Condemnation
Often when we’ve committed a grievous sin our conscience feels condemned. I’m sure some of us have even felt so guilty that we are too ashamed to come before God. We wonder if He will ever be willing to forgive us. Finally we do return to the loving arms of our Saviour after much deep repentance and self-reproach. The experience can make us feel utterly condemned before God at those times.
What does the word ” Condemnation” mean? When we hear this word we think of something negative. It is not the same as the word ” Judge” . To judge someone means to pass sentence ‘ to form an opinion on a matter ‘ to make a mental judgement. Although occasionally we think of judgement as having a negative connotation as written in this verse. ” Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.” Romans 2:1. ” The word ‘judge’ used in this Bible verse does not of itself mean …to condemn,… but rather, ‘to separate’ or ‘to pronounce judgement’, and where the context so requires, ‘to condemn.'” 6 BC 484. However in its truest sense the word judgement could be positive or it could be negative. It simply means that you passed sentence.
To be condemned is not a pleasant thought. It can actually create a frightening feeling. A criminal is condemned for his crimes and may spend the rest of his life in a prison cell. Many Christians were condemned for their faith in the Dark Ages and it was only with the help of Jesus that they could endure the suffering. The worst condemnation would be being condemned to hell fire. The thought of this condemnation has led many to run to Jesus in order to escape this terrible punishment. However if there were not punishment, how many of them would continue to follow Jesus? What is their real motive for service?
DOES JESUS CONDEMN THE SINNER?
In the time of Jesus, the Pharisees had portrayed God the Father as an avenging judge who takes delight in condemning sinners. Nothing could be further from the truth. In speaking of His mission to this earth, Jesus said, ” For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” John 3:17.
The Pharisees brought condemnation against a woman found in adultery. They were equally guilty, if not more so, than the woman, but they hid their sin under a cloak. When Jesus pointed out their sin, they left His presence in shame. There was no one left to condemn the poor woman as her accusers had left. Jesus asked her if there was no one to condemn her and ” She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” John 8:11.
” The LORD will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.” Psalm 37:33
Jesus does not condemn the guilty sinner. I will use the definition ” unfit for service,” when speaking of condemnation in this article. Does Jesus pronounce anyone unfit for service? He clearly stated that His mission was not to condemn man but to save him.
But Jesus did condemn something. ” For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:” Romans 8:3. Jesus condemned sin in our flesh. There is no value in sin. To be in sin makes a person completely unfit for useful service.
Often Christians have gone to the other extreme by saying that since Jesus will not condemn anyone, they can continue in their sins and He will save them to the uttermost. This is a false teaching because Jesus condemned sin, so a person who retains their sinful habits is condemned along with the sin they cherish.
WHO DOES CONDEMN?
Although Jesus does not condemn people, who does?
Wicked against righteous:
” They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood.” Psalm 94:21.
” He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the LORD.” Proverbs 7:15
Wicked people have always tried to condemn the righteous. They can’t tolerate righteousness. It is impossible for them to simply get along, and lead their own lives, ignoring the righteous. Like the Pharisees in the days of Jesus, when faced with purity, they feel condemned (they see their unfitness for service), so to avoid their feelings of condemnation, they turn it around and condemn the righteous as straight laced fanatics, completely unfit for the service of God.
In the time of Christ the Pharisees felt condemned in the presence of Christ. That was only because of their sinful lifestyle. They condemned themselves. ” It angered these guardians of society that He with whom they were continually in controversy, yet whose purity of life awed and condemned them, should meet, in such apparent sympathy, with social outcasts. They did not approve of His methods. They regarded themselves as educated, refined, and pre-eminently religious; but Christ’s example laid bare their selfishness.
” It angered them also that those who showed only contempt for the rabbis and who were never seen in the synagogues should flock about Jesus and listen with rapt attention to His words. The scribes and Pharisees felt only condemnation in that pure presence; how was it, then, that publicans and sinners were drawn to Jesus?” COL 185/6
Satan:
” And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?” Zechariah 3:1,2. Satan likes to condemn God’s people. He likes to point out their sins stating that they are wholly unfit for the service of God. ” Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.” 1 Timothy 3:6.
What happened to Jesus?
