Condemnation

Condemnation

Greek: κατακρίνω

Strong’s Greek & Hebrew Dictionary: from (kata) and (krino); to judge against, i.e. sentence :- condemn, damn.

Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old Testament and New Testament Words: “to give judgment against, pass sentence upon”; hence, “to condemn,” implying (a) the fact of a crime

Merriam-Webster: 1: to declare to be reprehensible, wrong, or evil usually after weighing evidence and without reservation

2a: to pronounce guilty: convict

   b: sentence, doom <condemn a prisoner to die>

3: to adjudge unfit for use or consumption

4: to declare convertible to public use under the right of eminent domain

In United States, you are innocent until proven guilty. In God’s system, you are guilty and condemned until proven innocent.

God placed Adam and Eve in a beautiful garden. He blessed them with everything they needed. He only had one law. “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. (Genesis 2:16-17)

The law was clear. Don’t eat of this tree. If you do you will condemned to the death penalty. As we know, Adam and Eve did eat of the tree and were condemned to death and driven from the garden and the tree of life. That same condemnation pronunciation of guilt was ours as well. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” (Romans 5:12)

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

“He that believeth on him [Jesus] 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.” (John 3:18)

So we arrive on this earth condemned already. We are guilty of something we didn’t even do. We’ve been sentenced to death. We will perish.

To make matters worse, God provided the law. The law told us what we were to do or not do. If you were to keep the law, you would not be guilty. However, no one could fully keep the law and were thus condemned, convicted, and sentenced for breaking the law. The law didn’t have the power to change anyone, just point out God’s standard and pronounce guilt.

God provided the law to show us we couldn’t do it ourselves. We needed a savior. “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) We needed someone to save us from the condemnation of sin and its consequent penalty of death. God had to do it Himself. He provided a temporary fix for the children of Israel. Through atonement He covered their sins on the mercy-seat. It had to be redone every year. There needed to be a final sacrifice and shedding of blood that would permanently remove sins, not just cover temporarily.

“For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17) God had to step in and do what man could not do.

“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 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 8:2-3)

God provided a way that everyone could do. It is called grace. It is God doing for us what we couldn’t do and giving to us a free gift. All we had to do is believe it. We can’t merit it. We can’t earn it. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Jesus took all the guilt, judgment, and condemnation upon Himself on our behalf. Jesus said, “It is finished.” (John 19:30) Jesus finished forever the judgment, wrath, guilt and condemnation of our sins forever, once and for all.

“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)

For the believer now there is no condemnation.

Therefore “now.” Now is now. Tomorrow will be now tomorrow. We are always living in the now. Yesterday was now yesterday. This means now—right now. There are a number of Greek words translated “now.” This one is a primary particle of present time meaning now. He isn’t talking about the sweet bye and bye or when we all get to heaven. It’s now—today.

Now there is no condemnation. The Greek word for “no” has the idea of “no not one.” The law brings condemnation. Grace allows for no condemnation. This is one of the most important doctrines in the Bible. There is no condemnatory judgment. God has wiped your sins away and has granted you full pardon and forgiveness. You are not living under any condemnation. Never ever any condemnation. Don’t let anyone say differently. To do so would suggest the cross was of no effect. Jesus paid the debt and removed the condemnation of the law.

Which of us are under no condemnation? The ones who are “in Christ.” “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.” (1 Corinthians 1:30) The finished work of Jesus put us in right standing with God. He removed any condemnation placed on us by debt of the law.

This doctrine is most important because knowing this will reveal how you see God. Is He all loving and always loving or does He sometimes condemn you for your bad behavior? God has forgiven your sins, past, present, and future. Jesus took all of your condemnation on Himself once and for all.

“For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 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. (John 3:17-18) God’s whole purpose in sending Jesus was to save man from the condemnation and guilt of sin.

When they brought the woman caught in the act of adultery to Jesus, Jesus told them that the one who was without sin could toss the first stone, which was the law. When they left, Jesus stood alone with the woman. “When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” (John 8:10-11)

When you know you aren’t condemned, you have the freedom and power to go and sin no more. So know that God does not condemn. You can have no accusers. Don’t accept condemnation from anyone.

If we see the last phrase of Romans 8:1 – walking in the flesh as not fulfilling all the law, then we are back under the law. Then we are back to believing we are always under God’s condemning scrutiny, where He’s always standing over us with a ball bat to judge us. We are no better than those under the law.

There is no condemnation for those “in Christ.” That’s a positional place, “that glorious place God has given the believer.” The Greek word “en” is a primary preposition denoting fixed position. There are no questions. You are either “in” or not. You’re “in” by grace through faith. When you’re “in”, there is no more condemnation from God ever or can there ever be. Any condemnation you feel comes from Satan or yourself. It does not come from God. He sees you “in Christ.” When He looks at you, He sees Jesus.