No Condemnation

Romans 8:1

Hi, my name is Bob and I’m a follower of Jesus Christ, and I’m flawed, I criticize, blame, and find fault with people who have great value to God, and by making these choices I listen to my flesh.  So I bet your not like me and are wondering to whom are you critical, who are you finding fault with; your pastor, your adult class teacher at church, and the answer is no, it’s people I encounter living life each day, in the gym, at ballgames, in the market place; people who have great value to our LORD.  How do I know this to be true, the Bible tells me so, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son,” to take our place, to take the full wrath of God, and to free us from the condemnation we deserved by taking our punishment.

I bet you have experienced the attitude of “that is just not right” it is all upside down, good is being called evil and evil is being taught as good.  And when those thoughts come into your thinker that old serpent is very close by saying, “Did God actually say?”  The dude plays both sides, the guilt for looking down on someone, and he also encourages us to be religious and act better than both we and God know to be true, it’s a no win game with the one Jesus refers to as a thief.

So as I read and reread Romans 8:1, this thought came into my mind, was being sorry for playing the role of “lord of the ring,” getting my needs met outside of Christ what made me right with God, or was it a prayer that I prayed?  No, it was the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, yes, my victory was in Jesus taking my sin and your sin.  My victory was in His precious blood that covers all sin, my victory was when He stated, it is finished, my sins are forgiven and guess what, because of Jesus, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Each of us must come to the understanding that we have a sin problem that only Jesus can make right, so the Holy Spirit takes us to this understanding; “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” (Romans 10:9-10)

And because of Jesus living in us and the Holy Spirit teaching us we come to an understanding; “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”  (Romans 8:16-17)  And the wonderful news is: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice