1113 - Accepting the Gift of No Condemnation#
1113 - Accepting the Gift of No Condemnation
(JP Text Group - Organized by Yun Dan Feng Qing)
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.
Let us pray together:
Loving Heavenly Father, we thank and praise you! At this time, your children gather here to listen to your words, and the Holy Spirit guides us to know you more. Keep each of our hearts drawn to your words, so that we may receive your provision. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!
We share the topic: Accepting the Gift of No Condemnation
The scripture we just read mentions: Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Amen!
Brothers and sisters, I want to ask you, are you in Christ Jesus? Some say yes. But if you sin tomorrow, are you still in Christ Jesus?
If you are very sure that no matter what happens, you are in Christ Jesus, your faith is assured. The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ was offered once for all, making you righteous forever, God no longer condemns you.
Hebrews 10:11-14
Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
Our God is not a capricious God; He is an unchanging God, a faithful Lord. The Bible says: In Him there is no change or shifting shadow. The moment you believe in Jesus, you are a person in Christ Jesus, and those in Christ Jesus are not condemned because:
Because the law of the Spirit who gives life has set me free from the law of sin and death.
The law of sin and death refers to the law of Moses. Under the law, a person is condemned, and condemnation leads to death. But those who believe in Jesus Christ are no longer under the law of sin and death, but under the law of life and the Spirit.
One leads to death, the other to life; one is a curse, the other is a blessing. In the past, people were under the law of sin and death, but through the Son of God, Jesus, who accomplished salvation on the cross, died for our sins, and resurrected, He saved us from the law of sin and death, thus entering into the law of life and the Spirit.
Galatians 4:4-6
But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”
We receive the gift of no condemnation; this gift is not an object, but a person, His name is Jesus.
We share the first point: Condemnation brings a person back under the power of the law.
When a person is in condemnation, it pulls them back under the power of the law. As we mentioned earlier, Jesus has saved us from the power of the law. If we are condemned again, whether self-condemned or condemned by others, it pulls us back under the power of the law once more.
What God has given us is the gift of no condemnation, and this gift is called Jesus! You must open this gift, and when you open it, you will see what Jesus has accomplished for you. Many people know Jesus and praise this gift, saying it is so beautiful, and they know Jesus is the gift from God, but they have not opened Him. Their lives remain the same as before.
Thus, we see many people still living in pain, failure, and condemnation. Many talk about Jesus while recounting their many sins, but Jesus has already saved us from the law and death.
Hebrews 2:14: Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil.
This "children" refers to all of us who believe in Jesus. Because we have flesh and blood, Jesus also shared in our humanity; God took on the form of a man. The Gospel of John mentions "the Word became flesh," referring to Jesus coming to the world in human form. If God remained in heaven, people could not understand or see Him, but God became a man, His name is Jesus, who became flesh for what purpose? "So that by his death," in other words; Jesus became flesh like us so that He could lay down His life for us. The purpose of Jesus laying down His life for us is to destroy the one who holds the power of death—that is, the devil.
The devil has already been defeated! Please remember this forever! Jesus, through His death, has already destroyed the devil who holds the power of death, Amen! Those who believe in Jesus have been released from the power and bondage of the devil. Those who believe in Jesus have already been released from fear and death. If a person does not sin, they will not die; similarly, if a person does not sin, there will be no sickness, weakness, or fear, etc.
Romans 5:12: Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned.
Why do people die? The reason is simple: it is because of sin. Sin did not come from the devil but from Adam, just as we read in the previous verse, "sin entered the world through one man," referring to Adam, and death came through sin because Adam sinned and brought death into the world.
1 Corinthians 15:55-56: Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
All people have sinned, and death has come to all. The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. I have checked the original text, and "power" means the ability to execute, the meaning of strength; in other words, the law gives sin the ability to execute.
This is why the devil is so afraid of the grace of Christ, because Christ removes the curse of the law, which will cause the devil to lose the qualification to condemn. The devil particularly hopes that every believer focuses on sin and human corruption. Because the devil knows that a person cannot become holy by the law, nor can they obtain life through the law. If the root of sin and death is removed, when a person's heart is filled with the grace of Christ, they will not want to sin.
Romans 7:5: For when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death.
What is being in the flesh? It is being self-centered, living in selfish desires. This will produce sinful desires. When sinful desires are full, they will work in the body, resulting in fruit for death.
The Bible tells us that what arises from the law is sinful desires, and sinful desires will work in the bodies of those who keep the law. Paul said: I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. There is no way out by relying on oneself. When a person tries to do good, they find that what they do is evil; when they want to help others, their words end up hurting that person.
