Pastor Caroline - Not Guilty

 

Not Guilty

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Romans Chapter 8 Verse 1.

 

What is condemnation?

Webster’s dictionary says condemnation —

Noun- The expression of very strong disapproval, censure.

The action of condemning someone to a punishment, sentencing.

 

An example of this might be, when one is in a court of law being accused of murder, he awaits his sentencing if found guilty. Perhaps though he is found not guilty, and therefore he is exonerated, clearing him from the accusation, and he is set free. He is pardoned of the crime he had been charged with because he was found, not guilty.

 

So in our opening scripture today, it tells us that “therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”. We are exonerated off our sin because Jesus took our sins to the cross and stood in our place of condemnation. He was punished for all the sin of the world, which includes ours, although He himself never sinned; He took our sin and paid the penalty, (the punishment given to one who breaks the law, or for doing wrong such as when we sin).

Imagine someone willing to stand in your place to take your sentencing for the wrong you committed and then turning to you and saying, “Go now, you are free!” How could you ever repay that person for standing in your place and taking your punishment? Well my dear friends, this is exactly what Jesus did for us on the cross. He set us free, going before us to the Father to pay our penalty and free us from the punishment we should receive for the wrongs and sins we have and still commit. He essentially says to us, “You are not guilty”.

We are found not guilty because Jesus carried our guilt on His shoulders all the way to Calvary and to death on the cross. Now when God sees us, if we have received Jesus as Lord and Saviour and repent of our sins, God sees the one (Jesus Chris) who stood in our place.  And therefore, He sees us as being exonerated.

 

God justifies those who have found faith in Jesus. Let’s look at Romans chapter 3 verses 25 and 26 in the Good News Bible. Here we read, (25 & 26),

God offered him, (Christ), so that by his death he should become the means by which people’s sins are forgiven through their faith in him. And God did this in order to demonstrate that he is righteous. In the past he was patient and overlooked people’s sins; but in the present time he deals with their sins, in order to demonstrate his righteousness. In this way God shows us that he himself is righteous and that he puts right everyone who believes in Jesus.

 

Therefore, in Jesus Christ, we are found not guilty, and for this we must give thanks with a grateful heart to Jesus for covering our sin with His blood, the sacrifice He became on our behalf. He stood in our place of guilt to set us free from condemnation, the punishment we deserve, so that one day when we stand before the Lord we can stand in the assurance of our victory in Jesus. This should have you shouting for joy and telling the whole world about this precious Savior, named Jesus. In Him, we are free!!

Not guilty, but free indeed.

Thank you Jesus.