No condemnation… (Romans 8:1) 151008
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Rom 8:1)
Sometime, I am really amazed by the imagination I have, or rather amazed by the imagination God has given to me.
I imagine that I had killed someone in the rage of my anger. I was presented in court; the judge pronounced me guilty and sentenced me to death penalty. I was remorseful and guilty. I felt that I was hopeless and condemned for eternal hell. But one day, Jesus came and told me that if I were to be in Him, there will be no condemnation. I can be forgiven.
I imagine I had a good wife and a few children, and that’s a happy family, but I committed adultery with my secretary and my wife found out and she wanted a divorce. I felt sorry and regret. I wanted very much to keep the family intact, but I had failed to keep my commitment and promise which I made on our wedding day: till death do us part. My wife had the right not to forgive me, she had the right to hate me and she had the right to ask for a divorce. My company found out my affair with my secretary, and decided to ask me to leave my job. My secretary was not serious with me and we broke up, anyway I knew that I was wrong and wanting to ask for a break up. I had no job, no family, no relationship and no reputation. I felt so condemn and hopeless. I ready for eternal condemnation for all I had done. But one day, Jesus came and told me that if I were to be in Him, there will be no condemnation. I can be forgiven.
I imagine that I did not report my income accurately and IRAS found out and charged me for tax evasion. I was found guilty and sentence to jail. My family and relatives despised me for bring disgrace to them. My company fired me because they were unable to trust me anymore. My church looked at me differently and people began to distance from me, for I had brought dishonor to the church name and I had committed a sin and I was a sinner all over again. I felt shameful and surely I was guilty of my misdeed. It was not a moment of folly; it was a deliberate act of greed and dishonesty. I left the church and thinking that I can leave God there because I was too ashamed to face Him. But one day, Jesus came and told me that if I were to be in Him, there will be no condemnation. I can be forgiven.
I imagine I did not want to waste a parking coupon and left my car at carpark for only 15 minutes and found a summon ticket on my car’s windscreen. I felt stupid and regretful. Maybe, I felt angry and started swearing and cursing the carpark warden and HDB and government and even God for not preventing that ticket to land on my car. Then, I felt bad, really bad for my reaction. I felt condemn for this was not the first time. I had promised God and myself that I would change my bad temper. I went into depression for being unable to fulfill what I promised myself to do. I was even suicidal, and hopeless. But one day, Jesus came and told me that if I were to be in Him, there will be no condemnation. I can be forgiven.
Isn’t that amazing that I can have such imagination? But we can be in such situation in life. We felt so condemn by our action, thought and even words. We are simply disappointed with ourselves because of our inability to do good and keep sinning. All the above are merely imagination; please do not let your imagination run wild and think that these are my true stories in disguise. I might have killed many cockroaches, but never kill anyone else, though sometime the thought do come by. I don’t have a secretary to have an affair with, I don’t have to evade tax for do not have much to pay, and I don’t have a car for I am still learning how to drive, but I did have a motorbike in the past. That is history.
The truth is that we live in a world whereby we can be easily trapped by the temptation and fall from grace. We can be in self-denial, or be defensive or be in self condemnation. Anyway, we are already being judged by our sinful deeds and thoughts. There is no need for Jesus to condemn me further. That is why Jesus did not come to judge, but to save. We are our own judge. We are condemned if we are looking within ourselves. But Jesus came and told me that if I were to be in Him, there will be no condemnation. I can be forgiven. In Him, there is no condemnation. In Him, I can be forgiven. In Him, I am a freed person.
Are you still carrying the condemnation you laid upon yourself? Come into Christ, there is no condemnation. The reason why we feel condemn at times, it is because we have forgotten that we are in Christ. Keep remaining in Christ. Keep remembering that you are already in Christ. And in Christ, there is no condemnation. Are you in Christ? Do you remember to remain in Christ?
HHS…
Abel…