If a person returns to the law and is constantly condemned by others or self-condemned, their life will be a mess. You want to live well, but it gets worse and worse. No one wants to live a miserable life every day; everyone hopes to live a victorious life, but relying on the law, there is no way to achieve victory. Romans 7:25 gives us the correct method:
Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
We are not sanctified by the law, but we are victorious through Jesus Christ. He is our strength, and the Holy Spirit will guide us to live in victory. Guiding our actions.
Share the second point: Condemnation comes from the law; death comes from sin.
Romans 7:6: But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.
How can a person be released from the law? It is when they die. Verse 6 begins by saying: But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law. The wages of sin is death. If we have died under the law, we are released from the law. We are no longer under the law.
The law can make a person aware of sin, but it cannot completely solve a person's sin, nor can it give a person the strength to overcome sin. Therefore, God sent Jesus to bring grace; He has already overcome sin, so we serve the Lord in the new way of the Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth; the coming of the Holy Spirit is not to point out your sins, nor to tell you how useless you are, but to guide you into all truth. This is what John 16:13 says, But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.
The Holy Spirit helps us look to Jesus, reminding us of what Christ did on the cross, why He had to suffer such lashes, why He had to endure such punishment, why He had to face such humiliation. When you think about Jesus' love for you, you suddenly find that you have the strength to love others, the strength to forgive others. And this strength is given to you by the Lord Jesus.
Jesus is your holiness, Jesus is your righteousness, Jesus is your redemption. When you are weak, Jesus is your strength; when you are confused and lost, Jesus is your hope; when you are in darkness, Jesus is your light.
Verse 7: What shall we say then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”
This passage clearly tells us that these are some laws from the Ten Commandments, and it tells us that we have been released from these laws.
Verse 8: But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead.
This verse is particularly important because without the law, sin is dead. If no one tells you the law, even though there is sin inside people, it cannot be activated, just like a firecracker; as long as there is no fire, it is safe. This is what it means that without the law, sin is dead.
Verse 9: Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died.
As long as a person does not focus on the law, they are alive. When Moses brought down the Ten Commandments, sin sprang to life, and as a result, people died. Brothers and sisters, remember: if you think about sin every day, you will become timid and dare not do anything, lacking faith. No matter what you do, you always feel you have offended God. This is: When the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died.
Verses 10-11: I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. For sin, seizing the opportunity, deceived me and through the commandment put me to death.
Death is absolutely not God's intention. God created such a beautiful world for us, not for us to die, but for us to live forever. Brothers and sisters, when you accept the gift of no condemnation, Jesus, you are no longer related to death because the Lord Jesus has already overcome death. Hallelujah!
In Romans 5:12-14, it mentions, Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned.
When Adam was born, he had no sin, but when Adam disobeyed God's word, he brought sin into the world, and death became king. Moreover, Adam's descendants also became sinners.
Verse 13: To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone's account where there is no law.
When did the law appear? It was received by Moses when he led the Israelites. There were thousands of years between Adam and Moses. The Bible says: from Adam to Moses, sin was already in the world. But during that time from Adam to Moses, there was no law, so the Bible says: without the law, sin is not counted as sin. What does it mean that "sin is not counted as sin"? Does it mean that God turns a blind eye to your sins, and when you sin, God acts as if He has not seen it? No, this is not God's way. God will never declare the guilty as innocent, nor will He declare the innocent as guilty.
What does it mean that "not counted as sin"? The original Greek meaning is: not recorded, not charged to someone's account. Before the law, sin was in the world, and even if someone sinned, God did not charge their sin to their account.
Verse 14: Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come.
I want to tell you, brothers and sisters, our Creator has always had the authority to judge. When there was no law, it was people's conscience that was at work. For example, you all know that these people lived before the law. For instance, there was a man named Joseph. At that time, there was no law, but Joseph knew that taking someone else's wife was wrong; this is a great evil. What was at work? It was his conscience. Even without the law, a person's conscience can still discern good and evil. Although God does not count their sins, people still sin. And the wages of sin is death. Therefore, all people ultimately face death.
The absence of the law does not mean that God turns a blind eye to sin. When human sin reaches a certain level, God intervenes to judge. The Bible records two major judgments: one was in the time of Noah, when the flood destroyed that era.
Genesis 6:5: The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.
Then later, God destroyed Sodom, for the people of Sodom were exceedingly wicked in the sight of the Lord.
You will find that these two verses are very similar. At that time, there was no law, but when human wickedness accumulated to a certain level, God's judgment came.
At that time, there was no law, and sin had already emerged. When sin grew, death came. Thus, in the time of Noah's flood and the sins of the people of Sodom, their sins had grown, and they were exceedingly wicked before God, resulting in judgment coming upon them.
But we know that this wickedness is the accumulation of many sins, but under the law, these people had already been disciplined by God. However, because there was no law in Noah's time, God waited until their wickedness was full before judging them.
