no condemnation

We are told that for us in Christ Jesus, there is no condemnation. This is because Jesus took our just condemnation on himself when he died on the cross for our sins. So that we can go away, free from guilt by the forgiveness of our sins, and free to live a new life in Jesus by the Spirit. It's interesting how this passage ties the new life we're to live out by the Spirit along with Christ's death for us. Yes, in Jesus we're no longer condemned, but we're to live out that life of no condemnation.

Over my life, even as a Christian, I've experienced many days in which I've felt condemnation. I've learned not to accept that so that those days have become less and less. I do have days in which the Lord is dealing with me in loving discipline. There is a big difference. We in Jesus must reject all condemnation, even if there is truth in the accusations to our hearts. Instead we must learn to rest in God, and seek the justification through Christ, which brings us peace no matter what.

I am glad God deals with me as one of God's children. So I don't accept the feeling of condemnation, even when I can't shake it. I simply seek to rest in God, and in the truth I find in God through faith in Jesus. The Spirit brings conviction to us, but not condemnation. A conviction over sin which helps us one step at a time deal with it in accepting God's forgiveness, making a clean break of it, while making appropriate restitution. Or, as in many times in my life, calling Satan's bluff, and standing on the truth that my sin is forgiven.

One other thing: Condemnation is on us and usually is hazy, whereas God's conviction on us is over our sin and is specific. And condemnation results in or would push us toward death, while conviction helps us find forgiveness and life in Jesus.

What thoughts on this would you like to add here?

more on repentance

Byard taught and reminded us well, yesterday, concerning repentance as he and Shalini his wife, gave us some helpful teaching related to Lent. Byard mentioned that the elements of true repentance are contritition (sorrow over our sin), confession and remuneration- can't recall the word he used here (making it right where we can, as Zaccheus did).

What I especially liked was the simple teaching that repentance is essentially a 180 degree turn of going from one direction in sin, to the opposite direction toward God. And that through Jesus Christ. A true message of repentance always leaves one with good news, the gospel. And never with a sense of condemnation. The good news being that Jesus became one of us in the Incarnation- God became human, lived the life we are to live before God but cannot, and died for us to take our place for our sins. And that he rose, and that by faith we die and rise with him, to a new life, which begins now, and someday is completed at the resurrection.

I wonder what our experiences of hearing repentance preached have been like. Have they left us with a deep sense of guilt and condemnation, with no answers? I remember when I was ten years of age, I went down to the men's restroom at our "church" and cried out in a loud voice to God over my sins. I found out later that others could hear me, even though they were upstairs and behind closed doors.

But did that acknowledgment by me do any good? Not at all. Because there was no gospel, no good news in it. I needed to understand that my salvation was not in my confession or repentance, but in Christ. Through Jesus I could then truly repent and begin a new life. But that was not to come until some seven years later.

What about you? Would any of you like to share from your own lives on this, or any thoughts?

taking the rap

In seeking to follow Jesus and become like him, it is important to take others into consideration and be concerned for others' good, and not just our own. In any conflict we need to incorporate something of the African/American spiritual: "Standing in the Need of Prayer." But we also need to avoid the pitfall of condemnation, either from someone else or others, or from ourselves. That is not truth concerning us in Jesus.

I help others and arrive into true fellowship with them through Jesus, not directly but through him, and by prayer to God for them. And it's important to include ourselves when we're praying for someone with whom we may have an unresolved conflict or issue. In other words as I'm praying for them, I'm including myself in those prayers. "God, help so-and-so and I..."

Another important factor in this is to be open to taking the rap, and when I say that, all I mean is be willing to receive some hard words from Jesus, if he were present. I know Jesus is present by the Spirit, and I believe God can give us words today, even though I believe we have only Scripture as the written word of God, and all words are to be judged according to Scripture. But what if Jesus showed up in person, as he will at his return (second coming)? Many of us think he would take care of those opposed to us, but are not open to the truth that he would bring out into the open that which is not pleasing to God in our lives. He would make us all uncomfortable at first, or at least many of us- and I suspect this to be true of myself, before he would speak comforting words to us.

We often think negative thoughts of others. There can be truth in that, as well as sin. It ever needs to be tempered with love. And also with the realization that when we are in any conflict with someone, we are a part of that, and it's seldom if ever the case that we have no sin in such a matter, even if it's just our reaction to the wrong done to us.

I suspect there are some thoughts out there on this from your own lives and God's work in them. What might you like to share on this from that, or any thoughts?