August 18: Romans 8
August 18, 2010
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."--Romans 8:1
There is no condemnation for you. Do you believe that?
The more time I spend with my own heart, and with other Christians, the more I've become aware of how much false condemnation we carry. Despite what the Scripture says, many of us continue to relate to God from a place of condemnation.
In some cases, our pride keeps us from believing and experiencing the freedom of no condemnation. We say to ourselves, "How could Jesus' sacrifice pay for all my sin and secure an absolutely sure standing before God forever?" For many of us, this sounds too good to be true, because our sin is too heinous to be forgiven--or so we think.
If that's you, it's a lie.
When condemnation comes, some of us feed it's appetite by promising to do better. We place the onus of our acceptance before God on our own shoulders, believing that more obedience will somehow lessen the load of condemnation--or so we think.
If this is you, it's a lie.
There is no sin so great that it can't be atoned for by Christ; and there is no obedience so perfect that it doesn't need to be atoned for by Christ. Both our sin and our righteousness must be washed in the blood of the lamb. We are the worst of sinners, even when we are righteous, which means we are utterly hopeless unless someone outside of ourselves saves us.
So, go ahead and admit it to yourself before God. Say it aloud. "I am the worst of sinners." Say it again; say it till you believe it. But when you believe it, don't stop there. Take your worst-of-sinners heart and give it the God who loved you enough to send His Son to die for the worst of sinners just like you.
"No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in him, is mine;
Alive in Him, my Living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach the eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own."--Charles Wesley ("And Can It Be")
There is no condemnation for you. Do you believe that?
The more time I spend with my own heart, and with other Christians, the more I've become aware of how much false condemnation we carry. Despite what the Scripture says, many of us continue to relate to God from a place of condemnation.
In some cases, our pride keeps us from believing and experiencing the freedom of no condemnation. We say to ourselves, "How could Jesus' sacrifice pay for all my sin and secure an absolutely sure standing before God forever?" For many of us, this sounds too good to be true, because our sin is too heinous to be forgiven--or so we think.
If that's you, it's a lie.
When condemnation comes, some of us feed it's appetite by promising to do better. We place the onus of our acceptance before God on our own shoulders, believing that more obedience will somehow lessen the load of condemnation--or so we think.
If this is you, it's a lie.
There is no sin so great that it can't be atoned for by Christ; and there is no obedience so perfect that it doesn't need to be atoned for by Christ. Both our sin and our righteousness must be washed in the blood of the lamb. We are the worst of sinners, even when we are righteous, which means we are utterly hopeless unless someone outside of ourselves saves us.
So, go ahead and admit it to yourself before God. Say it aloud. "I am the worst of sinners." Say it again; say it till you believe it. But when you believe it, don't stop there. Take your worst-of-sinners heart and give it the God who loved you enough to send His Son to die for the worst of sinners just like you.
"No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in him, is mine;
Alive in Him, my Living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach the eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own."--Charles Wesley ("And Can It Be")