Let me give you an example that you might understand better. The prohibition against drinking and driving in our country was enacted after May 1, 2011. This means that if you drank and drove in 2010, was it considered a crime? No, because at that time, there was no law regarding drunk driving. Even if you drank and drove then, it was not considered a crime. But if you drank and then hit someone, that would be a crime.
However, in places where there is no prohibition against drunk driving, it is not considered a crime because that country does not have that law. People can drink and drive, but the law is good for better living. If a person drinks and drives and hits someone, it is bad for everyone. If there is such a law, it is actually good.
Share the third point: Accepting Jesus is accepting the gift of no condemnation.
John 3:17-18:
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
This passage is very important! Many people can memorize John 3:16: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Verses 17 and 18 are still very important; the latter verse explains the former.
Why are people not condemned? Because God sent His Son into the world not to condemn the world. Jesus took on our sins, so God no longer condemns us.
Some say that Jesus only forgave all the sins of those who believed in Him before, and that for the sins committed after believing in Him, one must confess to God to be forgiven. If not confessed, God will discipline, whip, and bring calamity upon them, and they will not be saved.
Actually, this way of speaking does not align with the Bible and is contradictory. If Jesus has already paid the price for our sins, and believers are still condemned and can lose their salvation, then it means that the work accomplished by Christ is not stable. Thus, His work is not complete.
Under the law, when a person cannot keep all the laws, breaking one means breaking them all, and the consequence of breaking the law is death. If Jesus came and did not completely fulfill the law, where is the hope for people? The Bible only tells us: God sent His Son into the world not to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. We are saved because of Jesus; He knows we cannot keep the law, so He fulfilled the law for us, allowing the righteousness of the law to be fulfilled in us. He has given us the identity of the righteous.
The reason believers are not condemned is that Jesus took on our sins and paid the price. Jesus died for our sins and rose again three days later; we are justified. We receive the righteousness of Christ, the blessings of Christ!
What believers should reflect on is the work Jesus did on the cross. When you have sickness in your body, think: By His stripes, I am healed today. When you have no peace in your heart, when you are anxious, when you feel like exploding, when you find everyone displeasing, at that moment, think about what Jesus has done for you. He bore the punishment for you, so you can have peace! Hallelujah! Therefore, we must open this gift; you should carefully read what kind of work Jesus has accomplished for you. The content is in the Bible, in what He said and did, all of it is here.
We believe in Jesus not just as a name, but we must know what Jesus has done for you, what kind of work He has accomplished for you, and why He says you are no longer condemned. Verse 18 says: Whoever believes in him is not condemned.
We must find out that the reason for not being condemned is that someone has already been condemned in your place. Hallelujah! Christians may still sin, but I want to tell you that because you have accepted Jesus, God no longer condemns you. When you feel condemned, it is because you are pulling yourself back under the law, and the only way to escape sin is to accept the gift of no condemnation.
This is why Jesus said to the woman caught in adultery: Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more. When the adulterous woman was caught and brought before Jesus, everyone was condemning her, but they had no authority to condemn. Only Jesus, who had the qualification to condemn, did not condemn the woman. We all know that this woman indeed sinned, but Jesus did not condemn her. The reason is John 3:17: For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
I hope you can memorize this verse! Use it to declare often! The Son of God, Jesus, came into the world not to condemn your sin, but to save you through His name! Whoever believes in Him is no longer condemned!
You believe in such a Lord! When Jesus said to that woman, I do not condemn you, she then had the strength to not sin anymore. Brothers and sisters? Not sinning is a gift given to her by God, which enables her to have the strength to not sin. Many people have it reversed, saying, you first do not sin, then I will not condemn you. But let me ask, who can live a life without mistakes?
The characteristic of the law is that if a person does not sin, they are not condemned. But Jesus is not like that; Jesus means to first give people the grace of no condemnation, and then they receive the strength to not sin, overcoming sin. Although Christians may still sin after believing in Jesus, God does not condemn them. Do not say that once we believe in the Lord, we will not sin anymore; such people do not exist. But the fact is, when Jesus shed His precious blood on the cross, He has already forgiven all your past, present, and future sins; you are justified by faith. Hallelujah!
When you accept the gift of no condemnation, it becomes your power to live for God. We are no longer under God's wrath because Jesus Christ personally took on our sins on the cross. He accepted God's righteous judgment and punishment. When reading the Bible, you must see that Jesus on the cross endured great suffering and was separated from the Father.
Because at that time, all the sins of humanity were upon Jesus, and God could not possibly be with even a tiny bit of sin. Do you understand what I mean? You have the Holy Spirit inside you; the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of holiness, the Spirit of truth. How could He possibly be with sin? Only when you are righteous do you have the qualification to receive the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit dwells in you, and the issue of sin has already been resolved.
