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Please – No Condemnation – OK? July 28, 2010 (1.15.3)
By Larry M. Jaynes:
It is unfortunate and ironic that after some Christians become saved they begin to condemn themselves for either a sin committed 20 years ago or the one they committed this morning before breakfast. This propensity towards self-condemnation is within our nature, hence the difficult time accepting continual forgiveness in Christ. In I John 1:9 we read, "If we confess our sins, he {our loving Heavenly Father} is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Forgiveness is as close to us as simply asking our Heavenly Father for it and then accepting that we are cleansed from all unrighteousness.
In Romans chapter 7, we have an interesting verse of Scripture that sheds light on this subject:
Romans 7:19:
For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
Wow, does this verse sound familiar to you at all? Often the state of affairs of many Christian men and women who desire to do good for the Lord is unsuccessful - they try, they fail, and they try and fail to be good again and again. The average Christian panics and tries to find and then practice works of repentance to cover up for their sins and shortcomings in order to feel good enough to walk again with God. Nevertheless, he or she keeps on Romans 7:19-ing, and so a cycle begins that appears will never end with continual condemnation. Sometimes entire lifetimes can be consumed in this endless dilemma that all too often then becomes a way of life.
All this confusion and mental anguish over condemnation and sin comes about by not realizing that God not only forgives but that He also totally forgets; it is only we that choose to remember what God has forgiven, forgotten, and cleansed. John 3:18a says, "He that believeth on him {on Jesus Christ} is not condemned. . ." and if we are not condemned, then, the truth is - we are not condemned. By the way, this is why we have a Savior! Jesus took our sins, our condemnations, our shortcomings, and our faults to his cross and buried them there at Calvary (John 1:20 and I Peter 2:24), yet man feels so inadequate at times, that he tries to dig them up and cloak himself with his old nature (see Romans 6:4 and Colossians 1:20-22). But by doing so, he denies to himself his new life and nature in Christ, which is given to shine forth from his inner heart (see Romans 8:1-18, II Corinthians 5:17, and Colossians 1:27; 3:1-2).
The Amplified Bible* describes John 3:18a (above) in this manner: "He who believes in Him {Jesus Christ} [who clings to, trusts in, relies on Him] is not judged [he who trusts in Him never comes up for judgment; for him {the believer} there is no rejection, no condemnation - he incurs no damnation]. . ." Well, praise the Lord!
Too many Christians do not believe what Jesus came to do for them (or have never seen this section of Scripture above) and imagine that God is angry or, at the very least, upset with them, and fear John 3:18b is written to them, though it is specifically addressed to unbelievers: ". . . But he who does not believe (cleave to, rely on, trust in Him {Christ}) is judged already [he has already been convicted and has already received his sentence] because he has not believed in and trusted in the name of the only begotten Son of God. [He is condemned for refusing to let his trust rest in Christ's name]" (The Amplified Bible *). Many Christians become indoctrinated with relentless teachings of hellfire, brimstone, and condemnation and begin accepting the second half of John 3:18 as their lot in life, all the while refuting the freedom from condemnation received through Christ's redeeming work. This relief from condemnation should reign supreme in the foundation of our soul, as we believe on the completed work of Jesus Christ.
Psalms 32:1:
BLESSED is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
Psalms 103:12:
As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
Well since God has forgiven us and cast our sins far away, then this should be our outlook as well. So what can be done that will help us remember that we are in the graces of our loving Heavenly Father? Thank God, for the Epistle and doctrine of Romans, for Romans covers this inner conflict of utter, self-inflected condemnation in detail, giving believers an out, a refreshing way to break this tedious and often endless cycle of life-draining condemnation.
Romans 8:1a:
THERE is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. . .
