Condemnation part 5
I've kind of been hinting at the truth, kind of trying to seed it in this whole series, that self condemnation is the worst kind. Nobody knows you better than you do. Nobody knows all the worst things you've done but you. Because you were literally, physically, right there doing them. And unless you're a psychopath or a sociopath your conscience is usually pretty guilty. We're sensitive about things we've done, even if we aren't the ones currently doing them. But let me say two things about it and end this Rant series. Here's number one: "For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things" (1 John 3:20). God--in the form of Jesus--didn't come to condemn us. He came to save us. And He didn't come to save us from HIM. He came to save us from ourselves. Its not something WE have to do... we don't have to save ourselves. God saves us FROM ourselves. He is greater than our condemning heart. He is greater than our guilty conscience. Which leads me to my other memory verse. "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water" (Hebrews 10:22). Remember David? The man after God's own heart? Which meant he was AFTER it. He wanted it. Well, now we have it. That true heart. God's heart beating with love in our chests. That's why--and how--we can draw near to Him. That's why--and how--we can run TO Him instead of running FROM Him. We know He's not going to condemn us. He's not going to kick us when we're down. He's going to stoop down and raise us up. He's going to equip and empower us to go and sin no more. God and unbelieve no more. Go and believe forevermore! Our evil (guilty, condemned) conscience has been sprinkled. With the blood of the Lamb. Just like in the Old Testament. And that blood is more than just a covering. That blood is our very DNA (the Divine Nature of the Almighty). Its the blood of God--the LOVE of God--flowing through our veins. Released with every breath we take and every move we make. Charity. Love in action. That's how we live free. That's how we prove (to ourselves) that there is no condemnation for those in Christ. For those in love. And I don't necessarily mean "in love" in a romantic way. I mean those who are dwelling in love. Those who don't disqualify themselves from being loved by God... those who let Him love the hell out of them by loving the hell out of each other! See, the best way to operate in an atmosphere of not being condemned... is to not condemn others. Let me say it like my pastor says it: If you know it, throw it. Give what you've got. God has washed away all of that "stuff" that we cling to in order to condemn ourselves. He is greater than our condemning heart. Greater than our evil conscience. His love lifts us up. So that we can rise above the things that have, for so long, dragged us down. There is no condemnation from God. So there ought to be no condemnation from us. To each other... or to ourselves!