This is a bit of a personal topic, but then again most of my blog posts are personal because they are things which are affecting me currently. Today's topic is no different than any other topics, but what makes it different is the length at which I've been fighting this. They topic is really three pieces: guilt, shame, and condemnation. Of the three, there is one that is not lesser because they all have an impact on a person.
Romans 8:1, "Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus..." Condemnation is one of those issues we run into because of the fallen world we live in, but is a result of the law which condemns sin. The reality is though that when Jesus came, lived, died, and rose again he fulfilled the law therefore we have this passage in the first verse of the eighth chapter of Romans. When we sin or even break the law which govern us there is a tendency to have this lingering feeling, for me most of the time it's condemnation. Condemnation tells us, "Oh no look what you did there." it's that feeling that something bad is going to happen.
This past week has been one of revelation in different ways for me because things have changed as I'm out of school and moved into a single apartment in a different complex on campus, but this freedom has which allowed me to see things in a different light. I'm reminded of the struggle of this because there have been times where sin has crept back in an area of my life and in the moments of realization things are not always as it appears. At first the voices remind me that I've sinned, but leads me to repentance, then another voice comes in and it's usually Satan and he's telling me, "Look at you, falling again...a failure." This is the condemnation Paul speaks against in Romans 8:1. Because of Christ, who has raised me out of darkness, who's taken on my sin I no longer live, but he lives in me therefore there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
I would encourage anyone who struggles with this to take a look at scripture and reference other verses to get a better understanding of what is going on. This has been an ongoing struggle for many years, but hopefully it will continue to die off in my life and that it won't come back. The journey we are on isn't always enjoyable, but we have hope in this world because Christ has overcome the world(John 16:33). So take heart my friends and continue the good fight!
Take care and God Bless!!
