And with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. (Ephesians 6:15 NIV)
Previously, I discussed that our legal position before God is one of peace with him. Paul said, For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. (Colossians 1:19-20 NIV)
Through the blood of Jesus we have peace with God, and he desires for his child to walk in the light of that peace.
Examine these verses.
You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. (Isaiah 26:3 NIV)
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." (John 14:27 NIV)
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7 NIV)
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. (Colossians 3:15 NIV)
This week I want to examine one specific scheme that the enemy uses to rob the believer of his peace. That scheme is condemnation. The enemy seeks to remind us of our past sins, so that we will not be effective in the present. God wants us to live in the present. Satan wants to keep us chained with thoughts of our past sins and failures.
Paul said in Romans 8:1, Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. God never condemns his children, however, God always condemns sin. The good news of the gospel is that that Jesus went to the cross and bore our sins. At Calvary, Jesus was condemned for our sin. He paid the eternal penalty.
The believer should understand these two things:
The sacrifice of Jesus dealt with sin for eternity. Because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. (Hebrews 9:14 NIV) God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (II Corinthians 5:21 NIV)
- Through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, sin is forgiven compeletely, and you should remember your sin no more.
- Forgiveness of sin is not an excuse to continue to willfully walk in sin. If you choose to live in sin, you will have problems with condemnation because your own heart will condemn you.
Condemnation causes you to remember your past sin. Condemnation causes you to focus on the failures and the weaknesses of the past. But, John said, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive ours sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (I John 1:9 NIV)
Satan reminds us of our past, and often believers cooperate with Satan because believers often find it difficult to believe that God has forgiven them. The church must accept the truth of the Word of God and reject the lies of Satan.
Previously, I shared the story from thirty years ago of talking with an older man, who was struggling with something that he did as a teenager. This man was ensnared by the power of condemnation. He allowed Satan to steer his focus to the past. Condemnation rendered this man impotent in Christian ministry.
When a believer thinks his past sin is too great, and he refuses the freedom of God's forgiveness, and clings to condemnation, he is in effect saying that his sin is more powerful than the blood of Jesus Christ. He is saying that the blood of Jesus is not sufficient to deal with his sin.
To live in condemnation is to refuse to forgive yourself. Jesus, and the writers of the epistles, often commanded us to forgive others. The believer should walk in forgiveness toward all persons including himself. Just as you forgive others, you should forgive yourself. To fail to forgive any person, including yourself, is sin.
In God there is a power to forget. We should live in the present with an eye to the future. Paul said, But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13a-14 NIV)
God chose to remember our sin no more. I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sin no more. (Isaiah 43:25 NIV)
To forget your past, or to remember your sin no more, does not necessarily mean that you no longer have any consciousness of that sin. However, it does mean that sin no longer has any negative impact on your daily walk with God. You walk free from condemnation and guilt over the past because you know the blood of Jesus has cleansed you totally from the power of that transgression.
Yes, some sin produces consequences in this life that may last for the rest of your life. However, the grace of God is sufficient to help you deal effectively with those consequences.
Don't allow condemnation to rob you of the peace of God. Forget what is behind. Enjoy life in the present looking forward to the prize of fulfilling God's purpose for your life. Next time I will examine the effects of condemnation when a believer persists in sin.
Wayne L. Williams
wayne@fotwm.org
Wisdom From the Word
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