No Condemnation

This is not the time for the voice of the enemy to be the loudest in your life.

The Bible says no one in Christ is condemned/penalized.  No one in Christ.

So, since you have accepted and acknowledged Christ as your Savior, you can gently remind yourself that because of your past sins, God does not condemn you. 

You condemn you. You allow the voice of the enemy to speak unforgiveness to your soul.

Period.

See, our standards of being in right relationship with God are not God’s standards.  We tell ourselves that because of the past, we are not worthy to talk to God.  We tell ourselves that we are not allowed to talk to God.  But this is not true.

Once we ask for forgiveness of sins, we are forgiven.

And, we go into God’s presence.

Remind yourself, through God’s Word and your cooperation with God, that you are loved, forgiven and free.

Each time you remember an act that you are not proud of, tell yourself, I forgive you for that.

Then repeat the Word of God to yourself, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus.”  (Romans 8.1 ESV)

Try this translation if it is better:  The Message says, “With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ’s being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death.”

But, I also like this one:  There is no condemnation now for those who live in union with Christ Jesus. Romans 8.1 (GNB)

There are people who believe their wrongs and mistakes in the past prevent them from having the right to pray; and doubt God hears their prayers.

Because you are saved, you are not condemned.  You are not banished from the presence of God.  You can boldly (without shame) approach God and know that he hears you.

There is, therefore, no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus!

Proof – Psalm 32 – The Bible says when our sins are forgiven and covered, we are blessed.  But it implies that by faith we know we are forgiven and therefore, our sins are covered.  Verse 2 says we are blessed because the Lord does not count our sin against us and we are in right relationship with him because there is no deceit in our spirit.

Burdened with the weight of our sin, zapped of energy because of its heaviness, we (v. 5) acknowledge our sin, confess it to God and God forgave the guilt left over from the act of sin. 

Since God has forgiven us, we can pray to God while He may be found.

Empathy

            I can relate to having to take time to understand what this means for my own life personally.  Often, people can tell us what to do but don’t share why they needed to do it or how difficult it was to do.  Trust me, it was challenging.

            It reminds me of the Third Step prayer from 12-step programs which says, Take my will and my life, guide me in my recovery, show me how to live.”  

Prayer:          Lord, I don’t know how to crawl from underneath this weight of guilt, shame and worthlessness.  I need you to help me.  Help me to forgive myself.  Show me I can be free from the bondage of my past.  Others say I can, but I have trouble believing this can happen for me.  Please, guide me into true freedom in you.  In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.