Condemnation-Free Zone

We live in a world where condemnation is a part of life.  Those who break the law and are apprehended are judged for their crimes.  When a particularly heinous act is committed, the perpetrator can be condemned to life imprisonment or even death.  Buildings are condemned when they become unsafe for use due to deterioration or damage.  Such structures are demolished before someone gets hurt.  Governing authorities can condemn property through the use of eminent domain if a case can be made that it is necessary for the public good.  Then there is the personal condemnation that the citizens of this world heap on one another.  We condemn each other on the basis of race, gender, social status, occupation, appearance, income level, and a myriad of other distinctions.  We even condemn ourselves over our own failures and inconsistencies.  Condemnation is standard issue in our world.  We have come to expect it.  Worse yet, we practice it.
Perhaps that is why some have difficulty believing the truth revealed in Romans 8:1: “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”  We read the words “no condemnation” and think that there has to be a catch.  To live without being condemned seems like a fairy tale.  But it’s true!  If we are “in Christ”, it’s as though we are covered with a non-stick spiritual coating.  Satan can cast his accusations of guilt at us, but none of them are valid anymore.  No longer can our sins condemn us because we are continually cleansed by the precious blood of Jesus (1 John 1:7).  Those who listen to Jesus and believe in God are given the opportunity to escape judgment (John 5:24).
Even though it may be difficult to believe, we can live a life free from spiritual condemnation.  There is no one who can bring a charge against the one whom God justifies (Romans 8:33).  There is no one who can condemn the one for whom Jesus intercedes (Romans 8:34).  The child of God lives in a condemnation-free zone!

God loves you!

Mike