Condemnation Crucifies Confidence

1 John 3:19-24

“This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in His presence: If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and He knows everything. Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from Him anything we ask, because we keep His commands and do what pleases Him. And this is His command: to believe in the name of His son Jesus Christ, and to love one another as He commanded us. The one who keeps God’s commands lives in Him, and He in them. And this is how we know that He lives in us. We know it by the Spirit He gave us.”

Romans 8:1-2 says, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.”

God does not want you soaking in your past sins. Romans 3:23 says, “We have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.” The Bible also says while we were yet sinners Christ died for us! Romans 5:8.

God’s love for us is incomprehensible. One thing is very clear in His word – He wants to remove all condemnation from your life. John said if our hearts do not condemn us we will have confidence before God. Furthermore, we will receive anything we ask. Let’s not forget that part is followed up with, “Because we keep His commands and do what pleases Him.”

This “No condemnation” is not a license to keep sinning and not feel guilty about it. This is not a message that grace allows me to live any way I want. This is a prodigal son message. A message that says now that you have returned home I am going to insert you back into the family as a royal son of a royal family. This is a message of I forgive you and I have already forgotten the mistakes you made.

If we continue to dwell on our mistakes it will rob us of our identity as a son. You are either a slave to sin or a son to a Father who is a King. Jesus death on the cross gives you access to be a son again. In order to move into sonship you have to not allow sin to condemn your heart. You have to be so confident in God’s son, Jesus, that you understand His death removes the stain of sin and washes it white as snow.

You are no longer a slave to sin, you are a child of God! Don’t allow condemnation to crucify the confidence God instructs you to have when you approach His throne. Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us approach God’s throne of grace with confidence so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help use in our time of need.

When you approach God’s throne with confidence He understands that you value and understand what His son really did for you on the cross. Remove the shame and guilt the devil has placed on you. Isaiah 61:10 says, “I delight greatly in the Lord, my soul rejoices in my God. For He has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of His righteousness! When you come before God you can only approach Him with one outfit – Garments of salvation and the robe of HIS SON’S righteousness! It’s not your righteousness. You would never be able to approach the God of the universe if it had anything to do with you.

No condemnation is about who has dressed you. If you walk around condemning yourself then you have allowed the devil to dress you. If you walk around knowing, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow, then you have allowed Jesus Christ to dress you! Recover your identity. Put on His rob of righteousness and His garments of salvation! This is the only way you will be able to approach God. There is no other way but through Jesus!

Shift your prayers from reminding God how sinful you are to reminding God how good His son is to you! Let your soul rejoice in your God! Repentance is important, but no condemnation is extremely important.