I Am Not Condemned

Being condemned of something is a horrible feeling. We all know this. Many people have been condemned in our legal system and have been put in jail. They are labeled as murders, rapists, thiefs, and so on.

Labels stick. When you are found guilty of something it often becomes your identity. That is why there are so many repeat offenders. Think about it. Sex offenders have to go to door, when they are released, and let everyone know that they are a sex offender.

Can you see what being condemned of something does to someone?

Even if they are able to shake the habits that go with with the title, they are still left with the guilt of what they have done. They have been condemned to live in that identity.

(I am not trying to criticize our legal system. I am just making observations about condemnation.)

As human beings we seem to have an awareness of what "right" and "wrong" are. As Christians we put a magnifying glass over what "right" and "wrong" are. Actually, a lot of Christians spend most of their lives trying to discern between the two. Since we have become so obsessed with our morality, we feel so guilty when we mess up the things we are trying to keep perfect.

Guilt and condemnation are the same thing. If you are guilty of something then you will be condemned. When you feel condemned you are bound to repeat the same mistakes over again. The truth is God doesn't use these as tools to relate to us.

We need to know God's heart and understand what He says about these things. God never wanted us to have the knowledge of good and evil. That is why He commanded Adam not to eat from the tree. When we try so hard to determine what sin is and isn't, that is all we will think about: sin! We will certainly fall under it.

The Lord hasn't called us to meditate on sin or determine what it is. He gives us this instruction- "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." (Phil 4:8)

Sometimes it is hard to see things in this world that display any of these characteristics but we see Christ! As it says in Hebrews 3:1, "fix your thoughts of Jesus". He is all of those things. We are made to know Jesus and how awesome He is.

When we look to Jesus we will understand our freedom from condemnation and guilt. We have to know this or else we will stay trapped in a place we don't want to be. We are free!

In John 8, we find the story of the adulteress woman. She is brought before Jesus (Her accusers want to stone her) and He saves her! He then asks, "Has no one condemned you?" And he releases her with, "Then neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin."

This is simply amazing.

Jesus released her from her condemnation. When she was totally free from the guilt (experiencing true love for the first time) he told her to leave her life of sin. He let her know that "sin shall not have dominion over you...you are under grace." (Romans 6:14)

This is why the book of Romans boldly declares, "There is therefor now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (8:1) We think that God is still looks at us as sinful worms, so we keep acting like sinful worms. But God has seen to it that we are totally forgiven (past, present, and future). He has made us His children.

Since the power over sin is grace, we should continue to look to Jesus (the person of grace) and the knowledge of his complete forgiveness.

Punishment and Forgiveness

This might challenge you...

How self-righteous do you have to be to think that God is punishing you for your sins? If God was punishing you then you could save yourself.

Think about it - Christ took the punishment for our sins and shed his blood for our forgiveness. His blood doesn't just cover our sins, it takes them away. So if you can survive the "punishment" you are undergoing, then you really don't need a savior. Jesus DIED when he was on the cross. If you are truly being punished for sins, there must be a death or shedding of blood (Hebrews 9:22).

So you must come to this conclusion: We are either totally forgiven (as we put our faith in Christ) or we are not forgiven at all. There is no in between.

Hebrews 7:25 says that Jesus "is able to save completely (or forever) those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them."

I think a lot of Christians don't understand what it means to be saved. Jesus saves you completely/forever from your sins. That means that you are saved from what your sins deserve - punishment. If Jesus has saved you, how can God be punishing you? Again, can you pay for your own salvation?

"Where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary." Hebrews 10:18

You can conclude that since they have been forgiven and sacrifice is no longer needed, there is also no more punishment for them. Christ appeared once for all to do away with sin. That means past, present, and future. All of your sins were in the future when he was on the cross. He doesn't suffer again and again for you. What Jesus did was so good the first time that God was eternally pleased with it.

The only sacrifice that has any value in God's eyes is Christ's. Since these sins are forgiven there is no more a need to try to have them forgiven. The only thing to do in regard to sin is to remind your self that Jesus has saved you completely and that he has broken (put to death) sin's power over you. Remember what God has promised -

"So now I have sworn not to be angry with you, never to rebuke you." (Isaiah 54:9)

"For no matter how many promises God has made, they are all "yes" in Christ." (2 Corinthians 1:20)

Count It All A Loss

I used to think that I had to give up every "worldly gain" (whatever that means) so that I could gain Christ. The basis for this thinking came from verses found in Philippians 3. Based on these verses, I thought I couldn't have money or video games and so on. Now I understand that, in comparison to Christ, these things really are nothing. But I believe Jesus wants us to know what it really is to "count it all a loss."

The context of Philippians 3 is basically Law vs Grace. When you understand that you can only pick one of these systems to live under (no mixture), the meaning of chapter 3 becomes incredibly clear.

Paul, the author, begins by comparing people who live by grace to people who live under the Law (who he calls "mutilators of the flesh").

"For we [Christians] are the true circumcision, who worship God in spirit and by the Spirit of God and exult and glory and pride ourselves in Jesus Christ, and put no confidence or dependence [on what we are] in the flesh and on outward privileges and physical advantages and external appearances" - Philippians 3:3 AMP

Paul lays the foundation that we are able to totally rely on Jesus Christ for everything and not our efforts. He then shows us what it is like to self-justify from his own experience.

"...and by the Law's standard of righteousness (supposed justice, uprightness, and right standing with God) I was proven to be blameless and no fault was found with me." Philippians 3:6 AMP

Now we come to verse 7.

"But whatever former things I had that might have been gains to me, I have come to consider as [one combined] loss for Christ's sake."

Do you see what he considers as a loss? His striving to be perfect by the Law. When you look to the Law to show yourself as Holy, you have fallen from grace (Galatians 5:4).

Paul continues in verse 9 by saying, "not having any [self-achieved] righteousness that can be called my own, based on my obedience to the Law's demands (ritualistic uprightness and supposed right standing with God thus acquired)"

The system we live under is totally by Grace. We don't earn anything from God by our good or bad behavior. People call this "cheap grace" or a "loose gospel" but it really isn't. Since it takes our works out of the equation, Jesus gets all the praise. It becomes about what He does and provides. It leaves no room for us to feel good about what we have earned. There is no self-justification. Since it is through grace, we cannot boast or compare ourselves to one another.

We are now totally dependent upon Christ for everything. We rely on His strength when we are weak. When we sin, we look to His punishment on the cross for us and thank God for His mercy.

The reason people don't fully rely on God is because they don't believe He is totally good. If you don't think He is good all the way through, you wont trust Him!

But look, no matter how many promises God has made, they are all yes in Christ! (2 Corinthians 1:20)

Also, God didn't ever spare His own son for us. How will He not also (in Christ) give us everything we need? (Romans 8:32).

Do you see how living under Grace causes Christ to be glorified? When we practice or faith and do good works under grace, Jesus is praised even more! But when you have to do good things (or not do bad things) to justify yourself before God, it becomes about YOU.

"...but possessing that [genuine righteousness] which comes through faith in Christ (the Anointed One), the [truly] right standing with God, which comes from God by [saving] faith." Philippians 3:9 AMP