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No Condemnation

Romans 8:1-2
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. (NIVUK)

Despite our sinfulness, our inability to control or reform ourselves, and despite the ineffectiveness of religious rules ... those who believe in Jesus are released from condemnation.  This is a Divine declaration to all who have confessed their heart’s rebellion against God and repented!  God chooses not to remember our sins and He removes our personal burden of guilt.  The inevitable down-pull of sin's gravity has been broken and replaced with new life in Jesus.

This is unique to faith in Jesus Christ; and is only possible because He took the condemnation of our sins into His own dying body (1 Peter 2:24).  He accepted our death so that we might receive His life (Isaiah 53:4-6).  Those who believe that this is true, and submit to His authority, are born again by God's Spirit who also gives us joy, peace and hope (Romans 15:13).

There is, now, no reason why believers in Jesus should carry a burden of hopelessness.  Satan wants to depress us with memories of our sin and rebellion: if he cannot get us out of God's kingdom, he wants to make us miserable within it.  But Christ has come to set us free (Galatians 5:1)!

If you are ‘in Christ’, you have been set free from the condemnation of sin and death (2 Corinthians 5:17).  Therefore, as Nehemiah 8:10 says, "… Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."  So let us wake up to the reality of 'no condemnation'; let us put away miserable self-defeat and step forward into God's purposes with confidence that He does not condemn us.

Prayer 
My loving heavenly Father. Thank You for not condemning me. Thank You for allowing Jesus to take all my sin with its shame. Forgive me when I wallow in the mess created by my sin instead of turning to You for forgiveness and another new start. Please help me to claim this promise and live in joyful freedom so that I can serve You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
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© Dr Paul Adams