No Condemnation

Condemnation came about very early in the history of mankind. Adam and Eve, who were given free choice, decided to disobey God. This resulted in their spiritual, and ultimately physical, deaths. God said to Adam, “but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."  Adam died that day spiritually. He would have experienced separation from the Almighty forever, had he not accepted His offer of salvation. This is the condemnation that humans find themselves under. The Bible says, “All have sinned.” No one is spared.

Sin keeps us from a relationship with God and keeps us from abiding with God for eternity. None of us are immune from its effects. It not only causes physical death, but it also affects our relationships. To deny it would be to ignore our personal history. Condemnation is not widespread--it is TOTAL! God did not have to send Jesus into the world to condemn it. It was already condemned.

The understanding of condemnation is what gives real meaning to salvation. Good news! You must be a sinner to be saved, and it just so happens that you, along with every other member of the human race, are just that, sinners. Though you can’t save yourself through good deeds and apologies, you can be saved through believing. The Word of God teaches, “For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life.”

 
Though we are condemned by sin, we are saved by God’s grace. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” This has been termed unconditional love. He said whoever would believe would receive eternal life. So, although it is unconditional on God’s end, it is conditioned upon us believing, and thereby removing the curse that came upon us through Adam’s disobedience.
It is God’s intention to save. He risked everything to rescue us from sin and eternal condemnation by sending Jesus to die in our place. Though salvation is provided for all, not all believe. That is terribly sad. Jesus died not just for our sins (those who believe), but for the sins of the whole world. Condemnation is removed for all who believe in Jesus.

Scripture References (for further study):
John 3:16-17
Genesis 2:17
Romans 3:23
Ephesians 2:8
1 John 2:2
Romans 8:1