Do not condemn and you will not be condemned. Luke 6:37
There is no topic more critical to understand and apply to your life than condemnation. It’s an ugly word. Condemnation means “a guilty verdict” or “a punishment”. It refers to the judgment that comes as a result of breaking God’s law. We all need to understand that since we are all guilty of breaking God’s laws, we are all subject to condemnation. This judgment must be avoided! We cannot afford to suffer the penalty for our sins, it is a fearful thing to consider as our eternal condition – forever sentenced to the death penalty.
But consider this fact, Jesus Christ died for all of our sins and took the punishment that we deserved upon Himself on the cross. He took the death penalty on our behalf. He did this not because we deserved it, we deserve just the opposite! He did it out of love to save us from condemnation. God so loves you that He sent Christ to die for you so that when you die, you can be found not guilty. God came in the person of Christ to save us from our sins – every single one of them. So now the question is this: since you have been granted forgiveness by God, will you forgive all those who have sinned against you?
Your relationship with God will determine your relationship with others. Are you reconciled to God? In other words, have your sins been forgiven? That is the greatest blessing we could ever hope for and it is ours to receive as a gift by faith in the forgiveness of Jesus. If you have received release from condemnation, God commands us to do the same to all of the people in your life. Do you want God to forgive you for every single sin you will ever commit or have commited? Of course you do. God says ok, since you’ve been forgiven, you must forgive others. Since you are no longer under condemnation, you are not to condemn anyone.
Jesus Christ did not come into the world to condemn the world, He came to save it by granting mercy to the guilty. God does not want you to condemn anyone in this world as well. Vengeance is mine, says the Lord. Do not condemn and you will not be condemned.
But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Luke 6:35-37
Enjoy the blessing of “No Condemnation” in the message below from Pastor Gary Hamrick. This is why the Gospel is truly Good News!
