“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 KJV
These days no one wants to be judged. Everyone from therapists to salons offer no judgement zones. But I don’t think it exists for humans. We all have judgment in our heads and have to use it everyday to make simple decisions. We can’t do anything right without it! And nowhere in the scripture is a “no judgement zone” promised. While Christ asked His followers not to judge, He also suggested we judge a righteous, merciful judgement instead of an unjust, unfair, biased, or condemnatory one.
What His believers are promised is no condemnation if they walk in the Spirit instead of the flesh. This means, making decisions based on the Spirit guarantees freedom from condemnation. In this Spirit, believers feel no condemnation; they receive none and give none. The flesh is full of feelings, presumptions, accusations, jealousies, greediness and selfishness of all kinds and with it comes a sense of condemnation.
Without condemnation radical transformation is possible! How much would you risk if you knew you couldn’t fail? Everything, right? How much would succeed if you couldn’t fail? Most of it. All you have to do is keep trying and you’ll win everything eventually.
The judgment is the gateway into the non-condemning grace of Christ. You must be willing to go through judgment to get to it. And standing in judgment before a perfect Judge with a perfect Advocate beside you is the scariest thing you’ve ever done and yet the most wonderful at the same time. Believers can enter judgment as often as they want for cleansing, clarity, and change.
And believers judge others righteously, or they rightly judge how much mercy to give, not how much condemnation to measure. And it’s based on the merciful decisions Christ has made for us.
Father, thank You for not condemning us when You could and judging us with mercy. Help us treat others with mercy the way you treat us.
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