So let’s talk about condemnation. Number one, it’s a mean trick of the devil. Number two, it’s a self-pronounced sentence of guilt (meaning, it’s fed to you by the devil). And hopefully the obvious number three is (just to be clear), God’s not the author of it.
CONVICTION IS HOW GOD CORRECTS US.
CONDEMNATION IS HOW THE DEVIL DEFEATS US.
To be honest, condemnation is what defeated me for years— because I was slow to grasp all that I had received in Christ. But 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.”
It might help if we define a few phrases in this verse. For starters, if I used the term “passed away” for a cat, dog or even a person, what would you think of? You’d think of death. And in the New Testament, death predominantly means “separated from God.” Now think about this: the above verse says, “old things” have passed away, meaning they’ve been separated from God. In other words, He doesn’t acknowledge your past mistakes anymore.
The remembrance of “old things” (or past sins) is actually a trap of the enemy—he’s the one digging them up (and often with our help). But the Bible says, “God has passed over the sins that were previously committed” (Romans 3:25). One translation says: “God did this to demonstrate His righteousness…” (NLT).
Here’s the cycle: we all came to God with our junk (let’s look at this like dirty clothes), God welcomed us, accepted us, washed us, and gave us a new robe (new clothes). And our new life came with new instructions: “that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:22-24).
STEPS & INSTRUCTIONS
Step One: Put off the old (easy right? — not necessarily!) Some of us didn’t realize how attached we were to that “identity.”
Step Two: Put on the new (easy right? — who doesn’t love new clothes? — wrong again!) We want the new but often feel unworthy or awkward because we haven’t yet fully grasped who we are in Christ yet.
BUT WAIT. We missed a step…The Bible says put off the old man, be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and then put on the new man.
When we do things in the right order (God’s right-system), it works. Everything hinges on that middle step because if there’s no renewing of the mind, it’s human nature to go back to the old (clothes) because think about it– nobody wants to be caught naked.
Nakedness invites shame.
Remember Adam and Eve. God had to clothe them before sending them out into the world. Another reminder is the prodigal son. The father gave his son new clothes to remind him who he was. The son said, “I’m unworthy to be called your son…” but his father replied, “Stop right there. Go get the robe, the sandals, and the ring, and put it on him.” How the son saw himself was overriding how the Father saw him. And my question is, how many Christians are doing this?
Living under a canopy of condemnation is a mean trick of the devil. BUT GOD has given us steps to overcome the strategies of the enemy. Start with KNOWLEDGE: You have to learn the truth of your righteousness in Christ. Learn to SAY what God says about you: You have to build your belief system by agreeing with God’s Word (not what you feel or think). And lastly, always mix it with FAITH: There must be a firmness of belief (like the anchor we talked about last week). Storms, trials, and the enemy’s lies will try to get you off-course. Stay firm (stay anchored) and you’ll win the battle!
