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Jesus did not come to condemn the world but to save it. The world is condemned already. He who has the son of God has life but He who has not the Son of God does not have life.

Jesus did not come to bring more death. Jesus is Life and there is no death in Him. Jesus came to bring Life to a world dead to God and condemned to become extinct. Life is eternal for it comes from God. Death is mortal and by its own nature must come to and end. When Death swallows itself, all that will remain is Life. Death is but a shadow that will be fully vanquished through the work of Jesus Christ just as He conquered His own death on the cross and opened the Way of Life to us there by Life, putting an end to Death in the fullness of the dispensation of time.

Pam

Pam

Man, you really gotta be smart to make it in this religion!

I don't doubt God but I have no confidence in myself so what does that mean?

I am wretched without Christ this I know but does that mean that because I know that I am self condemning?

Sigh ...there is a reason I stay with the shiny simple stuff :P

Hi Trent :)
Be loved you are

freebird,

Not all birds are created exactly the same. Some have a simple song and others have a more complex song. This is not religion. Religion is when either of the birds decides to impose their song upon the other, saying, this is the only song of Jesus that is correct and allowd. Religion is when one bird seeks to stand between another bird and God making of himself more than he ought. Religion is not decided by intellegence, or knowlege, or lack of it but intent of the heart. The intent of religion (not the religion given the Jews by God but all religion that is of human origen and that given by God twisted to human intent) is the intent of one man to rule over another. It does not matter if it is simple or complex it is a desire that is evil. We are all guilty of creating religion and each of us must examine our own hearts to make sure that we are living according to Jesus and not to someone's intent to rule over us or our own intent to rule over another.

Pam

Mrs. Zeke,
Hi sweet sister.

Condemnation has to do with punishment.
Do you feel as though you are wretched and that it matters to God? If so then you are condemning yourself.
Do you feel as though you are wretched and that it does not matter to God? If so then you are not condemning yourself.

When you know that you know that you are in Christ and there is no doubt that is what matters, you cannot be condemned, no matter the accusation.

Amen?

Ripening for the harvest,
Trent

My Dear Brother Trent,
My walk with our Beloved God has not been an easy one. I have often just held so tight to the words He has offered even when I know at time my mind and actions are not His will.

This has always been a struggle for me. I do believe that through the blood I am washed and that God sees me as clean but how I see myself is a different matter although thankfully as I age I am less inclined to self persecute. Not because I am any better through my own actions but because I know that is not how God would have me be.

If He has forgotten then I should also, I just don't find it easy to do. I accept salvation because I believe and it is the only hope for all.

So I guess my real question would be is someone like me who struggles to be able to let go if things I have done or thought that are not of God someone who is self condemning?

It may be that I do not understand the context. What I know is I care little if I please man I only care that I please God. I don't say that as a badge of something I say that because that issue is hard when I am a mere human and wretched without Him.

So am I confused?

Be loved Trent and all for each is and will always be.

Trent, I assume you don't mean condemn as in "condemn to hell," but rather the conviction of the heart. The Romans and 1 John references make sense in that light.

However, you don't get to mention that passage from Mark about casting mountains into the sea and then walk away from it. Unless you're casting mountains into the sea, or some equivalent, then doesn't that mean you're doubting in the context you've offered up here?

I'm just axin'.

Mar 11:23
For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith

Anyone ever notice that this verse references our speech 3 times?

Could it be that our words/speech are the primary indicators of the doubt or belief in our hearts? (Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks...)

Mrs. Zeke,

Ever drive around with an expired sticker on your windshield? I have. It is miserable, because you think that every siren you hear is coming after you. And you think that behind every corner is a speed trap that will take you down for the expired sticker.

That is the feeling of condemnation. It is a consciousness of wrongdoing everpresent in mind. Like you are on borrowed time, and the IRS is looking for you. It is this condemnation that steals your life.

My stomach is in knots when I am like this, and I don't sleep as well, etc. It is like my body gets messages from my mind, that I am cursed, and then it produces the curse in my body - sickness, sleeplessness, etc. This is living under condemnation.

So looking deeper at why this feeling of condemnation overshadows me, I recognize that I think I have blown it and the other shoe will drop, so to speak ... because the sticker matters.

But, what if the expired sticker is just for an oil change? And I have convinced myself that I can get a ticket and a trip to jail for an overdue oil change! Then all my condemnation is FALSE condemnation. The lack of confidence before the authorities is based on a lie. I shrink back, but not based on knowledge. I have the awful feeling because my believing has locked me in a prison of doubt.

The same is true if the government repeals the laws about registration and inspection stickers, and I don't know about it.

As a Christian, I have felt that way with God. Lack of confidence, doubting, wanting to get my "stickers up to date" before I let Him see me. This is what religion produces ... a sticky feeling of condemnation. But there is no condemnation for us, and we have every reason to be bold before the throne. Christ has given us His stickers, and they never expire.

Why shouldn't I tell a mountain to go into the sea, and it leap and plunge? Well, it must be because of my believing. I am doubting that whatever is true about Christ has become true about me. That I am no longer condemned. That my guilty quotient is the same as Jesus' guilty quotient. That I am as pure before God as Jesus Himself, even better than any innocence that Adam had. To the measure that my believing doubts these things, I shrink back, and try to avoid God and His drag net. I have nothing but doubt about what I say to mountains, etc. It is all tied together.

Literally, whenever we get to the point where our believing matches reality, we can walk with pure innocence in this world, and no accusation can stick to us. We can be so confident in our infused perfection through Jesus, that there is no less of a reason for God not to grant our request for a mountain to be cast in the sea, than for Jesus Himself to say the same request.

Mar 11:23
For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not [CONDEMN HIMSELF] in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith

I changed the word "doubt" with "Condemn Himself" above and I submit that the Greek translation bolsters my point.

Those of us that are in Christ, have every reason to be bold, if we can ever get our believing to match reality.

Ripening,
Trent

Phew!

I need to think about this a bit brother thanks for your time

and no I don't mind.

Be loved you are