No Regrets!

Jan 19, 2021

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

- St. Paul, Romans 8:1

"Questions tremble within me

like paper-thin leaves in the breeze.

But Your Grace is stronger than my pain

as Your Truth takes root in my soul."

- Anonymous

The Apostle Paul begins Romans Chapter 8 with one of the most profoundly comforting statements ever made. Let me explain...

First, the word "Therefore" ties this statement to the Apostle's gnawing frustration in Romans 7 when he cries out,

"I want to do what is right, but I can't...Oh what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this body dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord..."

- Romans 7:18, 24-25

Second, the word "now" declares that the answer we've been given in Jesus Christ is available, not just in Heaven when we die, but Right Now.

Third, the words "no condemnation" definitively state a permanent and complete absence of penalty, accusation, punishment or guilt. It is a declaration of Innocence!

Fourth, the phrase "in Christ" refers to the person who has invited Jesus Christ to be the Forgiver and Leader of their life.

In crystal-clear language, Paul is stating, unequivocally, that if you are a follower of Jesus, God will never ever condemn you for any sin whatsoever!

Jesus was crucified so you could stop crucifying yourself!

An old man went to his priest and confessed that years ago he had done a horrible thing and had felt bad about it his whole life. He had asked both the person he had hurt and God to forgive him, but he could not let it go. He asked the priest if he would talk to God on his behalf. The priest agreed. Two weeks later the man asked the priest,

"Did you talk to Jesus about my sin?"

"Yes."

"What did He say?"

"I don't remember!" the priest replied.

If God has chosen not to remember...neither should you. The Psalmist declared,

"God has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west."

- Psalm 103:12

One of the most surprising witnesses of the bold confidence that ought to be ours is the Good Thief. Christian tradition has named him Dismas and the story goes that he was a terrorist, a womanizer, and an alcoholic... Yet, in an incredible gesture of chutzpah, he cried out, "Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom." And Jesus replied, "This day you will be with me in Paradise."

Listen… You should not be shocked and horrified that you have failed. Jesus certainly isn't! In His boundless Grace that keeps no record of wrongs, He calls us to repentance, to humbly acknowledging our failure without being paralyzed by it. And then...in the power of His Spirit live forward in the confidence of His great love for you!