In the Old Testament, although there was also the Holy Spirit, people had to first cleanse themselves. The Holy Spirit temporarily dwelled in people. If a person sinned, the Holy Spirit would leave. This is why David prayed not to let the Holy Spirit depart from him.
Psalm 51:9-11
Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
But under the New Testament, Jesus Christ has already paid the price for your sins. He has removed your sins, so the Holy Spirit dwells in you forever. When Jesus said "It is finished" on the cross, He had completed all the righteous requirements of the law. Jesus has accomplished it for you, so God fully accepts you. Hallelujah!
God has given you His Son as a gift. When you accept Jesus, you are accepting the gift of Jesus' righteousness, health, true peace, and no condemnation, receiving eternal life from Jesus, and also accepting the grace and truth that flows from Jesus. Thank and praise the Lord!
Why is Jesus always our center? Because all of this cannot be accomplished by us through even the slightest action. If a person wants to obtain God's righteousness through their own actions, they must keep all of God's commandments. If they break one, they have broken them all. All curses may come upon them. A person is justified only by faith in what Jesus Christ has accomplished. John 3:18: Whoever believes in him is not condemned.
No matter who it is, no matter how famous, if they tell you that because your behavior is bad, God will punish you, whip you, or bring diseases upon you, do not believe it, because Jesus has already paid the price for us, and we are no longer condemned.
Those who do not believe in Jesus are already condemned. Because they do not believe in the name of God's one and only Son, they must bear their own sins. But when a person believes in the name of Jesus Christ, He brings you power, grace, and truth. When you believe in Jesus, you enter into Christ!
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 me free from the law of sin and death.
The Son of God, Jesus Christ, came into the world not to condemn people, but to save people through Him. When we accept the Lord Jesus as our Savior, we enter into Christ, and the Holy Spirit enters our hearts, releasing us from the law of sin and death.
Isaiah 54:9-10 particularly mentions:
“To me this is like the days of Noah, when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth. So now I have sworn not to be angry with you, never to rebuke you again. Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you.
God has sworn because He could find no one greater than Himself, so He swore by Himself: I swear, I will not be angry with you, nor will I rebuke you. God will not be angry with you without reason, nor will He rebuke you, because God sees what Jesus did on the cross, and therefore He does not get angry with you, nor does He rebuke you.
Although many people in this world still live under the law, condemning each other, we receive the gift of no condemnation, so we will not condemn others. We must tell others about the grace of Jesus Christ!
Luke 6:36-37
Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
Jesus also does not want us to judge each other; He wants us to receive His grace and live a life of no condemnation. When we receive forgiveness from God, we are released.
Your life has been renewed by the Holy Spirit; you are no longer that old life. The old self has died; as we have shared earlier, since we have died to what once bound us, we have been released from the law, so that we may serve the Lord in the new way of the Spirit. Hallelujah! Our lives have been renewed; we are a new creation; the old has passed away; everything has become new.
After believing in Jesus, do not live with past negative thinking; do not live with a mindset of the law. Learn to declare the words of Jesus Christ. Thank the Lord! Because of Jesus, everything has become new. Because of Jesus Christ, you are a new person. Because of Jesus Christ, God has given you all His authority. You can live a victorious life through Jesus Christ. When you know you are no longer condemned, you have the strength and confidence to face life. Hallelujah!
How many people are afraid to pray to God? Some pray but are unsure if God hears them because they feel unworthy. This is self-condemnation; how can there be confidence in this? Only when you realize that you are justified by faith and are pleasing to God will you find that God especially wants you to come to Him, wants you to pray to Him. Coming before God is joyful. When you think this way, your life will be different.
When bad things happen to you, refuse them in the name of Jesus Christ, and pray to God for a way out. When others condemn you and attack you, pray for those people in the name of Jesus Christ, have compassion on them! You live by the word of God; our Lord defines your life. The words of the Bible define your life; only Jesus is the life, the way, and the truth! We believe in what aligns with the teachings of the Bible and reject what does not!
Let us pray together:
Loving Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise your grace. You sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins and then resurrected from the dead. I am justified. You have completely resolved my sins. I am no longer under the law but under grace. The Holy Spirit dwells in my heart, freeing me from the control of sin, enabling me to escape the power of death and sin. I am in Christ.
You no longer condemn me; I receive your forgiveness and live a life of forgiveness. Please help me not to condemn others in life, to see the strengths of others, and to often speak words that build others up. Please lead me in my new week, relying on the One who gives me strength, I can do all things. I look forward to wonderful things happening to me in the new week. Hallelujah! In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray! Amen!