No Condemnation

This post is part of a devotional series based on our 2019 Bible Reading Calendar.

Sin condemns. That’s one of the first lessons we learn from the Bible. God is good, perfect, and just. Rebelling against him is evil and is worthy of his wrath, found in death that leads to a hopeless eternal death.

Sin condemns. Sin hurts us and hurts those around us. It is a black hole, a deep pit from which we cannot find escape in ourselves.

Sin condemns. But in Jesus, there is hope.

In Romans 8:1, Paul wrote, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.” He went on to explain in 8:3-4 that God “condemned sin in the flesh by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh as a sin offering, in order that the law’s requirement would be fulfilled in us…”

Sin condemns, but in Jesus, God condemned sin.

Jesus did this by living a perfect, sinless life so that he could be a perfect sacrifice for our sin. God heaped the sins of his people, those who trust in Jesus as their Savior-King, upon Jesus. Jesus took them willingly to the cross where he absorbed God’s wrath and condemned our sin.

In exchange, we received the goodness and righteousness of Jesus so not we no longer stand condemned before God as rebels, but we come into the open arms of his presence as beloved sons and daughters (Romans 8:14-17).

If you belong to Jesus by faith, you are not condemned. If you belong to Jesus, you stand before God without a single spot of rebellion staining you. If you belong to Jesus, you have fulfilled everything the law of God requires of you because Jesus obeyed for you.

No memories of the person you were before Jesus can condemn. No voice of accusation from the enemy, Satan, can condemn. No whispers of gossip or harsh shouts of criticism from other people can condemn.

Knowing this frees us. We don’t have to try to earn God’s favor out of our condemnation because God already did everything required for us. Therefore, we can live faithfully to God, freely and happily, as he pours his love into our hearts through his Spirit.

Sin condemns.

But if you are in Jesus, you are not condemned.

All scripture quotations taken from the Christian Standard Bible.