Freedom from condmenation comes FITST

[Grace777x70]

This was in my email today so I thought I would share it and hopefully it will be a blessing to someone.





Ever try to take a big winter jacket off without unzipping it? You can struggle and struggle, pulling, pushing, and straining but you will probably just end up red-faced and frustrated and a little embarrassed if anyone was watching. But if you just unzip the big jacket, it just slides right off, no problem. Why? Because that’s the way it was designed.

Many times Christians who trying to get free from an area of sin in their life look like someone trying to get a big heavy winter jacket off without unzipping it. They can struggle and struggle, fighting, pushing, and pulling, but many times they just end up red-faced, frustrated and ashamed.

The problem is the dominion of sin isn’t conquered through will power; it’s conquered through Jesus and his grace.

Before the big heavy jacket of sin’s dominion can be removed, we must first unzip the Condemnation off of someone’s life. Freedom from condemnation comes FIRST then freedom from the dominion of sin follows. Just like the zipper on the big heavy winter jacket must first be unzipped, then the jacket easily comes off.

So it is with sin, Jesus took the punishment for our sin. He bore the shame, and he was condemned on the cross for us. Now that we are in him, there is NOW NO CONDEMNATION!!! When you remove the condemnation, you remove the power of sin to cling to you.

But only Jesus and his grace can unzip that heavy burden of sin and shame and call forth that beautiful new creation that YOU really are in him.

As a Christian you’re going to make mistakes but don’t let the devil put you in a strait jacket of condemnation. NO!!! You keep your eyes on Jesus and his finished work and enjoy his wonderful grace and live the free life from the dominion of sin. YOU are the righteousness of God.

YOU are forgiven. YOU are loved. TAKE THE JACKET OFF!!!

By Jeremiah Johnson

 

[coby2]

Awesome!
....

 

[Grace777x70]

There are 2 aspects to grace.

The very first thing that Jesus does with the woman caught in adultery is that He gets rid of her accusers - the religious Pharisees that wanted to condemn her because the "bible" said so in the Old Covenant. ( the law condemns us )

1) acceptance grace - which has nothing to do with our behavior - as seen with the woman caught in adultery. Our Lord beautifully says " I do not condemn you".

It is in knowing you are not condemned that releases the other aspect of grace.

2) now, go and sin no more - this is empowering grace.

Empowering grace enables you to be who the Father sees you are in Christ now because you are a new creation in Him.


The religious mindset says to the woman caught in adultery - 'Do not sin and we will not condemn you."

The grace of God and the blood of Jesus speaks of better things in this New Covenant of grace!

"Knowing" that we are not condemned in Christ "releases" the life of the empowering grace to transform us. It's all about Christ! It's His fruit being manifested in us!

Acceptance grace which is not based on our behavior needs to be cemented in our hearts before empowering grace is able to be manifested.


What believers in a self-effort/self-performance D.I.Y. holiness/righteousness based mindset have a very hard time with is the "acceptance grace" part...this just drives them nuts...and I understand why..it is scandalous and it "conflicts" with their religious man-made traditions.

Let us grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ and be who God made us to be by His Son's sacrifice and blood - His beloved children.

Let's honor our Lord by believing in all that Jesus has already done for us. He is awesome and mighty to save.

 

[breno785au]

Gee, you'd really wanna make sure you don't make a typo in the subject..especially when you capitalise

 

[BenFTW]

Gee, you'd really wanna make sure you don't make a typo in the subject..especially when you capitalise

Haha, I think he was so excited to share the message that he was rushing.

 

[breno785au]

Haha, I think he was so excited to share the message that he was rushing.

Lol that's probably true. And its a good message, though the jacket analogy didn't really strike me.

 

[RobbyEarl]

Christ is not a Jacket nor a covering for sin but the eradicator of it, no fig leaf needed.

 

[Grace777x70]

Gee, you'd really wanna make sure you don't make a typo in the subject..especially when you capitalise

LOL...good one..I never noticed that...it is supposed to be "FIRST"

 

[Grace777x70]

Lol that's probably true. And its a good message, though the jacket analogy didn't really strike me.

I too had to read it a few times to understand the jacket thing but when I stopped to think about my past and trying to overcome sin - I could envision myself struggling to get rid of it as I have with trying to get a jacket off me when I was a kid by not un-zipping it first.

 

[FreeNChrist]

What's weird to me is how many Christians want to feel condemnation, and feel that they haven't "been to church" unless the preacher has done an adequate job of making them feel thoroughly condemned.

 

[Grace777x70]

What's weird to me is how many Christians want to feel condemnation, and feel that they haven't "been to church" unless the preacher has done an adequate job of making them feel thoroughly condemned.

I hear ya'.....it seems some still want to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and not from the tree of Life which is freely ours now in Christ.

 

[JosephsDreams]

"Stand fast therefore in the liberty where Christ has made us free."
Galatians 5:1


A spiritually minded man will never come to you with the demand - "Believe this and that;" but with the demand that you square your life with the standards of Jesus. We are not asked to believe the Bible, but to believe the One Whom the Bible reveals (cf. John 5:39-40). We are called to present liberty of conscience, not liberty of view. If we are free with the liberty of Christ, others will be brought into that same liberty - the liberty of realizing the dominance of Jesus Christ.


Always keep your life measured by the standards of Jesus. Bow your neck to His yoke alone, and to no other yoke whatever; and be careful to see that you never bind a yoke on others that is not placed by Jesus Christ. It takes God a long time to get us out of the way of thinking that unless everyone sees as we do, they must be wrong. That is never God's view. There is only one liberty, the liberty of Jesus at work in our conscience enabling us to do what is right.


Don't get impatient, remember how God dealt with you - with patience and with gentleness; but never water down the truth of God. Let it have its way and never apologize for it. Jesus said, "Go and make disciples," not "make converts to your opinions."

By Oswald Chambers