Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
054 – Fighting Condemnation in Ourselves
66 Plays2 years ago
One of the most difficult and prevalent challenges facing the 21st century Christian is fighting condemnation. Sometimes confused with judgement, condemnation is something that we often do to ourselves, and sometimes cast at others. The former is, in my view, more common. Let me share some Scriptural truth with you on the matter. Check out […]
The post 054 – Fighting Condemnation in Ourselves appeared first on Preacher Dad.Recommended
Transcript
Introduction and Purpose
00:00:13
Speaker
Hello, welcome to the Preacher Dad podcast.
00:00:15
Speaker
My name is Jared and I am the Preacher Dad.
00:00:19
Speaker
I might not be the only one, but there might be somebody else out there who's a Preacher Dad, but that's me.
00:00:24
Speaker
I'm the Preacher Dad on the internet and you have found the Preacher Dad podcast and I also blog at PreacherDad.com where I would love for you to go over there and check out some of the material we have for you.
00:00:37
Speaker
We are trying to
00:00:39
Speaker
equip and inspire Christians in this country to engage in the culture of war and to make a difference for the next generation.
00:00:47
Speaker
We blog about everything from parenting to politics, and you can head on over there and check us out.
The Challenge of Condemnation
00:00:54
Speaker
Well, today, folks, I want to talk to you a little bit about condemnation, and mostly about fighting condemnation in ourselves.
00:01:02
Speaker
You know, one of the most difficult and prevalent challenges that is facing the 21st century Christian, in my view, is condemnation.
00:01:12
Speaker
Sometimes condemnation is confused with judgment, but it's something that we often do to ourselves, and sometimes we cast it at others.
00:01:22
Speaker
The former is, in my view, more common.
00:01:25
Speaker
Let me share some scriptural truth with you on the matter.
00:01:29
Speaker
And it's from John 3, verses 17 through 20.
00:01:33
Speaker
It says this, Jesus is speaking to Nicodemus, and he said, "'For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world.'"
00:01:43
Speaker
but in order that the world might be saved through him.
00:01:48
Speaker
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
00:02:00
Speaker
And this is the judgment.
00:02:02
Speaker
The light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light, because their works were evil.
00:02:12
Speaker
For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.
00:02:21
Speaker
This passage is often overlooked.
00:02:24
Speaker
I guess Jesus dropped such a huge truth verse in verse 16 that the rest of it is just overshadowed.
00:02:33
Speaker
This passage may be the second born in the family, but it's just as important as big brother John 3.16.
00:02:41
Speaker
You see, Jesus is the condemnation antidote.
00:02:45
Speaker
He clearly tells us that His purpose was not to condemn when He came into the world.
00:02:51
Speaker
Notice He didn't say condemnation wasn't happening, just that it wasn't His purpose.
00:02:57
Speaker
What He is teaching us is this, the antidote for condemnation is faith in Christ.
00:03:04
Speaker
Whoever believes in Him is not condemned.
00:03:07
Speaker
It's like condemnation is a poison infecting all humans everywhere, and He came to bring the antidote, the cure, which is faith in His name.
00:03:18
Speaker
Paul says something similar in Romans 8, verse 1.
00:03:21
Speaker
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
00:03:26
Speaker
It's not there.
00:03:27
Speaker
We do not live under condemnation if we are in Christ Jesus.
00:03:32
Speaker
Hallelujah!
00:03:34
Speaker
Imagine a condemned criminal that is pardoned.
00:03:38
Speaker
The governor, actually the president fits better, the president signs his pardon and he is legally restored to all the privileges and rights of citizens.
00:03:50
Speaker
His status as a criminal has changed.
00:03:53
Speaker
His identity as a citizen is restored.
00:03:57
Speaker
That is what is meant by the ending of condemnation.
00:04:03
Speaker
Condemnation
Faith and Identity in Christ
00:04:04
Speaker
involves passing a sentence of punishment.
00:04:07
Speaker
The Greek word krino means to distinguish, decide, try, or condemn.
