No Condemnation ~ By Paula Moldenhauer

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  ~ Romans 8:1a NKJV

I sat on the gray carpet of my bedroom floor staring at my open Bible.  There was a stirring inside, like God was trying to tell me something, but I couldn't quite understand what it was.  I flipped my Bible shut and walked away.  The incident happened several years ago, but I've never forgotten it - that confused feeling of almost grasped truth.

See, I had a real problem with guilt.  When we first married my husband often teased me.  "What's wrong?" he'd ask. "Haven't you had your guilt trip yet today?" As I've matured I've come to understand that guilt controlled my life.  I often did things that God hadn't called me to do because of my fear of guilt.

I found myself constantly trying to please everyone so I wouldn't have to feel guilty about anything I'd said or done.  On top of that, I couldn't feel consistently close to God. After all, how could I when I failed so often?

My loving Lord grew tired of it.

I think He was tired of seeing me living without the freedom of the cross.  I think He wearied of watching the enemy steal my joy. I think He was done with my allowing others to control me. I believe it grieved Him as I plodded through my days, head bowed in shame, heart weighted with failure.  He wanted to hold me in His arms and lead me in the dance of life.

When I finally became miserable enough to cry out to Him for relief He met me in my pain and showed me He'd taken all my condemnation.

Satan is given a variety of names in scripture, but the one I think is most revealing is The Accuser.  It goes right along with another of his names, The Deceiver.  Satan accuses me, makes me wallow in shame, and then deceives me into thinking God is shaking His finger at me.

Which leads to another of his names, The Thief - the one who steals the joy of my salvation.  The one who robs me of experiencing the delight my Father feels for me.  How often in the old days I cowered before my loving God, crushed under the guilt of failing Him when all the while He had His arms around me, waiting for me to understand that I was completely forgiven, loved, and accepted.  Satan had blinded me to this glorious truth.

We all make mistakes in life - some so big that we are afraid to admit them  - we think we couldn't handle the guilt if we did.  But that's the point of the cross. Christ died to set us free from cycles of failure and shame.

Is there something in your life that leaves you so consumed with guilt you can't let it go?  Do you need to take Christ at His word? If you've accepted Him, He isn't standing there condemning you .  He already took your guilty heart and replaced it with a clean one.

His finger isn't wagging at you; it's underneath your chin, gently lifting your face to His so you can see the love in His eyes.  It's when we glimpse this love we enter more fully into His presence.

The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy.

My purpose is to give life in all its fullness. Jesus in John 10:10 (NLT)

~ A mother of four, Paula Moldenhauer is passionate about God's grace and intimacy with Jesus. Her website offers book reviews, homeschooling hints, and a free weekly devotional, Soul Scents. Subscribe to Soul Scents at www.soulscents.us.  Visit her blog at www.gracereign.blogspot.com. Contact Paula at Paula@soulscents.us.