Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and death. (NASB)

Not guilty! Think of your favorite courtroom drama. Whether you’re into television series, movies, or great books, there are so many excellent courtroom scenes that come to mind. We tend to sit on the edge of our seats, waiting to see if the jury and judge will get it right or wrong. In one of my favorite books, To Kill a Mockingbird, the defense does all he can to protect an accused black man in a small Alabama town in the 1930’s. Atticus proves the accused’s innocence, but the jury still returns a verdict of guilty.  

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We don’t have to sit on the edges of our seats, waiting and worrying throughout our lives about what the final verdict will be. Will we have done enough good, said enough of the right things, given enough, etc., for the verdict to be in our favor?  Will we die on a good day or a bad day? When the gavel of our life drops, what will the verdict be? No! This is not the way we, as believers in the work of Jesus Christ, have to live. Thank you, God!

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Throughout the first seven chapters of Romans, we’ve seen that we have a problem. All of us have fallen short of God’s measure of holiness; we are separated from Him by our sin. But God loves us too much to leave us stuck in our problem. So, He provides a way out. He doesn’t give us ways to earn His love or buy His forgiveness. No. He simply has a free gift of grace as His method of provision. Romans 6:23 encapsulates the problem and the provision: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  

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Now, in Romans 8, Paul shifts from talking about the law and introduces a new phrase: “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.” God not only provides us with forgiveness through the death and resurrection of His Son, but He also provides the Holy Spirit to live within us and equip us to walk in freedom.  

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There is NO condemnation! We are declared Not Guilty – by the blood of Jesus. The work is finished. We can’t add to it or take from it. Once we are in Christ Jesus – having accepted by faith this free gift of forgiveness and salvation – we are no longer condemned.  

But, do you sometimes still hear voices of condemnation in your head? Reminders of past – or even current – failures? Do you condemn yourself for your sin? Do you allow others’ words to define you? While we want to grow in our faith and grow to be more like Jesus, He does not accuse or condemn us in order to accomplish that growth. Accusation is the voice of the enemy. The Spirit will convict us and show us where we need to grow – but conviction and condemnation are different. Conviction should lead us to repentance and gratefulness for the work that Christ has done on our behalf. It should remind us that while we are not condemned, we still need to confess our sins and grow in godliness. Condemnation, however, tends to trap and diminish us. It causes us to be stuck in that place of condemnation – repeatedly hearing and feeling the weight of our sin. This is not what God wants for us. He wants us to accept his provision of grace and forgiveness so that we can walk in freedom.

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If you struggle with guilt and condemnation, I challenge you to memorize today’s verses. Write them on notecards and put them in several key places – in your car, on your bathroom mirror, by your bed – and meditate on them and commit them to memory this week. Then, as Satan tries to condemn you, you’ll have God’s Word ready in your heart and mind to use – the Sword of the Spirit, as Paul writes in Ephesians 5:17 – ready for battle.

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If you’re still a bit on the edge of your seat and wondering about the final verdict – please talk with someone this week who can help you have assurance: an ACF staff member or serve team leader, a Devo Team member, or a friend who knows and loves Jesus. Don’t stay in a place of wondering. We should all have confidence that we know the end of the story – and the final verdict.

Father God, I thank You for providing a perfect solution to our sin problem and that, because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we can be forgiven. For those who have accepted Your gift of grace and are in Christ Jesus, I pray that they have confidence in their salvation and that they are fully free from condemnation. For anyone who is unsure about the final verdict of their life, I pray that they would have a life-changing conversation this week that will lead them to a point of confidence. When we are challenged by the enemy and accused and condemned by him, help us to use Your Word as a weapon against the lies. Give us confidence and boldness! Amen.