00:04:14
Speaker
There is a just condemnation that falls upon the unrepentant sinner.
00:04:20
Speaker
Jesus mentions that the person who loves darkness rather than light is condemned already.
00:04:25
Speaker
It is the violation of God's law that brings about condemnation.
00:04:32
Speaker
However, conviction of sin is something the Holy Spirit brings upon people to stop them from evil, damaging, destructive behaviors or attitudes.
00:04:44
Speaker
It's not the same thing as condemnation.
00:04:48
Speaker
Just because you feel guilty doesn't mean it is condemnation.
00:04:51
Speaker
It could be the Holy Spirit trying to convict you or convince you of sin in your life.
00:04:59
Speaker
Don't run away from that.
00:05:01
Speaker
Lean into it and follow the path of repentance.
00:05:06
Speaker
And don't accuse someone of condemnation or judgment if they are simply telling you the truth in love.
00:05:15
Speaker
If I tell you what the judge has said, I am not casting judgment.
00:05:20
Speaker
I did not set myself up as the judge, just as a faithful messenger, communicating what the judge has decided.
00:05:29
Speaker
2 Corinthians 7.10 says, "...for godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death."
00:05:44
Speaker
It's important for us to understand the difference between condemnation and conviction and to recognize godly grief versus worldly grief.
00:05:57
Speaker
Faith is the victory, but faith in what?
00:06:01
Speaker
I am so tired of generic faith statements, such as, you can do anything if you just believe, but believe in what?
00:06:11
Speaker
My talents and abilities?
00:06:14
Speaker
Bad idea.
00:06:15
Speaker
I cannot dig my way out of this hole.
00:06:19
Speaker
Faith in whom?
00:06:20
Speaker
In Buddha?
00:06:22
Speaker
In presidents or celebrities, political leaders?
00:06:26
Speaker
That's not working out for anyone.
00:06:27
Speaker
Trust me.
00:06:29
Speaker
Where do we put our faith?
00:06:33
Speaker
It's faith in His name.
00:06:36
Speaker
and by extension, faith in what He, that is Jesus, what He has done for me.
00:06:42
Speaker
Faith that my identity as a sinner is swallowed up in my new identity as a child of God, delivered and redeemed.
00:06:54
Speaker
This is, in my view, perhaps the most vital key to fighting condemnation in our soul, knowing who I am in Christ.
00:07:05
Speaker
knowing who I am in Christ.
00:07:08
Speaker
So you want to know who you are?
00:07:10
Speaker
This is who you are.
00:07:14
Speaker
Romans 5 verse 8 says, but God shows his love for us and that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
00:07:23
Speaker
This shows us that we were loved in our sin.
00:07:26
Speaker
We didn't do anything good.
00:07:28
Speaker
And Christ showed the ultimate love by dying on the cross for us.
00:07:32
Speaker
It also shows us that we are worth dying to save.
00:07:37
Speaker
That's who you are.
00:07:37
Speaker
You are worth dying to save.
00:07:42
Speaker
In Romans 8 verse 15, Paul says, "...for you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, Abba, Father."
00:07:57
Speaker
This tells us that we are sons and daughters of God.
00:08:02
Speaker
That's who we are.
00:08:04
Speaker
You want to know who you are?
00:08:05
Speaker
Galatians 4, 6-7.
00:08:07
Speaker
And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
00:08:16
Speaker
So you are no longer a slave, but a son.
00:08:18
Speaker
And if a son, then an heir through God.
00:08:22
Speaker
This tells you that you are an heir of God.
00:08:25
Speaker
You are set to inherit.
00:08:28
Speaker
the riches of his kingdom.
00:08:29
Speaker
You want to know who you are?
00:08:30
Speaker
2 Corinthians 5, 17 says, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.
00:08:39
Speaker
The old has passed away.
00:08:41
Speaker
Behold, the new has come.
00:08:44
Speaker
You are a new creation.
00:08:48
Speaker
if you are in Christ.
