Condemnation part 1
I just released a podcast episode today about the afterlife. About how our whole view of what happens after death may or may not be the same as Jesus's. And one of the points I've been trying to make recently on the podcast is that even if hell DID exist as a place for an angry God to torment and punish "sinners"... the fact that our sin has been forgiven and taken away--to me--means that even if hell DID exist... it would be empty. Right? Because if sin is your "ticket" to "hell," and Jesus took away the sin of the world... I guess what I'm trying to say is, "So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1 NLT). Which, I guess, could beg the question, "Who belongs to Christ Jesus?" Right? Like the guy in Luke chapter 18. "Once a religious leader asked Jesus this question: "Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?"" (Luke 18:18 NLT). Or the lawyer in Luke 10:29 (NLT), "The man wanted to justify his action, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"" It's like we have this mindset of trying to get away with as much as possible. Or get away with doing as little as possible. "Love my neighbor? Sure. That sounds good. But lets define the term, because I don't want to love anybody I don't have to." It's like religious folk see themselves as Holy Spirit policemen. They get to decide who is condemned and who isn't. They get to decide who deserves God's love and who doesn't. They get to decide who "goes to heaven" and who "goes to hell." When, really, IF that decision existed... it would belong to the God who is love. The God who created all of us. The God to whom we all belong. Look at John 12:32 (NLT), "And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself." Who did Jesus draw to Himself when He was lifted up on the cross? Everyone! Who belongs to Him? Everyone! When Jesus cried out from the cross, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do!" I believe He was talking about the people who were currently crucifying Him... and I believe He was talking about everybody who had ever been or would ever be. AND I believe God heard and answered that prayer. So if God forgave them (us) because we didn't even know what we were doing... if we all belong to Him and He took away the sin of the world... then OF COURSE there is no condemnation! How could there be? I'll use this story again because I think it's powerful. Once, years ago, I was at a church conference in West by God Virginia. And the speaker asked us to raise our hand if we had ever sinned. Of course everybody did. Except the person sitting next to me. Which I thought was odd. So I asked them about it later and they said, "That old man who was a sinner is dead and gone. That's not me." Boom! The gospel right there in a nutshell. The sinner was saved by grace and doesn't exist anymore. Hell, as defined in the Bible, is the place of the dead. Death and hell were cast into the lake of fire in Revelation 20:14. Because, you know, death died on the cross. So why would a place of the dead be needed anymore? And, just for the record, GOD is that lake of fire (that's next week's podcast). So I guess what I'm trying to say is: OF COURSE there is no condemnation! Not from God. Not from the One who matters. So what we need to do is start exercising mind over matter. If you don't mind, they don't matter. Stop letting people condemn you for something that God has cleared you of. Forgiven you for. Let the mind of Christ that is already in you... BE in you! USE the mind of Christ that you have been given. Let the grace, and mercy, and forgiveness, and love that God has given you come out!