Title: Why do Christians feel condemned?

[alaric]

In the bible, there is a verse that says whoever is in Christ, there will no longer be condemnation.

Romans 8:1 = Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus

I have come to this conclusion that many Christians DO NOT believe that God has removed ALL their sins. They only believe that God removed the sins that they did before becoming a Christian. And they have to follow the law and try to live a sinless life (or try to sin less) to please God.

When they try to follow the law to please God, they are essentially arming the devil with a weapon. And whenever they break a law, the devil will use the law to condemn them. In Colossians 2:14-15, it says God disarmed the devil by Jesus’ death on the cross.

Colossians 2:14-15 = When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us ALL our sins, having cancelled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

How did God disarm the devil?

It is written in Ezekiel 18:20 “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.”

When Jesus died on the cross, he took our sins and paid the penalty on our behalf.

2 Corinthians 5:21 = God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Having paid fully for our sins, Jesus magnified and fulfilled the law. Since Jesus has fully paid for our debts (sins), we are no longer slaves under the law.

Imagine a man who purchase a house from HDB. Because he does not have money, therefore he has to take a loan from the bank. Every month, he has to pay the bank every month until the loan + interest is 100% cleared. Then one day, his father wanted to clear the loan for his son and paid everything that the man owes to the bank. Once the loan has been fully paid, the man is no longer under debt to the bank. When the next month come, even if the man receive a letter from the bank for loan payment. He can ignore the letter and penalty for non-payment because he knows the house have already been fully paid.

How do we know that Jesus has paid for my past, present and future sins?

Hebrews 9:26 & 28 says that Jesus appeared ONCE to do away with sin.

Hebrews 9:26 = Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.

Hebrews 9:28 = so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

God created time. Therefore, God is outside time. Most of the prophesies in the bible, God wrote them thousands of years in advance. It is written in the bible that God knows the end from the beginning.

Isaiah 46:9-10 = Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.

Revelation 22:13 = I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

If God knows the future, then God knows every single sin that we are going to do from the day we are born to the day we die. Therefore, Jesus’ death on the cross is payment for our past, present and future sins.

How clean are we after Jesus paid for our sins?

It is written in the bible that we are like Jesus in this world.

1 John 4:17 = This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus.

This means that if you are born again, your identity is in Christ.

If Jesus is sinless, so am I

If Jesus is righteous, so am I

If Jesus is holy, so am I

If Jesus is seated on God’s right hand, so am I

If Jesus is blessed, so am I

If Jesus has favour with the Father, so am I

Once you believed that ALL your sins have been washed away, you should not have consciousness of sin.

Hebrews 10:2 = For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.

And the devil will no power over you. And you will be able to live a life that Christ paid with his life for you to have.

 

[Mark Quayle]

In the bible, there is a verse that says whoever is in Christ, there will no longer be condemnation.

Romans 8:1 = Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus

I have come to this conclusion that many Christians DO NOT believe that God has removed ALL their sins. They only believe that God removed the sins that they did before becoming a Christian. And they have to follow the law and try to live a sinless life (or try to sin less) to please God.

When they try to follow the law to please God, they are essentially arming the devil with a weapon. And whenever they break a law, the devil will use the law to condemn them. In Colossians 2:14-15, it says God disarmed the devil by Jesus’ death on the cross.

Colossians 2:14-15 = When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us ALL our sins, having cancelled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

How did God disarm the devil?

It is written in Ezekiel 18:20 “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.”

When Jesus died on the cross, he took our sins and paid the penalty on our behalf.

2 Corinthians 5:21 = God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Having paid fully for our sins, Jesus magnified and fulfilled the law. Since Jesus has fully paid for our debts (sins), we are no longer slaves under the law.

Imagine a man who purchase a house from HDB. Because he does not have money, therefore he has to take a loan from the bank. Every month, he has to pay the bank every month until the loan + interest is 100% cleared. Then one day, his father wanted to clear the loan for his son and paid everything that the man owes to the bank. Once the loan has been fully paid, the man is no longer under debt to the bank. When the next month come, even if the man receive a letter from the bank for loan payment. He can ignore the letter and penalty for non-payment because he knows the house have already been fully paid.

How do we know that Jesus has paid for my past, present and future sins?

Hebrews 9:26 & 28 says that Jesus appeared ONCE to do away with sin.

Hebrews 9:26 = Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.

Hebrews 9:28 = so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

God created time. Therefore, God is outside time. Most of the prophesies in the bible, God wrote them thousands of years in advance. It is written in the bible that God knows the end from the beginning.

Isaiah 46:9-10 = Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.

Revelation 22:13 = I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

If God knows the future, then God knows every single sin that we are going to do from the day we are born to the day we die. Therefore, Jesus’ death on the cross is payment for our past, present and future sins.

How clean are we after Jesus paid for our sins?

It is written in the bible that we are like Jesus in this world.

