There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.    Romans 8:1 NKJV

As we come to the end of the week, we come to the end of our discussion about things that are or should be a big deal to us as Christians. We’ve talked about praise and worship, our attitudes and our words.

I point out these things because they are all things I have struggled with in my lifetime. I hope some of these things I have struggled with, and my experiences can help others. I am not pointing out these things to condemn anyone or judge anyone. That’s not my job.

Our Scripture passage today explains that for those of us who are in Christ, there is no condemnation. None of us are perfect. Sin entered the world through Adam and Eve. We were set free from the bondage of sin by Jesus Christ and His death on the cross. His blood can wash away our sins. We are justified and my pastor often explains this as meaning just as if I’d never sinned.

What does it mean to be in Christ and to walk in the Spirit? Well, this goes back to some of what we’ve been talking about this week. When we are truly saved, we are in Christ. We are protected by Him. We are saved by Him. Even though we are not perfect and we make mistakes, He loves us and in Him we can be forgiven, and our sins can be washed away.

We all go through times when our church attendance isn’t perfect, our attitude isn’t what it should be, and our mouth blurts out things it shouldn’t say. But when we are truly saved, we are covered. This is why it is so important to ask God daily to forgive us of our sins.

When we are truly saved, we are not condemned by our sin, but we are convicted by the Holy Spirit when we sin. This means there is that gentle nudge or tug at our hearts when we know we are not living as we should. The devil may use this to throw feelings of guilt your way. Guilt comes from the devil, conviction comes from the Holy Spirit. When we are convicted, we know that we can confess our sins and ask God to remove them from us. We can also ask God to strengthen us against temptation.

When guilt comes from the devil the devil tries to tell us it’s hopeless and we may as well just continue in our sin because there is no way out. The Bible tells us, however, in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that this is simply not true. It says, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

Temptation will be a part of our lives until we are in heaven with Jesus. It’s just that simple. It’s something we have to deal with. But praise God He provides a way out. He gives us strength to bear it and resist it. The key is remaining in Christ.

I have not written any of these blogs this week to condemn anyone, I have simply wanted us to take a good hard look at how we live our lives. Are you pleased with how you are living your life, or do you think you could do better? Do you feel confident that you are doing your best to live a life that is pleasing to God?

I truly believe our time is short. I don’t say this to scare you. I simply want you to be sure about where you will spend eternity. I want you to be secure in your salvation. Because my friend, that is the biggest deal of all.

Have a great day!