No Condemnation

I lost my temper again today. I didn't mean to, but I was just so frustrated.

I also didn't finish my to-do list. I got to most of the items, but there just weren't enough hours in the day.

I knew I shouldn't have eaten those chocolate chip cookies, and now I have the headache to prove it. Why can't I have better self control?

I am embarrassed at the thoughts that I entertained this week. If anyone found out, I'd be mortified.

All of the homeschooling moms I follow on Instagram seem to love the time spent educating their family. Why is it the hardest thing I have ever done? Quitting sounds so appealing some days!


These thoughts and more have spun around my brain in just the last few days. Self-condemnation is a daily if not hourly occurrence in my mind. The shortcomings, failures, and sin of my heart are very real things and deserve punishment from a holy God. Why wouldn't I struggle with this guilt?

Enter Romans 8:1.

As I mentioned before, I have been studying this amazing chapter with a good friend of mine. The first verse of this passage nearly jumped off the pages at me.

There is, therefore, now NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 

To clarify, I have read and heard this verse dozens of times over the years. I know I have used this verse when sharing the gospel with unbelievers. What a glorious thought that our eternal standing before a righteous God can be established through the work of His Son. When I stand before Him to answer for the sin of my life, I can boldly claim Christ's righteousness as my own. There is no accusation or judgment that will stick because Jesus already bore them for me.

This time, however, the Spirit opened my eyes to the relevance of this verse to today! I answer for the thoughts, actions, and attitudes of each day and my answer is Jesus alone. There is no condemnation for the the angry response to my husband. There is no damnation for failing to complete my responsibilities for the day. There is no conviction for the worst of thoughts. I stand completely righteous before God because I hide behind Perfection Himself.

Wow! This completely reverses my normal defaults for living a godly life. I don't live righteously to earn more favor from God. I don't pursue perfection to garner more of His love. I don't even obey His commands to avoid judgment.

The fact is, I live righteously BECAUSE I have already received favor from God.
I pursue perfection realizing that even if I reached this unattainable goal, I would never receive more love than I have already received.
And I obey His commands out of gratefulness because I have avoided the judgement I deserve.

This verse isn't just a magnificent truth for the future, but an insanely practical fact for right now.

Praise God, there is, therefore, now NO CONDEMNATION for those who are in Christ Jesus!


Recommendation: 

Since being confronted once again with the practicality of the gospel for daily living, I have a renewed purpose in my parenting as well. I want my children to understand this unbelievable truth when they are still young so they will be "good Christians" as they grow. Read this post for more:

How to Teach Your Kids to be Good Christians

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