I am free from
condemnation...
Romans 8:1 Therefore, there is now no
condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus...
Colossians
1:21,22 And you, who once
were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has
reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in
His sight, without blemish and free from accusation—
New Life Daily
Devotion – Steve Arterburn – November 2, 2010
No
Condemnation
“We
may be punishing ourselves. We certainly feel like we deserve it! We don't just
feel guilty; we feel like this last fall proves that we're rotten to the core.
Our feelings of self-condemnation may go beyond guilt for the wrong behavior,
convincing us of our worthlessness. It seems futile to keep trying.
“The
apostle Paul talked about how frustrating it can be to fall back into the very
things we hate (see Romans 7). But then he concludes, ‘So now there is no
condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to
Him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin
that leads to death’ (Romans 8:1-2).
“Our
feelings of condemnation come from ourselves and Satan, not from God. The Bible
calls Satan "the accuser." Looking to a future day, it says, "It
has come at last—salvation and power and the Kingdom of our God, and the
authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been
thrown down to earth—the one who accuses them before our God day and night’
(Revelation 12:10).
“God
will convict us of the wrong of our behavior, so we can confess it and receive
cleansing forgiveness. Remember, ‘If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful
and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness’ (1 John
1:9). Let's not give in to the condemnation. We're not hopeless and worthless!
We just fell. God wants to dust us off and set us back on the path to a better
life.
“God
never condemns those who look to Him for forgiveness, even after the greatest
of failures.”
That is good news, indeed! I know what it’s like to live with the weight of failure – it’s not fun, is it? It took me time – and effort – and discipline – but I no longer feel about myself the way I did when I first re-committed my life to Christ after wallowing in the gutter for almost two years. I no longer carry that weight of shame and guilt – they’re GONE – for GOOD! There ARE days and times when I look back with sadness – but I can also see the grace and mercy of God in my life, and I’m not overcome or overwhelmed! I can look back into my past and admit the ugly facts – I’m a SINNER saved by GRACE! Don’t let the enemy rob you of the joy God has promised by rubbing your nose in your past failures. Pick yourself up and keep walking the path of righteousness! And remember – Satan has lost the final battle – he’s a loser and a liar, so don’t give him a nano-second of your time!
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