The Secret to Overcoming Condemnation
Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:1 NASB
I don’t know about you, but when I read the Bible, I feel encouraged that the apostle Paul—the trailblazing apostle of grace that he was—faced the same struggles with the flesh and with condemnation that you and I face today. Who among us cannot totally identify with his frustrated cry of “ . . . the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice . . . O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Rom. 7:19, 24). When Paul was struggling under the law, he was condemned again and again (you can read Paul’s account of his struggle in Romans 7).
But thank God, Paul does not stop there. He goes on to show us in today’s scripture that we can counter the accuser’s attacks because there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus! That is it, my friend—even when there is sin, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus, period. There are no conditions and no prerequisites. Jesus has already been condemned for all our sins. It’s all about His finished work and none of man’s efforts. He Himself is the answer to Paul’s cry for help. Hallelujah!
When the accuser comes to condemn you for all your faults, declare yourself righteous because of what Jesus has done and because His blood cleanses you continually. Remind yourself that the Holy Spirit was sent to convict you of your righteousness apart from works. The declaration is true every moment, every day. It is true in the morning. It is true in the night. And when tomorrow comes, it is still true. There is presently, continuously, no condemnation for you because you are in Christ!
Here’s how liberating God’s grace is. A brother named Jeff wrote and told me of how he had been severely depressed for almost 10 months, and became so introspective and self-conscious that he had anxiety attacks. He focused on his actions and failures and allowed his condemning thoughts to define his identity and sense of worth. Hungry and desperate for answers from the Lord, he read the Bible and many books on theology, listened to sermons by various preachers, and researched Bible topics online. Yet, when he tried to apply all this knowledge to his life, none of it worked. He still felt depressed, defeated, and worthless.
Then, he discovered the gospel of grace through one of my books, and this is what he experienced:
Pastor Prince, the huge burden of trying to live up to the law for almost a decade, and which led to my depression, was finally lifted! I was already a Christian, but I was only set free after I discovered the true meaning of grace and being saved. It was such a simple shift in perspective that I can’t believe I didn’t know this before! It’s not our ability to obey in our thoughts, but it’s Christ’s obedience.
Because I now know that I’m righteous in Christ and that God no longer condemns me because of Jesus, I have no more fears as my focus is now on Him and not me! I am now even more confident and joyful than I was before the depression had even started!
Beloved, what will give you the boldness to go to God is the knowledge that today, He is ever gracious and He sees you completely righteous. What will cause you to go boldly before His throne of grace is the knowledge that He will never condemn you because you are in Jesus Christ! Praise be to God, there is therefore now—presently and continuously—no condemnation for those who are in Christ. This is the Word of God for you today!
This devotional is taken from the book Reign in Life—90 Powerful Inspirations for Extraordinary Breakthroughs. Joseph Prince