“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)
Read Romans 8:1–11.
You may have been to a funeral before, or perhaps you have wondered about death. Maybe you might think this is a very morbid way of starting a daily devotion, yet death is part of life. Have you stopped to ponder how, among death, there is life, and what great comfort we have in Christ Jesus?
It is Jesus who will come to judge the living and the dead, and as the just judge of all, we all will need to give an account of our lives to Him. So, what will you say? Are there things you might be ashamed to share among the good things you have done? Does that frighten you?
In the words of St Paul today, there is great comfort. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. But what does that mean? It is certainly great news that we are not condemned by Jesus if we are in Him, but what does it look like?
If you think of God’s amazing grace and the great love He poured out for all through Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross, we can be at peace. God has done the work on our behalf, so we do not need to worry about an eternity of condemnation, simply by believing in Jesus.
On the day of judgement, when the judge Jesus asks for your account, you can simply say, “The account of my life, Jesus, is you, for you love me and died for my sins.”
We have no condemnation in Jesus Christ, the one who will judge the living and the dead, because of faith, trusting that Jesus has done it all. There is nothing more to do than now but to live in Jesus and walk day by day in faith.
Prayer
Dear Jesus, You are right to judge our sins. Thank you for dying for my sins so that I know, in You, there is peace and no condemnation, but forgiveness and hope. Help me to live a life that shows Your love to others today and always. Amen.
Stay encouraged!
Pastor Mike
