God’s desire is not that we should just cope with condemnation but rather that we should conquer and eliminate it. We know that in dying for our sins on the Cross, Jesus redeemed us. The condemnation that many cope with relates to the sins they commit as Christians. Our self-pointing finger raises doubts as to how God can really accept us for doing what we knew to be wrong.
Three definitions of sin come quickly to mind. These are:
1. “Sin is the transgression of the Law.” (1 John 3:4) This verse is clear and to the point — no getting around it.
2. “All unrighteousness is sin.” (1 John 5:17) Not just some but all unrighteousness. Another clear and unambiguous definition.
3. “Whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” (Romans 14:23) Whatsoever we do that does not originate in faith is sin. Not a sin that God has defined but one that we have defined but against what we believe is sinful, do regardless.
A lifetime ago, Christians believed that Sunday was the Sabbath. It was not, but most believed that Sunday was as sacred to Christians as Saturday is to Jews. The kicking of a football on a Sunday was regarded as sinful!
God never said it was but many believed that it was — so that was that! The vast majority of Christians accepted this falsehood, and the ‘breaking’ of this generally believed ‘law’ resulted in self-condemnation.
The Apostle Paul’s view on a Christian eating marketplace-bought food that had been offered to idols was “I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him who considers it to be unclean, to him it is unclean.” (Romans 14:14)
In eating against his belief, the believer sinned. Not against God but against faith; against what was believed it to be wrong but was done anyway. The person was “weak in faith” (verse 1) and believed it to be wrong. He or she ought to have left the meat alone and eaten vegetables (or other food that to a Jew was kosher).
This principle also applies to days which, though sacred to Jews, were not to Gentiles. On the other hand, one who had the faith to eat what was available and who regarded every day as the same, should not judge his weak brother. This pragmatic guide by Paul was made necessary by the increasing number of non-Jews being converted to Christ.
My point in this is that when we who know not that we are not under Law but under Grace but act against the measure of faith we have about foods and days, or whatever, we come into self-condemnation.
I believe that many Christians fall into this category. We know we are saved by the blood of Jesus Christ. We know that “whom the Son sets free is free indeed.” But in doing things not specifically named as sin in the Commandments, we are not sure that we are right in the sight of God.
As we grow in faith, we do things that we didn’t because we believed that doing them was sinful. And as we grow, we do stop condemning ourselves. We conquer condemnation and eventually eliminate it.
NOTE: To anyone who misreads this as suggesting that we are a law unto ourselves, think again! God gave the Law, which is “holy, just, and good”. It’s just that we add to it extra prohibitions that make it hard for us to live without condemning ourselves.
Then again, strong faith should not allow us to do things that offend our “weaker” brothers and sisters in Christ. “Do you have faith?” asks the Apostle Paul, “Then have it to yourself at home.” Don’t flaunt your freedom, because in so doing, you will sin against Christ” — and surely none of us would desire to do that.