There Is No Condemnation In Christ Jesus, Do You Believe It?

For those not familiar with an Anglican service there are four Scripture readings prior to the message. The readings for today are: Genesis 25:19-34; Psalm 119:105-112; Romans 8:1-11; and Mathew 13:1-23.

A Pastor in the Philippines, ......a much loved man of God ......carried the burden of a secret sin .....he had committed many years before.

He had repented ..... but still he had no peace, ......no sense .....of God's forgiveness.

In his parish ..... there was a woman ......who deeply loved God ......and who said she had visions ......in which ....she spoke with God ....and he with her.

The Pastor however, was somewhat skeptical.

To see if it was true he said to her, ......"The next time you speak with God, ....I want you to ask him ...what sin your pastor committed ...while he was in seminary."

The woman agreed.

A few days later the pastor saw her and asked., ....."Well, did God visit you ....in your dreams?"

"Yes, he did," .....she replied.

"And did you ask him what sin I committed in seminary?" ......."Yes I did."

"Well, what did he say?"

"He said,...... 'I don't remember'"

Beloved.... Take heart: BIBLE "As far as the east is from the west, so far does God remove our transgressions from us." And the Scriptures go on ....... "You (O God) will cast all our sins .....into the depths of the sea." END

We do dumb things .....we make mistakes... we sin.

Many of these things....are born out of hurry ... frustration .....or distraction.

It is part ......of the human experience.

Our text from Romans begins with one of the greatest promises in all of Scripture. (Pause)

"There is therefore now no condemnation ....for those ....who are in Christ Jesus."

There is something in those words ..... in that promise of God.....that makes your heart ..... year for his presence. .

The significance....... is the fact ...... that in spite of our sin, .....God... does not condemn us. (Pause)

It is .........overwhelming.

And when you read that verse in light of Romans Chapter 7, ........the personal application of its truth ....... Should bring us great peace.

You see, Romans 7 contains a most powerful insight..... concerning our struggle with sin.

What makes it so powerful ....... is that Paul ....... is providing us a glimpse ...... into his own struggle.

And for me ....... that is encouraging.

Often when I think of the apostle Paul, .....I picture someone .....who is almost .....larger than life.

I can see him standing ..... defending his faith ......in front of governors ......and even ..... the emperor of Rome.

We have all listened to his words...... as he instructs the churches to be faithful, ...... And as he encourages Timothy and Titus .....as pastors.....to remain true .....to their calling.

Probably most of us..... have put Paul ...... on a pedestal.

But when we look to the 7th chapter of Romans, we get a peek..... behind eyes...... of the apostle.

And he is a lot more human ...... than we might have first thought.

Paul is a fellow struggle in the Faith. Here his words: BIBLE "....... I am of the flesh, sold into slavery under sin. 15 I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. ...... 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want ....is what I do. END

Paul is honest enough ......to recognize within himself .......a tendency to get caught in the stranglehold..... of sin.

A grip ... that can become so tight .....that many believe ......that they are ......beyond forgiveness.

Karl Menninger, ......the famed psychiatrist, once said: "....if he could convince the patients in psychiatric hospitals .....that their sins were forgiven, ......75 percent of them ......could walk out the next day!"

We Sin ... we all sin. It happens to us all.

Earlier in his letter to the Believers gathered in Rome Paul proclaimed "Not one is righteous, no not one."

Later he stated biblical fact: ......That "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God."

But now...... he states its effects on him ..... personally.

He is telling us "I struggle with sin, ....and sometimes ....I lose."

Finally, the frustration of losing seems to break through to the surface as Paul proclaims: in 7:22-24

BIBLE "........ I see in my members ..........at war with the law of my mind, ......making me captive to the law of sin ......that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! .....Who will rescue me from this body of death?" END

You try to be patient .....but in a flash .....you strike out ......and the words you say ......have done their damage.

You thought .......you had broken the grip ..... but you listened to the whisper of the old nature ..... "it will be okay just this once," ....and now you feel .....like a failure.