This verse does not say, "There is therefore now condemnation," but, "NO CONDEMNATION" and this is the will of God. Condemnation also means judgment, for there is therefore now NO judgment, and thus no fear of judgment to anticipate either now or in our future from our loving heavenly Father (see Romans 5:9, and I Thessalonians 1:9-10, 5:9). Believing this places us with them which are in Christ Jesus and permits Christ Jesus to genuinely be our Savior from condemnation and judgment. Knowing this and this alone can help make our lives free. By no means was God wasting His time having Romans 8:1 written to us because it cost Him everything, including enduring the death of His Son, Jesus Christ, to free our lives from condemnation and to redeem our lives back into the loving and forgiving arms of our Heavenly Father. Rather than thinking on condemnation, on the sin nature, and on our inadequacies, let us ponder on a wonderful section of Scripture that is spiritually awe-inspiring from the Amplified Bible:
Philippians 4:6-9 (The Amplified Bible):*
-6: Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.
-7: And God's peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
-8: For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think and weigh and take account of these things [fix your mind on them].
-9: Practice what you have learned {from the above} and received and heard and seen in me {for the above is what the Apostle Paul thought on in his mind}, and model your way of living on it, and the God of peace (of untroubled, undisturbed well-being) will be with you.
In verse 6 above we read, continue to make your wants known to God and only someone who does not harbor condemnation in his heart will have the boldness and confidence to ask God with a believing mind in expectation of truly receiving.
I John 3:21:
Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.
I John 5:14-15:
-14: And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.
-15: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
Once our petitions are offered to God freely without condemnation then we will begin receiving whatsoever we ask! We are currently heaven bound and have been freed from condemnation to enjoy the eternal graces of our Creator. These things we can relish in the heart of our hearts and don in our minds because this is the truth of the Scriptures and "thus saith the Lord!"
So, Please - No Condemnation - OK!
"Condemnation does not liberate, it oppresses." Carl Gustav Jung
"Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future." Paul Boese
"Forgiveness is the answer to the child's dream of a miracle by which what is broken is made whole again, what is soiled is made clean again." Dag Hammarskjold
"Forgiveness is love in its most noble form." Anon
John 3:16-17 (The Amplified Bible):*
-16: {Jesus is speaking:} For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.
-17: For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world; but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him.
I Thessalonians 5:9 (The Amplified Bible):*
For God has not appointed us to [incur His] wrath [He did not select us to condemn us], but [that we might] obtain [His] salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah).
I John 1:9 (The Amplified Bible):*
If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins {to God}, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action].
* Scripture taken from THE AMPLIFIED BIBLE.
The Amplified New Testament copyright (c) 1958, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation.
Used by permission.
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"THE truth of the Lord's coming runs like a golden thread from Genesis to Revelation. It is not a new doctrine, but an old truth . . . May we see how full the Scripture is of it, and how it runs like a golden thread." William G. Carr / June 1894
". . . (Jesus Christ) asserted that the Old Testament Scriptures were as historically true, as they were true from every other stand-point. The history of Moses He endorses –Daniel He endorses as the prophet of God in his own times: and Jeremiah also, and Elijah, Elisha, and Nehemiah; so we might go on and give name after name that the blessed Lord endorses as historically true, and connected with the very events and times in which the Old Testament related them. The very facts of the Old Testament Scriptures which modern skeptics delight to sneer at and laugh at us for believing, He takes up and endorses.
Did the fish swallow Jonah? we are sometimes asked.
The Lord Jesus says it did.
Was Jonah three days and three nights in the fish's belly, and then Was he cast up by the miraculous power of God alive?
Christ declares it was so.
Was Lot's wife turned into a pillar of salt as she crossed the burning plain of Sodom?
Christ says she was.
Did the bush burn with fire, and yet was not consumed? Did God speak out of the bush?
Christ says it was so.
Was the brazen serpent lifted up in the wilderness, and when the bitten Israelite looked at it, was he healed?
Christ says that it was so.
Was the manna given in the wilderness day by day from heaven, and not on the seventh day? Yes, Christ says so.
Did the flood come and destroy them all? Was there a universal deluge? Christ says there was.
He stands by the Old Testament Scriptures then in these very points where modern though sneeringly says, "how can these things be? . . . .
(Jesus Christ) declares the Old Testament to be full of Himself: in Moses, in the Psalms, in the prophets. On the blessed resurrection morning He opened the understanding of the disciples that they might see Him in all that had been written (Luke 24:44ff).
