Who can be Against Us?

Who can be Against Us?

Romans 8:31-34

In our country, once the court has set you free, you cannot be charged for that crime again.  It is called double jeopardy. In the devotional Our Daily Bread there was this piece; There was a man who confessed to a Wisconsin judge that 2 years earlier in the same court he had been charged with murder and was found innocent. "But I was guilty," he admitted. The judge quickly conferred with the district attorney to see if the man could be brought to trial for murder. They discovered, however, that because of the principle of double jeopardy the man could not be tried again for that crime. Although he was a murderer, he could not be punished for it. According to God's justice, we who are "in Christ" were as guilty as that man before we were converted, but now we are just as unpunishable. Why? Not because of a legal technicality. Rather, it's because any and every sin we've ever committed or will commit has been fully prosecuted in Christ on the cross. And once is all that the law demands. There are still consequences when we do wrong, even as believers. But as far as the penalty of the law is concerned, Jesus' death places us in a beautiful position of being exempt from eternal punishment. Thank God for His principle of "double jeopardy"! (Our Daily Bread Oct. 29, 2000)

Do we fail? Yes. Is some condemnation deserved? Absolutely. Are there times when our relationship with God will be strained because of our sin? Yes. Can these things invalidate our salvation?  Never!  Our sin has been paid for. God has already justified us or declared us “not guilty”. I wonder; do you feel abandoned today?  Do you feel the sting of accusation? Are you so overwhelmed by your own failure that you not only think that others condemn you, but you believe God condemns you as well?

My friend, Jesus died for those very things that haunt you. He paid for the crimes you committed. If you will turn to Him, receive Him, and trust Him for salvation and new life, the voices of condemnation will never be able to hurt you again. There will still be those who take every opportunity to remind you of your failures (those people are NOT your friends), but because of your faith in Christ, you can know that even though some of the charges are true, they will not stick in the court of God. You have been set free, declared innocent, and made new. I encourage you to come to Him today. May God bless you and keep you always.

Pastor Dimas