” But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?” Luke 23:40 The Jewish leaders did not value the gift of Jesus. They condemned Him as unfit to be the King of the Jews. They chose Barabbas instead.
HOW WE CONDEMN OURSELVES
The reality is that people condemn themselves. Jesus offers us pardon, freedom from sin and condemnation, however many people reject this offer of mercy. God is calling us: ” Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live? Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?” Ezekiel 33:10, 11
” Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.” Ezekiel 18:31,32. When we choose to reject God’s way of salvation, we bring condemnation upon ourselves.
Now we are going to read several ways in which we condemn ourselves.
Our words:
” For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” Matthew 12:37. How much more seriously would we choose our words if we were constantly aware of the fact that every word we speak is written down in the books in heaven. We will have to face our words in the judgment, if they are not of a righteous nature and if we have not repented of them. ” Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I: yea, thine own lips testify against thee.” Job 15:6
If our speech is good, no one can condemn us. ” Sound speech that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.” Titus 2:8. If we keep our words pure, the wicked will have nothing with which to condemn us. They may make an attempt like the Jewish leaders did in the days of Jesus and Paul the Apostle, but they will be empty words, with no real value.
” If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse.” Job 9:20. Be careful of your words. They may not be evil words, but they may be proud words. As Job is stating here, the person who says he is perfect will be condemned by his own words. Also they may be words of self-justification when a sister or brother points out a sin to us. Eve did this when the Lord pointed out her sin. She blamed the serpent for beguiling her and then blamed God for creating the snake. She was justifying her actions. When our sins are pointed out it is best to repent and not seek to justify our actions. There is no justification for sin.
” UnChristlike speech lies at the foundation of nine tenths of all the difficulties that exist in the church.” RH 11-24-04. In order to avoid difficulties in the church a place to start is with unChristlike speech. 90% of the problems would disappear. Gossip has ruined many friendships and discouraged many souls in the church. ” Speak words of kindness, words of uplifting; for this is the fruit borne on the Christian tree.” RH 11-24-04.
Our motives:
People may look good on the outside, but God can read the heart. They may speak pleasant words and be polite and kind, but if their motives are wrong they are condemned. ” And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.” Ezekiel 33:31. These people are busy bodies. They are not doing the Lord’s work but sit down and condemn others who are busily working. They are looking for minor faults and errors to pick on the workers in order to justify their own inactivity. They claim a superior piety. These people are condemned ” they are not useful for anything in their current state. ” Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.” Matthew 15:7,8. ” The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.” Psalm 55:21.
Unbelief:
” He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” John 3:18, 19. The fact that you are reading this acknowledges the reality that you believe in Jesus. You are not an unbeliever. However, there are unbelievers who call themselves Christian. There are even unbelievers in the church. While they may say they believe in Jesus, and they do believe that He exists and is living in heaven, they do not believe He has the power to help them to overcome sin. They accept the fact that they are weak themselves, but they have no belief that Jesus can help them. These people are condemned. They are unfit for service, there is little God can do with them as they hold on to their sin.
” Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” John 5:24.
Sin:
” Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.” Titus 3:11. When you choose to sin, you are condemning yourself to death. As we read earlier, God is asking you why you are choosing death. God has promised to assist you in overcoming sin. Do you believe that He can keep you from sinning? Don’t harden your heart, just believe that He can and He will.
Grudge:
” Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.” James 5:9. Is there a brother or sister in the church who you feel you do not get along with? You decide that you simply will avoid them in order to avoid any unpleasant conversation from being exchanged. You believe that in order to preserve your, as well as your brother’s, faith and reputation, it is best to avoid him. Or are you jealous against a brother or sister? If we have any negative feelings against any of our brothers or sisters, we have condemned ourselves. ” Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.” Philippians 2:3
Grey areas:
” But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.” James 5:12. What do I mean by grey areas? Those are areas where we compromise a little. We don’t need to be so strict in our health reform or our Sabbath keeping, we can bend a little and God will overlook it. We need not become fanatic. With God things are either right or wrong, there are no grey areas. There is only black or white –yes or no — sin or righteousness.