Modern teachers tell us that there never was a tabernacle in the wilderness–that all that is said about the tabernacle in the wilderness is a mere myth–there was no such place for worship till the temple was built–it is those connected with the temple who invented the story and added it to the canon (i.e., the original inspired Text of the Scriptures) when the temple and its glory had passed away. Was it so? Our Lord endorsed the fact of the tabernacle. Our Lord endorses the fact of the Mosaic ritual, and the Levitical economy, and ascribes it to Moses: and over and over again He attests the Mosaic worship, and the tabernacle economy. The tabernacle is a history full of Himself from the beginning to end. He said, "Abraham rejoiced to see My day." One has well said, "The sacred writers made it their principal object to announce, to describe, and to honour the Saviour": and so they do too, from Genesis to Revelation. The great aim of the Old Testament Scriptures is to announce, describe, and honour the Lord Jesus, and when the Lord Jesus appeared among men He accepted the whole testimony, endorsed it all, and said, "This day are these Scriptures fulfilled in your ears," and in your sight.
I close by just reminding you that the disciples followed their Lord. In their Epistles they treat the Old Testament Scriptures in precisely the same way; and the Old and the New stand or fall together, so are they interwoven: built and based, as it were, the one upon the other. Ah! where is modern thought wrong? Modern thought seeks to adjust the Bible to itself, which is exactly the wrong way about. The right thing to do, according to divine teaching, is to adjust all human thought to the Bible. What our teachers now-a-days want is to make the Bible fit their theories, and adjust it to their way of looking at things. Oh, how many volumes are written just for this purpose to try and square the Bible-teaching with the thoughts of modern teachers. Men desire to get rid of the supernatural: but what are we without the supernatural? What power have we? What puny creatures we are apart from the eternal power–the supernatural power which the Word of God reveals as the source of all things. Oh, why should we wish to get rid of the supernatural? Rather let us cling to it, rejoice in it as a higher power than man can bring to bear, a governing spirit which carries all before it as it moves along.
Modern thought attempts to make the intellect supreme, forgetting that the intellect is depraved as a part of man's nature: that from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot the fall has done its work in man. Shall reason and intellect vaunt themselves over the revelation of God? Surely not. Modern thought seeks to depreciate the spiritual, not elevate the material: but the spiritual element, the spiritual power is the main and vital force. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh: that which is born of the spirit is spirit." What is wanted is that we should just receive the spiritual; that the spirit which God has given to us should rise above the soul and above the body, and in communion with God's Holy Spirit find its power for service, find its right sphere of life, and of development, and of all that is holy, and blessed, and true." Pastor Fuller Gooch / November 1894 (From a Christian conference in May 1895 in Edinburgh UK)
"Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee" Deuteronomy 16:17
"I have held many things in my hands and have lost them all . . . But whatsoever I have placed in God's hands - that I still possess." Martin Luther
"John 3:16 contains the most preeminent love story ever told: For God – the supreme Creator and our heavenly Father, so loved the world – the loveliest act of a commitment ever made, that He gave – the ultimate present, His only begotten Son – the most perfect being, that whosoever believeth in him – the greatest offering to one and all, should not perish – the endless promise, but have everlasting life – this is your eternal reward." L.M.J.
"One of the greatest evidences of the inspiration of Scripture is that it everywhere points to Christ, the living Word. Christ is the very spirit and soul and body of the Scriptures–He is the substance of all shadows and types; and while in the Old Testament He is veiled, He is revealed in the New. He is the "Yea and Amen" of all the promises of the Word of God. He is the one signified in all the offerings and sacraments. He was proclaimed in Eden: prefigured in the Ark: pointed to in Isaac; portrayed in the lamb–pictured in the brazen serpent in the wilderness; prophesied by Moses; personified by Joshua; and He is the very centre and circumference of the Book (the Bible) . . . He is the seed of the woman in Genesis: He is the Passover lamb in Exodus: the High Priest of Leviticus; the smitten rock in Numbers; the Prophet of Deuteronomy: the captain of the Lord's hosts in Joshua; the deliverer in Judges; the mighty man of strength in the Book of Ruth; the patient man in Job; the afflicted and glorified one in the Psalms; the man of wisdom in the Proverbs; the preacher of Ecclesiastes; the beloved in the Song of Songs . . . ." William G. Carr / May 1895 |
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