The world is full of people who are constantly ready to slice you up like pizza. The moment you make the slightest mistake, they are more than ready to condemn or crucify you, especially if you are a well-known person. They make it seem as if a renowned person is not allowed to be human. It would be hard to believe that the way we deal with people down here is the same way God deals with people in His kingdom, because God said that His ways are not our ways nor His thoughts our thoughts. Therefore, whatever seems to be popular, or the pattern of this world, is usually just the opposite in the kingdom of God.
Many people like to condemn others and judge them based on what they see with the naked eye, in a spiritual sense. It seems like the less they know, the quicker they are to cancel others. As a result, many are condemned and crucified.
Jesus came into this world to give us a new life, and the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new.” If it says all things have become new, then we must believe that includes our mistakes. Otherwise, the text would have said, except for one’s mistakes. Jesus Himself said in John 5:24, “Verily, verily I say unto you, he that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but it passed from death unto life.” In other words, Jesus is saying, once you come to Me, there is no such thing as being condemned because your life will no longer be the same. Condemnation is different from the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin so that we may become aware of our sins and gain an understanding of our wrongdoings, leading us to repentance. True repentance is to stop the sinful behaviors we are convicted of, to experience spiritual growth, draw closer to God, and receive the blessings He has for us when we obey His commands.
So, if the Holy Spirit doesn’t condemn us but convicts us of sin, then where does condemnation come from? We cannot deny that it must come from the enemy of our souls. And this issue of condemnation, whether it’s self-condemnation or from others, doesn’t come by itself when it enters the mind. It’s a whole package; it has cousins, nieces, and nephews. The one being condemned will often feel rejected, unworthy, isolated, have low self-esteem, low self-worth, shame, doubt, guilt, depression, and even suicidal thoughts. And all these things cause a huge barrier when kneeling before a loving Father to pray. There is no way for someone to present before God with joy and thanksgiving as asked, when seeing oneself as an outcast. This goes against what Jesus said in John 5:24, mentioned above. The Bible says in Psalm 16: 11, “In your presence is fullness of joy, at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Nehemiah 8: 10 says, “This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” Therefore, this heart posture of condemnation prevents the bond between you and your loving Father. You’ve been convinced that since everyone else condemned you, God must have seen you in a negative light as well, especially when you know what they are saying about you is true. But the question is: Is there anyone living under heaven who is perfect? God Himself said, in Psalm 14:3, “There is none who does good, not even one.”
Here is one of the enemy’s tricks that he often uses against us. For instance, have you ever noticed that when someone is a drug dealer, a prostitute, or addicted to any substance, they are never ashamed or feel any guilt while living in their sin? Why is that? It’s because the spirit that they are operating under or being influenced by makes sure that they remain blind to the damage that they are causing to themselves and others. However, don’t you notice that after Jesus has set this person free from sin, now Satan’s number one weapon against that person is shame, guilt, and condemnation for that very sin that he once blinded them to? Why is that? It’s because Satan wants to make sure that this person never gets back up again after they’ve fallen. That’s why we must forgive, pray for those who are lost, and not condemn them, because they don’t even know that the enemy will later try to use their sins against them to torment them. And that is one of the reasons why Satan will strategically place his people on their path to play the mind game by constantly reminding them of what they’ve done in the past. This makes it hard for them to overcome the devil’s schemes (the battle of the mind) because they keep allowing the devil to get into their head, hence experience the overwhelming feeling of guilt and shame repeatedly. The key is for all of us to hold on to the new identity we have in Christ Jesus, no matter what the enemy comes up with, and to know that Jesus’ word always trumps the devil’s lies. If Jesus says you are forgiven and are now a new creation in Him, then you are indeed forgiven and are a new creation.
God had to deliver me from these mind games of condemnation. It took me years, and to be honest, I still have to be on guard about it to make sure the devil stays where he belongs, which is under my feet in Jesus’ name. I have learned that all God wants from us is to realign with Him when we make mistakes (sin), because we can always be forgiven in the presence of God once we come before Him in true repentance. Granted that no one can trick an All-knowing God because God knows when we are not sincere; therefore, true repentance is necessary for the forgiveness of our sins.
As our Father, God wants us to acknowledge our sins before Him, to make the decision to repent through His grace, and be serious about making the necessary changes. And if a sin has a hold of us, which means we can’t get rid of it, then we must go back to God and tell Him as it is. For example, we can say, “Father, I have the desire to change and to let go of that sin, I tried all I can, but I can’t do it.”And God Himself will give us the strength and the ability through Christ’s blood to have the victory over that sin and to stay away from it.
One of the most amazing benefits we have from Christ’s sacrifice is the forgiveness of our sins, which saves us from the eternal death that we deserve. We will never be able to thank Jesus enough for that. Therefore, once we’ve decided to follow and abide in Jesus and His teachings, we don’t have to live life feeling condemned, ashamed, and guilty of our past mistakes, regardless of what people say, think or how they try to make us feel, because we now know that is the work of the devil. And even when we make a mistake, then Jesus, the Righteous One, becomes our advocate (1 John 2: 1). God’s will for us is to live with peace, joy, and freedom from sins that can only come in our obedience to Jesus’ instructions and say goodbye to the enemy’s lies.
Always remember, you are special in God’s eyes!
SCRIPTURES
“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.” Romans 8:1-2
“The LORD will rescue His servants; no one who takes refuge in Him will be condemned.” Psalm 34:22
“Because you are His sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out ‘Abba, Father.’ So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are His child, God has made you also an heir.” Galatians 4: 6-7
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