Not Condemned

<p>Crawling into bed, I snuggled under the blankets as clouds filled my mind. "Another day I’ve messed up," I thought, tears filling my eyes. "When will I ever get it right?" Despair filled my mind, making sleep impossible. I wanted to pray, but I was too scared to do it. Why would God want to listen to me after I had failed Him for the umpteenth time? I could just picture Him shaking His head with a groan as I stumbled forward to ask for forgiveness... again.</p><p>.</p><p>I pulled my knees into my chest, and pulled the covers around tighter. Then, a voice spoke right to my heart... “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” It was a ray of sunshine from heaven. I had heard the verse (Romans 8:1) before, but never needed to hear those words as much as I did then.</p><p>.</p><p>God doesn’t expect perfection from His children—and He does not condemn us. He knows that all humans sin, failing to love Him and one another (Matthew 22:37-40; Romans 3:23-24). Our sin grieves Him because He loves us and sin hurts us, but He also understands the struggle we go through. More than that, He gives us victory in our struggle—because His own Son, Jesus, lived through the same struggles we now experience, and He defeated every temptation. Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we have His Spirit in us, giving us that same power to resist sin.</p><p>.</p><p>And even when we fail, not only does God understand, but He has already forgiven us through the death and resurrection of Jesus. “Therefore, there is now NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1, emphasis added). As we come to Him, repenting from our sins and seeking His help, He gladly gives it to us out of love. We don’t have to be afraid of punishment because Jesus took our punishment upon Himself when He went to the cross... and nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:38-39). So, through each struggle, temptation, sin, and failure, He is still there, ready to help you through and ready to give you victory. • Lily