There is a way out???

#12 Why should I feel condemned when the Bible says there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus? (Romans 8:1)

Romans 8:1 (NIV) Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus..

Last week, I came aware that there was a secret being kept in my house. With a little investigation I found out that my youngest son, cursed at a couple of the boys in my house to get them to settle down and to be quiet then threatened to break their toys if the “secret” was told to me.

I could see an attitude change of my youngest within the last week. He was tightly wound and on the edge at all times. I couldn’t pin point the reason, but again I didn’t know this secret that laid on his heart.

With the knowledge of this secret I sat all five boys down to teach a lesson of grace and forgiveness. I started that there are two kinds of secrets: good and bad. Exampling that good secrets are knowing a gift that someone is going to get at their birthday party, and bad to be ones that should be said because someone could get hurt or has been hurt.

I then went into what is not excepted behaviors. I spoke it in general because I really wanted to see the reactions on everyone’s face. I could see my son’s face sadden and sag into his chest. Then I asked “if you feel as though you have something to say, it is your turn to speak.”

He raised his face slowly and spoke up softly. “ I do, mom”. You could still see the shame and guilt on his face. But he went to confess all that he did in those moments. The pressure that was burdening him started to lessen, but until the boys involved forgave him, he was not totally free.

Later in speaking with my son, he said that it was hard to admit that he did such a bad thing to hurt someone else, but he was scared that he would face a lot of trouble if he admitted it. So he wanted to hide it at all costs.

He was condemning himself, and feared the condemnation of me. I know that this is something I face as a walk with God. I tend to feel the worst of my motivations are too big for the grace and forgiveness of God. Holding onto them tightly and hiding them the best I can. Causing myself to live in a secret convicting world of my own.

Through the past, I have had to admit to wrongs that I have done. And learnt that telling the truth and being honest relieved that convection. The beginning of chapter 8 of Romans speaks that Jesus set you from the disapproval and sentence that is rightfully ours. Even though God knows everything about us: what we feel, think, and do. Because of Jesus’ victory over sin, God will not lay the sentence of Hell on us that the sinful flesh deserve.

My son was holding on to his mistake because he didn’t want to be punished and found when he told the truth, that he was loved and that he truly learnt a lesson through this event. As his mother I was very proud of his honesty, and could see that he had punished himself enough.

I belief that is how God sees us, as a child that messed up. However, His love is so great for us that He doesn’t want anything more from us than to love Him and to learn our lessons. So in our futures we don’t relive it again.

My question to you is what are you holding on to?? What is that deep secret that you are uncomfortable to admit too? Have you tore yourself apart secretly inside, thinking that God will never forgive you?

There is not secret from God, He knows what you are trying to hide from Him. He just wants you to know that Jesus already served your sentence for you. It’s time for you to be set free from it….
　
　
God’s love holds us up, comforts us, forgives, and processes to love us more.