No Condemnation Now

So many of us walk through each day carrying thoughts of guilt, shame, and condemnation, but where do those thoughts come from? Are they from God, or are they from an enemy who wants to derail you from the purpose God has for your life?

We have to know the difference between condemnation and conviction. In Ephesians 6:10-20, we are told to put on the full armor of God so that we can defeat the flaming missiles. One of the major missiles fired at us is condemnation, and it has no problem finding us.

Why is it so easy for the enemy to hit us with condemnation?

1.Condemnation has been a part of our story for a long time. To condemn means to hand down a deliberate justice, a sentencing.

• Genesis 3:14-19 is where we see condemnation coming for the sin committed.
• Romans 3:23 says all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We stand condemned.
• Genesis 3:21 shows that God already had set into motion a rescue plan. Jesus would become the sacrifice for us, once and for all. Our story has been changed. We need to know the true gospel so we can be ready every time the enemy wants to plant shame, regret, and worthlessness in our lives.
• Though condemnation is woven in from the beginning of the gospel of sin and death, through Jesus, condemnation is woven out of the gospel of mercy and grace.
• Romans 8:1-5 sums up why, as believers, we are not condemned and live our lives according to the Spirit. Jesus condemned sin, became the sacrifice for us, and fulfilled everything that was required for us to have life and liberty with Him. Christ stood condemned for us; all condemnation came on Jesus at the Cross. We do not have to harbor any thought of condemnation in the garden of our minds.
• John 8:3-11. Jesus doesn't condemn the woman caught in adultery. He doesn't condemn you, either. He saves you and tells you to sin no more. He doesn't let anyone off the hook, but in this passage, He is giving a glimpse of why He came. John 3:17 says He didn't come to condemn the world but to save it.

2.We choose to continue to sin.

• The enemy is right on our tail as soon as we sin. He's trying to tear us down and keep us down.
• It starts with guilt, which leads to us wanting to conceal what we've done, then we grow remorseful, so we rededicate our lives again, and all of that leads to failure. No promise to God on our part because we felt bad, has ever actually changed our lives because condemnation keeps us down.
• When we allow condemnation back in, we go back to the very thing that put us in that position in the first place. We just repeat the cycle.

3.We don't recognize that Jesus has given us the power of the Holy Spirit to transform our lives completely. This is the difference between condemnation and conviction.

• John 16:7-11 says that Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. The Holy Spirit convicts our hearts of sin so that we can repent, but He also convicts us of righteousness. We sit with God. He convicts us, saying, "You are a child of God, You're not who you were. God has given you new life." And He convicts in judgment. He says that the enemy is already condemned. The enemy is trying to condemn you while he is already condemned. He's just trying to drag you down with him. The Holy Spirit is trying to get your attention to see that you are not in the enemy's story; you are in Christ's story.
• Where there was guilt, concealing, remorse, and re-dedication, there is now His grace, confession, repentance, and surrender.

What is your step today?

1. We can recite this, "I believe that Jesus was condemned for ________________. Therefore, I do not have to allow that thought to be over me. It was over at the Cross."
2. We can call the enemy a liar and remember that he is condemned.

"There is now no condemnation" doesn't mean "There is now no consequences". We will have to face the consequences, Jesus just promises to be in the consequences with you.