Freedom from Condemnation
Words from Jesus
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“So there is now no condemnation awaiting those who belong to Christ Jesus. For the power of the life-giving Spirit—and this power is mine through Christ Jesus—has freed me from the vicious circle of sin and death.”—Romans 8:1–21
I died for your sins, so why are you dying for them? I suffered for the remission of your sins, and I did it once and for all. You have My forgiveness, and your sins are blotted out. It won’t do you any good to dwell on them and wish you hadn’t done whatever it was. You can’t change what you did wrong, but you can change what you’re doing now by accepting My forgiveness.
My mercy is like a cool, beautiful, pristine, crystal-clear stream that you can immerse yourself in to be cleansed and to wash away any vestiges of guilt or condemnation. Condemnation has no power over you when you immerse yourself in the powerful, cleansing waters of My mercy.
The only part you have to do is to put forth the effort, to manifest your faith by walking into the stream of My forgiveness and immersing yourself. Then the cleansing waters of My Spirit will do the rest. Let the waters of My mercy hold you up and envelop you and gently cradle you, bringing you peace, rest, and freedom from any guilt, remorse, or condemnation.
You will feel total love as I envelop you, an overwhelming gratitude for this tremendous freedom that I have given you from the burdens that you were carrying. It’s like immersing yourself in the cleansing and renewing waters of the river of life in heaven, where all that is not of Me is washed away, and you’re cleansed, refreshed, made new, and filled with an overwhelming feeling of total love and peace.
Whenever you’re tempted to feel overcome by the burdens and weights of guilt, remorse, and condemnation, look into My face. Look at Me as I was when I was crucified for you. Look at the wounds in My hands and feet, pierced and torn for you. Look at the cuts and bruises on My face and brow from having been smitten and beaten for you. Look at My heart, which was broken for you. Look into My eyes and see the great love and mercy I have for you.
Would you have all that I suffered and gave for you count as nothing? I know you wouldn’t have it so. But that’s what you do if you carry the burden of guilt and condemnation yourself and insist on suffering for your sins yourself. I gave Myself for you and died in your place, so that you could be forgiven and have the slate wiped clean from the weight of your sin, and receive My unconditional love for you. Come unto Me, you who are heavy laden and burdened, and I will give you rest.2
Let Me take away your feelings and burden of guilt and condemnation. When you’re willing to give up the heavy and burdensome weights of guilt, remorse, and condemnation and place them in My hands, you become like a helium balloon, rising up, far above the burdens and cares and feelings of darkness and depression and the weights you carry. You’re given wings to fly and propel yourself into the beautiful, bright, sunny, clear skies of the future and My wonderful promises to you, never to be weighed down again by those things that you left behind and entrusted to My hands.
Do you want to overcome these ponderous weights and feelings of guilt and condemnation? Then come to Me, where there is light and life and freedom and weightlessness from all the burdens the Enemy would like to put on you. Let go of the weights and let them fall off your back. Walk out from under them. Reach out to Me and believe and trust in My power and promises, My love and mercy. Your steps will become lighter with each step you take toward Me, arms outstretched.
Godly sorrow
“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”—2 Corinthians 7:103
Whenever your heart condemns you, call out to Me. “Jesus, help me!” … When you call out to Me for help, you demonstrate genuine faith and I join you in the battle. I remind you that I have already paid the full penalty for all your sins. You will continue to sin till you leave this world, but I have provided an effective way of dealing with sin—godly sorrow. This growth-promoting sorrow is motivated by love and concern for all those whom you have hurt (including Me). It is a work of the Holy Spirit and it brings real repentance that leaves no regret.
When your heart condemns you, remember that I am greater than your heart and know all things.4 Come confidently and gratefully into My loving presence. I assure you, there is no condemnation for those who belong to Me.
You believe I have freed you through My death on the cross for your sins, yet you continue to struggle with feelings of condemnation. You long to experience the full liberation I have made possible, and My Spirit can assist you with this.
Ask the Holy Spirit to help you find freedom from feelings of accusation. Acknowledge that those feelings have no basis in reality. Then look to Me through eyes of faith. Delight yourself in My heavenly smile of approval. The more you connect with Me by focusing on My presence, the more you can receive My loving affirmation. The best antidote to feelings of condemnation is experiencing My love for you.
You can also fight condemning feelings by pondering the truths of the gospel. The devil is the father of lies and he specializes in deception. Confront his hellish lies with biblical truth.
Finally, remember that My Spirit is the Spirit of life. Feelings of condemnation drain you of energy, leaving you feeling vulnerable. As My Spirit fills you with life, you are empowered to live abundantly—to the full.5
“If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.”—Romans 8:31–346
Originally published August 2008, unless otherwise indicated. Adapted and republished January 2015. Read by Jon Marc.
1 TLB.
2 Matthew 11:28.
3 NIV.
4 1 John 3:20.
5 Sarah Young, Jesus Lives (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2009).
6 NLT.
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