rather a freedom in knowing that we are righteous in Christ even when we sin.
Condemnation kills, but there is no condemnation in Him. In Him we have grace and grace trumps condemnation every time.
Are you struggling with condemnation? Email us at info@fruitbearers.com
Fruitbearers Outreach Ministry
Fruitbearers Outreach Ministry 