Condemnation

As I was organizing my blog yesterday I could see through my posts where I came under condemnation. God has revealed a lot to me on the subject the past several months so I just wanted to share a few things, just in case anyone else out there is currently suffocating under it as well.

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Romans 8:1

Romans might be my favorite book in the Bible. Everytime I read it I'm encouraged and my mind is renewed! It's almost like a spiritual 'shewwww' as I wipe my brow and remember that my relationship is based on my faith in Christ NOT my actions! I can't earn anything from Christ! He has freely given us all things that pertain to life and godliness!! We are to simply receive from Him! To be filled with His Holy Spirit... 

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. Romans 8:15

And also,  

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 2Timothy 1:7

There are SO many verses that speak about us just receiving in faith what He has already given us that I couldn't fit them all here! 

Having a works based view of your relationship with Christ is detrimental on so many levels! We are picking up the burden of the law that Christ came to free us from! You won't serve him solely out of love if you believe this way. You may believe you are, but really you're just trying to gain favor which is self serving...and not necessary! It seems that we are trying to go about salvation and fruitfulness backwards! Open your heart to Christ and you will serve Him without effort, without even meaning to! All that we should focus on is our relationship with Christ. We should study his word and renew our minds...Romans 12:1&2. Even this though, if its done with an "I have to" attitude may fail to have any impact because you're not opening your heart to Him. We make it so much harder than it is, I think sometimes to make ourselves feel good about what we do and to, unfortunate as it is, condemn those around us that just don't stack up to the perfection that we demand of them. We should hold the Word up to our lives and look at our own hearts...

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. Galatians 5:21&22

And

For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth. Ephesians 5:9

Are these verses descriptions of us? Do our lives reflect these things? If they don't we are not reflecting Christ. Critical spirits never come from God.