Words Matter: Week 2/Day 4

Read: Romans 8:1; Romans 8:28; 1 Corinthians 13:4-7; Hebrews 10:22

SOAP: Romans 8:1

S: There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Messiah Yeshua, who don't walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

O&A: Condemnation in this verse can also be understood as "damnatory sentence". I am so thankful that our Father so loved us that He gave Yeshua to be our salvation! This passage doesn't say we don't deserve this sentence, but that because of Yeshua, our Father no longer looks upon us as receivers of that sentence. 

Something that stands out to me is right after "to those who are in Messiah Yeshua", it then says, "who don't walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit". I keep hearing in my mind the verse regarding "Lord, Lord", and "Depart from Me, I never knew you". There are many who proclaim to know Him, but are walking according to the flesh, not the Spirit. 

I hope this doesn't come out in a wrong or offensive way, but I was once the fleshly believer (can't say none of that is still there). As long as I knew and believed who God was, and that Jesus was God's Son, and I believed that I was saved, I was good to go. Chased after my own fancies, my own sin, fulfilled my own desires. If I had died then, I fear that I would have been one that was told, "Depart from me, I never knew you." Because I never got to know HIM. I didn't truly understand His purpose; I didn't truly understand or love Him. It was a me, me, me/take, take, take relationship. It was "what can You do for me", not "how can I serve You?" situation. To me, that is all part of (but not entirely) what it means to walk after the flesh. There was no dying to myself, no living FOR Him. 

To be completely transparent, the devotion today mentioned, "Condemnation doesn't come from God, but from the devil. Romans 8:1 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” As a child of God, there is no condemnation for you. That's what Christianity is about. You're free from guilt, free from shame, free from fear, free from pain, free from failure." I doubt that I'm alone when I say that the adversary still whispers these words (not good enough, not "this", not "that", you didn't do it right, this person would've done it better, etc.), trying to cause doubt in the freedom that we accepted when we chose to live for Yeshua. Yes, we are still servants, but to Messiah! Not to ourselves, not to the adversary, not to the world... Correction most definitely comes from God (My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor detest His correction; For whom the LORD loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights), but condemnation is not the same. I think maybe I've gone on too long already... :) 

P: Beloved Father, thank You for the freedom to serve You, for the shed blood of Messiah Yeshua that set me free... I ask for boldness to serve You in the way You've called me to serve, and strength to withstand the wiles of the enemy, both haSatan, and my flesh. When the adversary comes whispering, I pray that my ears will be closed to his lies, my eyes with blinders on, looking neither right nor left to see what he offers, and that I would not see what the world offers, just You, right ahead of me, showing me the correct way to go. Thank You for setting me free! In Yeshua's name, Amein.