chains – Broken Believers

Condemnation can go viral among believers. Not only does it infect us, but we become ‘carriers’ that often can sicken others spiritually. Our attitudes and thinking can become quite disturbed, and we then communicate that to our family and friends.

To be perfectly honest, condemnation is not easily defined. But it seems to be the feeling that we are being judged for our sin. It carries a judicial sense that a verdict has been spoken over our lives–and we are guilty as charged. Condemnation carries a sense of finality or doom. It has an idea of irreversible punishment. (Conviction, on the other hand is hopeful and comes with promise.)

People who are trying to live with condemnation feel as if they are waiting for an executioner to appear. There lives are filled with dread and foreboding. But it all seems right. Life unfolds for them in dark paranoia. On the other hand conviction will lead us to compassion and mercy, but condemnation is a lie and falsehood. There is a profound sense of guilt which a believer is able to push back–but only so far. It is heartbreaking to see, especially when you understand the scope of the battle that is taking place.

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Romans 8:1

The human race is under the righteous judgement of God for our sin. We cannot pretend that this isn’t real. Just a cursory overview of history supports this fact, with our wars and famines. In our natural state, we excel at mistreatment of others. There is a viciousness and an evil that is embedded in our hearts.

But Jesus is our Savior, He came in the pattern of a sacrificial lamb. He took on all of your sin, and evil. He absorbed it, and took your guilty verdict. He was your sacrifice. What Jesus did was complete and total. He just didn’t take a percentage of your sin, He took everything from you–no matter how dark and evil. He siphoned it all away. and He carried all your weight. He took all the punishment.

Condemnation comes when we find a reason not to believe this.

There is almost always doubt involved, and it seems too good to be true, after all. There is also a entrenched concept of justice, right and wrong. Believers with a real feeling for ‘the scales of justice’ find themselves without any hope. They lose the concept of mercy and grace for their sins.

“Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.”

Revelation 12:10

There is an evil presence in this world. It accuses us, and confuses us. His name is Satan– and he is all together evil. He makes a concerted effort to try to destroy us. He floods us with wickedness and darkness. If you will not stand against him, he will bring you down. However, you must understand this, he has been defeated. But I must reinforce this, without Christ, there can be no immunity from the darkness of condemnation.

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