1 John 4:17 = This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus.

This means that if you are born again, your identity is in Christ.

If Jesus is sinless, so am I

If Jesus is righteous, so am I

If Jesus is holy, so am I

If Jesus is seated on God’s right hand, so am I

If Jesus is blessed, so am I

If Jesus has favour with the Father, so am I

Your exuberance is commendable.

Once you believed that ALL your sins have been washed away, you should not have consciousness of sin.

Hebrews 10:2 = For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.

According to your quote, you are making a false equivalence: Conscience is not the same thing as consciousness. The point I think you mean to get across is good, however. Even though the meaning there in Heb 10:12 is closer to "awareness of guilt", you are right, as far as the depth of forgiveness. But there is no escape from the obvious diffraction upon one's trespasses subsequent to their once-and-for-all forgiveness—the sin all the more obvious for the awareness of God's purity and goodness and the work of the Spirit of God within. 1 John 1 makes clear statements that if we claim no sin, we lie, and further, that if we are not confessing our sin, he will not have forgiven you after all. (Not that you are saying otherwise, but...)

And the devil will no power over you. And you will be able to live a life that Christ paid with his life for you to have.

Amen that.

 

[stevevw]

How we can be sure of Christ in our heart. THis is in Christs words that anyone who comes to Him and knocks then He will open the door. Imagine its like knocking on someones door, eventually you know they will answer.

So its a relationship. You come to a point where you knock on Christs door and He will come into your life, your heart and mind.

From that point you are a new person. That doesn't always mean that you are instantaneously changed though that can happen. Its a ongoing relationship. The Holy spirit will keep exposing your hidden sin and we keep handing it over to God. Thats what being transformed means. God is the potter and we are the clay. He will mold us into Christlike.

But its all about realizing that we are sinners, weak, and defiled and we cannot be worthy without Christ. Its a bit the same as realizing your an addict and you cannot restore yourself to sanity without a higher power. Anyone except you as you have made a mess of things. Except Christ is the ultimate higher power.

So its really surrender. I am weak and He is strong. So long as you keep coming back to this even bringing your dougbt, remembering its a relationship and your sharing yourself with God which means everything. God will then take your weakness and sin and make you rightous and Christlike. Its a never ending relationship until we pass this world when we are fully restored in Gods Kingdom.

The doubt comes in when we lose sight of this truth that by knocking Christ will always answer. Even if you think your are not worthy. Doubt is fixating on the 'not worthy' part and forgetting that Christ will always answer the door no matter what if we bring our doubts to Him.

 

[timf]

Why do Christians feel condemned?

katakrima = condemnation
krima = judgment
kata = to the highest degree

Being condemned is not the same as feeling condemned. It is the awareness of sin, our immaturity, and struggle with the flesh that combine with seeing things increasingly in truth that often result in feelings of falling short. This might be seen as the beginning of humility.

 

[FireDragon76]

If you are unmerciful, you won't want to believe in mercy yourself. Salt and fresh water don't flow out of the same pipe , as the apostle James says.

That's why Jesus said we should pray "forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors". Jesus also said his yoke is easy and his burden is light. That doesn't mean that his message is an easy thing to hear, necessarily, but a life defined by bitterness and spite is its own kind of burden.

 

[Jo555]

In the bible, there is a verse that says whoever is in Christ, there will no longer be condemnation.

Romans 8:1 = Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus

I have come to this conclusion that many Christians DO NOT believe that God has removed ALL their sins. They only believe that God removed the sins that they did before becoming a Christian. And they have to follow the law and try to live a sinless life (or try to sin less) to please God.

When they try to follow the law to please God, they are essentially arming the devil with a weapon. And whenever they break a law, the devil will use the law to condemn them. In Colossians 2:14-15, it says God disarmed the devil by Jesus’ death on the cross.

Colossians 2:14-15 = When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us ALL our sins, having cancelled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

How did God disarm the devil?

It is written in Ezekiel 18:20 “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.”

When Jesus died on the cross, he took our sins and paid the penalty on our behalf.

2 Corinthians 5:21 = God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Having paid fully for our sins, Jesus magnified and fulfilled the law. Since Jesus has fully paid for our debts (sins), we are no longer slaves under the law.

Imagine a man who purchase a house from HDB. Because he does not have money, therefore he has to take a loan from the bank. Every month, he has to pay the bank every month until the loan + interest is 100% cleared. Then one day, his father wanted to clear the loan for his son and paid everything that the man owes to the bank. Once the loan has been fully paid, the man is no longer under debt to the bank. When the next month come, even if the man receive a letter from the bank for loan payment. He can ignore the letter and penalty for non-payment because he knows the house have already been fully paid.

How do we know that Jesus has paid for my past, present and future sins?

Hebrews 9:26 & 28 says that Jesus appeared ONCE to do away with sin.

Hebrews 9:26 = Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.