Light and privileges:
How can our light and privileges condemn us? They will condemn us if we don’t use them. If we hide our light under a bushel, it may go out. Sins of omission are often not thought too much about. We tend to focus on sins of commission, however sins of omission are just as grievous if not more so than sins of commission. ” The best evidence that you are in Christ is the fruit you bear. If you are not truly united to Him, your light and privileges will condemn and ruin you.” 5T 348. If we neglect a known duty we are ignoring the voice of the Holy Spirit. How privileged we are to have the light and truth that we do. Will we neglect to share it with others? Will we neglect to read our Bibles because we just feel too lazy most of the time? ” Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” James 4:17
” Those who are unfaithful to the work of God are lacking in principle; their motives are not of a character to lead them to choose the right under all circumstances. The servants of God are to feel at all times that they are under the eye of their employer. He who watched the sacrilegious feast of Belshazzar is present in all our institutions, in the counting-room of the merchant, in the private workshop; and the bloodless hand is as surely recording your neglect as it recorded the awful judgment of the blasphemous king. Belshazzar’s condemnation was written in words of fire, “Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting;” and if you fail to fulfill your God-given obligations your condemnation will be the same.” MYP 229
Rejecting new light:
” If light come, and that light is set aside or rejected, then comes condemnation and the frown of God; but before the light comes, there is no sin, for there is no light for them to reject.” 1T 116. It has happened that when people have received some Bible Studies, they decide they don’t like what they have heard. The cross is too heavy; the road is too narrow. They simply can’t give up their worldly habits, or can’t give up their work or pleasure on Sabbath. Therefore they decide they don’t want to have more studies because they don’t want to know more about their obligations to God. They prefer to remain in ignorance thus rejecting the light they’ve currently received. They are condemning themselves. They will all be judged according to the knowledge they could have gained, but chose not to. Whether they didn’t want to or just didn’t have the time — were too busy to attend religious meetings and study their Bible. They miss out on learning and receiving new light from the Lord. How important that we use our time wisely.
LEADERS
” My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.” Romans 3:1. There is greater condemnation on a leader who has left the service of the Lord and turned to idols. There is little chance for him to be restored to his former behaviour.
Although he may repent and be restored into fellowship with God, he may not be able to return to his former position as he has given a poor example in his life. Moses did a seemingly small sin. He got angry and struck the rock, taking honour and glory to himself for the water. For this sin he could not enter the Promised Land. What is his sin in comparison to the sin of the murmuring multitude that had little faith in God? It may seem small, but Moses was the leader and was to provide a good example.
HOPE IN JESUS
We have all committed actions in the past that have brought condemnation upon ourselves. We have made ourselves unfit for the service of God, however Jesus doesn’t leave us in this hopeless state. ” Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” Psalm 55:7. ” There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Romans 8:1. Jesus wants us all to be saved. Come to Jesus. Surrender your life to Him. Let Him direct your paths and you will not be condemned.
” Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.” Romans 14:22. Yes, stop condemning yourself.
” Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” John 5:24
Praise the Lord that He has loved us with an everlasting love.
CONCLUSION:
Don’t condemn yourself, or your brothers. ” You will have many perplexities to meet in your Christian life in connection with the church, but do not try too hard to mold your brethren. If you see that they do not meet the requirements of God’s word, do not condemn; if they provoke, do not retaliate. When things are said that would exasperate, quietly keep your soul from fretting. You see many things which appear wrong in others, and you want to correct these wrongs. You commence in your own strength to work for a reform, but you do not go about it in the right way. You must labor for the erring with a heart subdued, softened by the Spirit of God, and let the Lord work through you, the agent. Roll your burden on Jesus. You feel that the Lord must take up the case where Satan is striving for the mastery over some soul; but you are to do what you can in humility and meekness, and put the tangled work, the complicated matters, into the hands of God. Follow the directions in His word, and leave the outcome of the matter to His wisdom. Having done all you can to save your brother, cease worrying, and go calmly about other pressing duties. It is no longer your matter, but God’s.” 5T 347
May God help us to all be found without condemnation when Jesus returns. May we be useful instruments for Him striving to uplift our brethren, working together as we travel the straight and narrow road to heaven. There is little time left, but thank the Lord that He is willing to cover us with His robe of righteousness and to free us from sin and unrighteousness. AMEN