00:08:49
Speaker
1 Peter 2 9 says, But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
00:09:09
Speaker
This tells us that we are royal.
00:09:12
Speaker
You, you listening right now, if you are in Christ, you are royalty.
00:09:18
Speaker
You are holy.
00:09:20
Speaker
You are a priest.
00:09:23
Speaker
You are His people, a part of His people.
00:09:27
Speaker
You are a proclaimer of the truth.
00:09:29
Speaker
You are one that is in light.
00:09:32
Speaker
You are of those in the light.
00:09:35
Speaker
You're a child of light.
00:09:36
Speaker
That's
Living Free of Condemnation
00:09:37
Speaker
who you are.
00:09:38
Speaker
You want to know who you are?
00:09:40
Speaker
Colossians chapter 1, verses 21 through 23.
00:09:42
Speaker
Listen carefully, folks.
00:09:46
Speaker
And you who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach.
00:10:02
Speaker
That above reproach literally means unaccused before him.
00:10:08
Speaker
If indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.
00:10:23
Speaker
This tells you that you are reconciled, though you were a sinner, though you were doing wicked deeds, though you were alienated from God, you have now been reconciled.
00:10:33
Speaker
You are now holy, which means set apart.
00:10:36
Speaker
It means set apart for a special purpose.
00:10:41
Speaker
You are blameless.
00:10:42
Speaker
You are above reproach.
00:10:47
Speaker
Notice in that last verse, again, the connection between faith and freedom from condemnation.
00:10:53
Speaker
It's as if our identity is really and actually changed, but we must believe that it is true to make it real in our own experience.
00:11:05
Speaker
Let me say that again so that you capture that.
00:11:10
Speaker
It's as if our identity is really and actually changed,
00:11:15
Speaker
but we must believe that it is true to make it real in our own experience.
00:11:21
Speaker
We must not shift from the hope of the gospel, which is truly that Jesus has done it all.
00:11:29
Speaker
It is His work that makes us new creatures.
00:11:32
Speaker
He has reconciled us and translated us into His kingdom.
00:11:38
Speaker
He has done the work, and that is the...we must not shift from that faith that He has done it.
00:11:46
Speaker
I must believe
Final Encouragement and Call to Action
00:11:47
Speaker
that he has paid for my sins, and therefore I go and sin no more, as he said to the woman caught in adultery.
00:11:55
Speaker
That woman was standing there, and everyone had left, and he said, Woman, who is condemning you?
00:11:59
Speaker
And she said, No one.
00:12:01
Speaker
He said, Well, I don't condemn you either.
00:12:02
Speaker
Go and sin no more.
00:12:05
Speaker
Just because Jesus delivers us from condemnation doesn't mean that that is an excuse for sinful behavior.
00:12:11
Speaker
But it is the way that we are to live.
00:12:16
Speaker
free of condemnation.
00:12:19
Speaker
I must believe that He has changed my identity and that who I am in Christ is totally different now than what I once was.
00:12:34
Speaker
This is the way we fight condemnation in ourselves, by faith in His name.
00:12:41
Speaker
That is the teaching of Jesus, the broader teaching of Scripture, and I hope that it encourages you today to continue to walk free of the condemnation that the enemy would like to bring upon you.
00:12:53
Speaker
Walk in the freedom of Christ.
00:12:55
Speaker
Repent of your sins, go and sin no more, and walk in the freedom of the Lord by faith in His name.
00:13:03
Speaker
God bless you, friends.
00:13:04
Speaker
I hope that you've enjoyed this episode.
00:13:06
Speaker
I hope that you'll subscribe and follow and listen for more, and I hope that we can encourage one another as we seek to follow Christ together.
00:13:14
Speaker
Get involved.
00:13:15
Speaker
Get engaged.
00:13:16
Speaker
We need everybody in the battle.
00:13:18
Speaker
We are all facing a very serious culture war, and we have to be on His side.
00:13:24
Speaker
All right.
00:13:26
Speaker
God bless you.
00:13:27
Speaker
Bye-bye.