No Condemnation
By Dawn Weimar
“For there is therefore, now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Romans 8:1
I had a wonderful reminder about this verse as I listened to a woman on the radio talk about her struggle with a situation. She sought advice from her dad, and retold the story, plagued with guilt that her reaction to the situation had fallen short. When she got to the end, her dad said, “Have faith in God.” That was all she needed to hear for the shackles of guilt and condemnation to fall off in an instance. By Dawn Weimar
“For there is therefore, now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Romans 8:1
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life” Romans 6:23.
The weight of guilt and condemnation can be unbearable, like a heavy backpack. I’ve learned and repeated these verses many times when I’ve felt that weight start to strap itself to me. James 1:22-25 describe how we must examine ourselves against the Word of God. That same woman on the radio said something very insightful, “Self-examination, apart from faith in God, becomes condemnation.” We must have faith in God that “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” 1 John 1:9.
Furthermore, sometimes, women can take too much responsibility for the happiness of their family and friends. I carried responsibility for everything in my life and everyone I knew; this is called codependency and is NOT healthy or productive. When things did not go well, I immediately felt that it was my fault. Later, I learned that we don’t need to try to change situations that are not ours to change. Frankly, sometimes, we need to get out of the Holy Spirit’s way and quit trying to solve the problem, so that others can step up, grow up and take responsibility that is theirs.
Let Jesus free you from the weight of sin and guilt that will prevent you from being who He wants you to be and doing what He wants you to do. None of us is perfect! Let’s admit it, ask for forgiveness and move on.
GOING DEEPER:
1. If you feel heavy laden, memorize Romans 8:1, tape it to your mirror and refrigerator, and say it out loud several times a day.
FURTHER READING:
Romans 3:9-26
Dawn is a wife and mother of three daughters, and is active in Oakwood's worship ministries. She's a pediatric nurse, currently working as VP of Business Development in Population Health Improvement.
