There will be a fearful day, spoken of in Revelation, when the sinners of all time gather before the Great White Throne of God and receive their judgment; their just condemnation for all the sins they have committed. The wages of sin is death and that will be payday. Those who have died in their sins will be cast in the lake of fire prepared for the devil and his angels to receive the punishment their sins deserve.
It is horrible to even imagine this, but the God of Heaven is holy and the day of judgment is real. But there is one bit of good news for me.
I won't be there!
Well, at least I won't be on the receiving end of the fateful words, "Depart from me, you who are cursed..." I will be standing with my Savior, already transformed into his image and with nothing facing me but an eternity of glory.
Why? Because of Jesus Christ. Romans 8:1-2 makes this absolutely clear.
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
No condemnation. None. Not even a little. I face none of God's judgment against sin. And it's not because I'm not guilty. I am. In one form or another I've broken all of God's laws. But according to this passage, the Spirit's law of life has set me free. Through Christ's death and resurrection and through the work of the Spirit in me I am forgiven - once and for all.
I put other things ahead of God and tried to create gods to my own liking. I broke the law and I deserved death. But the law of life freed me from the law that revealed my sin and brought condemnation. No condemnation now exists.
I have failed to take time for God and used his name in vain. But there is no condemnation for me, because of the law of life at work in me. I disobeyed my parents, walked in anger (murder of the heart), lusted (adultery of the heart), spoke lies, took what did not belong to me, and coveted what was not mine. Were I to stand before the Throne to be judged for those sins, the law would convict me and God would judge me. I would be without hope.
But for me, there is no condemnation because Jesus Christ paid it all. The Spirit's law of life has set me free from the law that reveals my sin and would send me to death. Through Christ, there is no condemnation. Do I deserve judgment? Yes, but Jesus set me free. Could I earn heaven? No, but Jesus earned it for me? Could I defeat sin on my own? No way, but Jesus forgave me because of his finished work.
Anyone want to sing the Doxology right now?
It is the greatest truth in the world - guilty sinners are set free by the blood of Christ and face no condemnation through him. Regardless of my spiritual struggles, failures and sins, there is no condemnation because I am in Christ - redeemed, sealed, secured and free!
Father, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I deserved death, but in you I have life. Thank you.
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