An interesting topic ensued in a conversation with an old childhood friend who had firm religious background as me when growing up. We had an awesome time joking about how we navigated live as children of devout parents through teenage years. She was a model student and really excelled academically and morally since she belonged to a denomination known for enforcing authoritarian prominence on the doctrine of holiness. She described to me how on one occasion, she fell to teenage pressure and was seen by a member of her church. The gentleman later visited her family house and told her she was ‘no longer born again’ because of what she has done. Wow! That is absolute condemnation by fellow human! That is the power of a compromised mechanism called interpretation of denominational doctrine, I exclaimed.
Error of Interpretation
The subject of the Christian’s status if fallen to sin after salvation can be a little confusing, since our sins of the past and present have been forgiven in Jesus Christ. Like many, I was raised to believe that once a person is saved he or she lives a life on earth without sin. So I customarily lived with extreme intensity of condemnation, shame and guilt over mistakes and failures whenever I find myself caught in a struggle with volition to err against God’s word. When I fall, I then stay away from praying or fellowship because God is mad at me and will not entertain my presence , instead of making up with Him and “forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead” (Philippians 3:13). I began to study the topic of condemnation in the book Romans chapter eight with special interest on the Christ-like living in a Christ less society. (I have written a book on this)
Actualities of Interpretation
In Romans 8:1-2 the apostle Paul writes “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.”
The two major actualities from the above scripture that changed my mentality are:
- Verse one puts forward that “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit”.That is people who have submitted their lives to Christ and in whom He lives by the Holy Spirit are no longer under condemnation.
- Paul then gives his motivation, for making the above point, in verse two by saying “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death”.
The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus is the authority and power of the Spirit over every law, human justification/condemnation or hermeneutical interpretation.
These themes blew wide-open to me that justification is an act of God not man. It is a divine decision to acquit the guilty, to give all the benefits of the children of God to us who deserve hell. It is based on a transaction that happens outside of us, namely, the death of Jesus Christ in our place.
Condemnation Replaced by Conviction
As Christians we are free from the “law of sin and death,” which means, although we might fall to temptation, the law no longer has the power to condemn us. Instead, the Spirit, by its power, convicts us and leads us back to God in confession so as to be forgiven. This is true because 1 John 1:9 affirms that: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Trying to please GOD and obey His Word without the Spirit produces guilt and condemnation. And it makes us come up with our own standard instead of accepting and surrendering to GOD’s perfect standard. The truth is our freedom from condemnation depends on the spiritual in dwelling presence of the Jesus Christ which convicts us when we sin.
No Welcome Right to Err
So, since Christians are saved, does that mean that they can sin whenever they want? No, it doesn’t. Paul makes it clear that Christians don’t have a welcome right to sin. Before he wrote the verses mentioned above, he specified in Romans 6:1-2 that “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?”
Jesus came to free us from bondage to sin and the inner emotions and thoughts that tend to bring feelings of condemnation to us when we betray His trust because none of us can survive this walk without His help in picking us up when we do fall or stumble.
The School of Transformation
A Christian’s first and most important decision in life is his salvation in Jesus Christ (Matthew 7:24). Then after being saved, the Christian is expected to yield himself to the leadership of the Holy Spirit so he can bear the FRUIT of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and please his Savior by enrolling in the school of transformation via renewal of the mind (Romans 12:1-2) by the help of the Holy Spirit to crucify the works of the flesh and produce the fruits of the spirit.
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20 Comments
I pray the anointing of God on you will never dry. Such A Blessing to be fed with this message!
Excellent message. May God continue to bless you
This is indeed a welcoming message. I pray that God will continue to grace u with more initiative.God bless u. Amen.
Thanks for sharing this. Blessed by the message.
Great read! Thanks for sharing.
We are free indeed. Thanks
captivating nd insightful. God bless u Dimas
A very refreshing word! I recall the days when I would feel the weight of guilt from being told that I wasn’t living up to His standards, not knowing I could not do it in my own strength. After awhile I grew weary of my Christian walk. But with sound teaching such as this I was able to fully embrace my walk and grow accordingly.
In contrast to a typical two hour sermon of do’s and dont’s, I believe this small excerpt can dramatically change the lives of many Christians.
Captivating,happy knowin u wat a great message i bless God
Very,very awesomely,insightful and interestingly profound.I feel this is for me&also think this is one of the best so far…Christ didn’t come into this world to condemn but to save(Love)and give salvation to all wether good or bad,i.e jesus didn’t chose.We humans are so fond to hurrily write off and condemn each other wether friend or foe.May these insightful words be in our hearts and hands like God said(Hebrew 10:16-18)….I’m blessed!Thank you sir&God bless.
May God bless and enlarge your ministry. Thank you for sharing sir.
Ąℓℓ Glory be to God.
Tanks n Godbless
Insightful! The teaching on Grace and living in the Spirit will do us a lot of good as we navigate our christian journey. Thanks
Thanks for sharing this truth. May God continue to bless and increase u and I pray that many more christians will come to know that life without the Holy Spirit is a fruitless struggle after reading this.
good piece. well done my brother
DD,
You posted this on Feb. 12: I guess God is trying to tell us something in the season we live in. Many have strayed from Faith under the yoke and accusation of the enemy, forgetting the mercy of God is renewed every morning for a reason: [that we will need fresh for each day] – Lamentations 3:22-23 “The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning”. I certainly have gained so much from your posting; I believe it’s in season and from the heart of God. It syncs with what Bill Crowder shared on Feb. 8 through Our Daily Bread; “As my wife was babysitting our two young grandsons, they began to argue over a toy. Suddenly, the younger (by 3 years) forcefully ordered his older brother, “Cameron, go to your room!” Shoulders slumped under the weight of the reprimand, the dejected older brother began to slink off to his room when my wife said, “Cameron, you don’t have to go to your room. Nathan’s not the boss of you!” That realization changed everything, and Cam, smiling, sat back down to play. As followers of Christ, the reality of our brokenness and our inclination to sin can assume a false authority much like that younger brother. Sin noisily threatens to dominate our hearts and minds, and the joy drains from our relationship with the Savior. But through the death and resurrection of Christ, that threat is an empty one. Sin has no authority over us. That is why Paul wrote, “For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace” (Rom. 6:14). While our brokenness is very real, Christ’s grace enables us to live in a way that pleases God and expresses His transforming power to the world. Sin is no longer our boss. We now live in the grace and presence of Jesus. His dominion in our lives releases us from the bondage of sin”. —Bill Crowder [Our Daily Bread – Feb 8].
My God give us the grace to be broken and remain broken for His use, His communion, His intimacy, His fellowship, May we not live in the past, hold on to the bondage of sin that has been nailed to the cross, As Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:31; may we die daily to the desires of our body and be lifted in spirit to an undefiled union with Abba Father, as he commands: Hebrews 4:16:”Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need”. When we fall into sin,[not live in sin] it’s the time to go to Papa boldly and say, Daddy am sorry, please forgive me, wash me, let your grace abound, have mercy…..our loving Father always will embrace us for the heart that repents and loves.
KO
What an instrument you are in HIS hand, thanks for sharing and reminding me of who I am and where I belong. Just keep the fire burning and HE who started this good work in you will surely take you places and complete it. In JESUS NAME-Amen!
Right on point my brother. You have spoken the mind of many.
Thanks for sharing that revelation. Always great to be reminded of what God actually says.
Interesting piece.
Very refreshing reminder of God’s truth that needs to constantly remain on our radars.