THE LANGUAGE OF SALVATION - CONDEMNATION

The Language of Salvation: Condemnation
Romans 3:19–20; Romans 8:1

No one enjoys hearing the word condemnation. At first glance, it sounds harsh, negative, and hopeless. Yet one of the greatest truths of the gospel is that we cannot fully appreciate salvation until we first understand why we need it. Before a person can rejoice in being forgiven, they must first recognize that they are guilty. Before they can celebrate being rescued, they must realize they are lost.
That is why we begin our new series, The Language of Salvation, with this important Bible word. Throughout the next several weeks, we'll define and explore some of the great words found in the book of Romans—words that are familiar to many Christians but often misunderstood. My desire is that we not simply own a Bible, but understand it, obey it, and allow its truths to change our lives.
The first word is condemnation.
Condemnation is the legal declaration that someone is guilty and deserving of punishment. Spiritually speaking, it is God's righteous verdict against sinful humanity. While earthly courts sometimes convict innocent people, God's court never makes a mistake. His judgment is always according to truth, and His verdict is always just. The sobering reality is that every one of us stands guilty before Him.

The cause of our condemnation is not difficult to identify—it is sin.
Romans 3:23 reminds us, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Sin entered the world through Adam and has stained every generation since. It does not matter whether a person is religious or irreligious, moral or immoral, wealthy or poor, young or old. Every one of us has inherited a sinful nature and has personally chosen to sin.
One of the greatest mistakes people make is comparing themselves to others. They think, "I've never committed the sins that person has," or, "I'm a better person than most." But God has never measured us against one another. He measures us against His own holiness. Compared to a holy God, every person falls short.
James reminds us that if we offend in just one point of the law, we are guilty before God. The law was never given as a ladder to climb into heaven. It was given to reveal that we could never climb high enough on our own. It exposes our sin and points us to our need for a Savior.

The character of condemnation is equally serious.
Romans 3:19 tells us that "all the world may become guilty before God." Notice the wording carefully. Our guilt is not simply before society or before one another. It is before Almighty God. David understood this after his great failure when he confessed, "Against thee, thee only, have I sinned." Every sin is ultimately an offense against the holiness of God.
One day every excuse will disappear. Paul writes that "every mouth may be stopped." How often people imagine they will stand before God and explain why they neglected Him, ignored His Word, or refused His Son. But there will be no defense and no bargaining. God's judgment is according to truth and righteousness. His verdict will stand forever.
Jesus Himself declared, "He that believeth not is condemned already." Condemnation is not merely a future possibility for those without Christ—it is their present condition. Every person apart from Christ already stands under the sentence of sin.
Thankfully, the story does not end there.
After spending the first seven chapters of Romans proving mankind's guilt, Paul reaches one of the most glorious verses in all of Scripture:
"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus."
What wonderful words!
Imagine carrying an overwhelming financial debt that you could never repay. Then one day someone steps in, pays every penny, and your account is marked Paid in Full. The burden is lifted, the debt is gone, and you are free.
That is exactly what Jesus Christ did for every believer.
Isaiah tells us that "the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." Paul declares that Christ was "made...to be sin for us." On the cross, Jesus took our guilt, our condemnation, our curse, and our judgment upon Himself. God's holiness was satisfied because His justice was fully poured out upon His Son.
The cure for condemnation is not self-improvement, religion, or good works.

The cure is salvation through Jesus Christ alone.
You cannot balance your good deeds against your bad ones and hope the scales tip in your favor. Heaven is not awarded to those who are "better" than someone else. Salvation comes only through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. He became condemned so that we could be declared forgiven.
That truth ought to change how we live.
Far too many believers continue living under the weight of guilt long after Christ has removed their condemnation. Yes, we should confess our sins when we fail. Yes, we should pursue holiness. But once our sins are under the blood of Christ, we must stop allowing the devil to keep us chained to our past.
There is a tremendous difference between conviction and condemnation. The Holy Spirit convicts us to bring us back to fellowship with God. Satan condemns us to keep us discouraged and defeated. If you are in Christ, the Judge has already declared your case settled because Jesus took your place.
Charles Spurgeon once said, "Either sin is upon you or it is upon Christ." That is the decision every person must make.

In the end, every individual belongs to one of two groups. You are either still under condemnation because you have never trusted Christ, or you are free from condemnation because you have placed your faith in Him.
If you have never received Christ as your Savior, don't remain under a sentence that Jesus has already paid. Come to Him in faith and receive the gift of salvation.
And if you are already a child of God, then live like someone who has been set free. Walk in the joy of forgiveness. Stand in the confidence of God's grace. Rejoice that your guilt has been removed forever.
"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." What a wonderful Savior we have!