I’ve done it. I’m sure you have as well. Condemned yourself for not doing more, not doing
better, for not being good enough. It
seems like an epidemic. I hear people
saying all the time, “I am my own worst critic.” They probably figure, I had better fault
myself before someone else does. It isn’t
just new Christians that do this. Even
pastors are guilty of these negative attributions.
In the past, I have consoled
people (and myself) with Paul’s words in Rom. 7, that we all struggle with
doing what we want to do, with keeping ourselves from doing what we don’t want
to do. There is some consolation in
those words. At least I’m not the only
one. But, that didn’t make me feel as
good as I would like to have felt. I
wanted to feel better, and I thought the only way that was possible was if I
eventually got it all right, or at least if I kept getting better. But, I didn’t always get better. So, I continued to feel bad, to feel
inadequate. Until I read further.
Now, I’m not suggesting we just
gloss over it and act as though it doesn’t matter that we stepped outside of
God’s will. When my kids were younger,
they would quickly apologize as though that made it all good. They couldn’t understand why I still felt as
though there might need to be some type of consequence for their behavior. At the same time, I’m not suggesting we need a consequence
every time we slip and make a wrong decision.
Somewhere in there is a need for genuine repentance. But, we don’t need to wallow in it. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and
just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (I
John 1:9).”
There is no condemnation. There is only grace and forgiveness. "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him (John 3:17)." You see, we have a high priest who is able to
sympathize with our weaknesses, one who was tempted in the same way we are
(Heb. 4:15). He understands. And He forgives. Get up and get back to what you were doing
when you fell. It’s over. It’s done.
It is finished.
"The Lord redeems His servants; no one who takes refuge in Him will be condemned (Ps. 34:22)."
Godspeed, Phil
In the past, I have consoled
people (and myself) with Paul’s words in Rom. 7, that we all struggle with
doing what we want to do, with keeping ourselves from doing what we don’t want
to do. There is some consolation in
those words. At least I’m not the only
one. But, that didn’t make me feel as
good as I would like to have felt. I
wanted to feel better, and I thought the only way that was possible was if I
eventually got it all right, or at least if I kept getting better. But, I didn’t always get better. So, I continued to feel bad, to feel
inadequate. Until I read further.
Rom. 8:1, Paul goes on to say, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” That’s what I had been doing. I was condemning myself. It was as though I felt the need to feel bad for a while, or that there needed to be some type of consequence, some form of punishment, before I could move on. There is a distinction between feeling convicted and feeling condemned. The Holy Spirit is there to convict, but not to condemn.
Now, I’m not suggesting we just
gloss over it and act as though it doesn’t matter that we stepped outside of
God’s will. When my kids were younger,
they would quickly apologize as though that made it all good. They couldn’t understand why I still felt as
though there might need to be some type of consequence for their behavior. At the same time, I’m not suggesting we need a consequence
every time we slip and make a wrong decision.
Somewhere in there is a need for genuine repentance. But, we don’t need to wallow in it. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and
just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (I
John 1:9).”
There is no condemnation. There is only grace and forgiveness. "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him (John 3:17)." You see, we have a high priest who is able to
sympathize with our weaknesses, one who was tempted in the same way we are
(Heb. 4:15). He understands. And He forgives. Get up and get back to what you were doing
when you fell. It’s over. It’s done.
It is finished.
"The Lord redeems His servants; no one who takes refuge in Him will be condemned (Ps. 34:22)."