Hebrews 9:28 = so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

God created time. Therefore, God is outside time. Most of the prophesies in the bible, God wrote them thousands of years in advance. It is written in the bible that God knows the end from the beginning.

Isaiah 46:9-10 = Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.

Revelation 22:13 = I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

If God knows the future, then God knows every single sin that we are going to do from the day we are born to the day we die. Therefore, Jesus’ death on the cross is payment for our past, present and future sins.

How clean are we after Jesus paid for our sins?

It is written in the bible that we are like Jesus in this world.

1 John 4:17 = This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus.

This means that if you are born again, your identity is in Christ.

If Jesus is sinless, so am I

If Jesus is righteous, so am I

If Jesus is holy, so am I

If Jesus is seated on God’s right hand, so am I

If Jesus is blessed, so am I

If Jesus has favour with the Father, so am I

Once you believed that ALL your sins have been washed away, you should not have consciousness of sin.

Hebrews 10:2 = For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.

And the devil will no power over you. And you will be able to live a life that Christ paid with his life for you to have.

In short, a believer is not condemned, but he can still sin and that sin / carnal nature is condemned in the flesh.

We don't move forward by guilt and condemnation because it will just continue to point us back to ourselves and a vicious cycle continues. It is part of the way of old tied to the law.

We move forward by the love of God found in being in the Spirit. So now if we commit a sin, which we can still do while we are being perfected in Him and his love, we grieve because we hurt the object of our love and adoration. That is considered Godly sorrow that leads to life. Guilt and condemnation lead to death.

 

[Jo555]

In short, a believer is not condemned, but he can still sin and that sin / carnal nature is condemned in the flesh.

We don't move forward by guilt and condemnation because it will just continue to point us back to ourselves and a vicious cycle continues. It is part of the way of old tied to the law.

We move forward by the love of God found in being in the Spirit. So now if we commit a sin, which we can still do while we are being perfected in Him and his love, we grieve because we hurt the object of our love and adoration. That is considered Godly sorrow that leads to life. Guilt and condemnation lead to death.

On a second look, don't know if that answered your question. As I see it, which I believe you do too, guilty conscience and condemnation is a faculty of conscience. Romans 2 for one. There are many who believe in the Lord and what He has done on the cross, but may still be ridden with teachings in the way of old and thus, walk according to the letter of the law, with its self-effort against the carnal nature, of which is condemned because all our goodness is as filthy rags to God. No flesh shall boast in his presence.

God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble and it is truly a humble position to know we can't do it on our own. We must acknowledge our weakness of OUR OWN.

As we walk in the Spirit, empowered to deny the lusts of the flesh, we walk in his power.

We need the revelation (deep, inner knowing only his Spirit can bring) of the new way, thus transforming us within the conscience, mind, and emotions.

It's a work of the Spirit so even in this we can't boast.

Sometimes i find myself frustrated as to why someone is having trouble understanding something and God has to remind me that I didn't get there on my own.

Not that I have arrived and have all my ducks in order, for lack of a better word, just saying.

Sounds like we on the same page.

 

[Palmfever]

They listen to the wrong voice.
Satan is the accuser.
"Come boldly before the throne of God."

 

[Longing to kneel]

Why do Christians feel condemned?

katakrima = condemnation
krima = judgment
kata = to the highest degree

Being condemned is not the same as feeling condemned. It is the awareness of sin, our immaturity, and struggle with the flesh that combine with seeing things increasingly in truth that often result in feelings of falling short. This might be seen as the beginning of humility.

Simple and practical answer. Doesn't get easier to understand than this..

 

[Mark Quayle]

On a second look, don't know if that answered your question. As I see it, which I believe you do too, guilty conscience and condemnation is a faculty of conscience. Romans 2 for one. There are many who believe in the Lord and what He has done on the cross, but may still be ridden with teachings in the way of old and thus, walk according to the letter of the law, with its self-effort against the carnal nature, of which is condemned because all our goodness is as filthy rags to God. No flesh shall boast in his presence.

God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble and it is truly a humble position to know we can't do it on our own. We must acknowledge our weakness of OUR OWN.

As we walk in the Spirit, empowered to deny the lusts of the flesh, we walk in his power.

We need the revelation (deep, inner knowing only his Spirit can bring) of the new way, thus transforming us within the conscience, mind, and emotions.

It's a work of the Spirit so even in this we can't boast.

Sometimes i find myself frustrated as to why someone is having trouble understanding something and God has to remind me that I didn't get there on my own.

Not that I have arrived and have all my ducks in order, for lack of a better word, just saying.

Sounds like we on the same page.

Yep.. For it is God who works in you both to will and to do according to his good purposes.

 

[Jo555]

Yep.. For it is God who works in you both to will and to do according to his good purposes.

Great reference point Mark.

Thank you, gracias, merci beaucoup...yep, still sharpening them linguistics.