Experience The Power Of The Gospel! Guilt And Condemnation Vs. Confidence Before God!

Most of us live in some guilt and condemnation

. We know the truth: "There is NO condemnation if we are in Christ" (Rom 8:1). Let's take a big step in this GOSPEL TIP, and the one that follows, "Confidence Before God," in not only knowing but believing and living this truth.

Paul speaks of three ministries in II Corinthians:

+ The ministry of condemnation (3:9),

+ The ministry of righteousness (3:9),

+ The ministry of reconciliation (5:18).

We should not traffic in the ministry of condemnation, which speaks of the Old Covenant. "There is none righteous, no not one." It is only when we truly live in the ministry of God's righteousness, which in Romans 1:16-17 Paul says is a GOSPEL revelation, that we experience the ministry of reconciliation on a constant basis.

Atonement, or being ONE with God ('AT-ONE-ment'), was a major goal in the Old Testament. Atonement is addressed in one form or another on every-other page trying to become at ONE with God through sacrifice, offering, repentance, confession, feasts, etc.

Paul wrote over half the New Testament, and he mentions the atonement only ONE time in all of his writings. Romans 5:11 says: "You have now RECEIVED the atonement!"

THE MINISTRY OF CONDEMNATION

Condemnation was the ministry of the Old Covenant (II Cor 3:6). The whole purpose of the Old Covenant was to declare us all guilty before God (Rom 3:19). That's why Paul says we should only minister the New Covenant (II Cor 3:6). This brings us into righteousness.

This being true, why do we still live in guilt and condemnation, even when we know that Romans 8:1 is in the Bible? "There is now NO condemnation!" It is because we REFUSE to give up trying to live by the Old Covenant. We still have a 1 + 1 = 2 theology of man: the Old Covenant plus the New Covenant. (We will talk about the wisdom of man, and the wisdom of the world in upcoming TIPS).

If you play in the mud, you are going to get muddy! DAH! If you live in the Old Covenant, you will experience condemnation! DAH!

We should not live by the Old Covenant. I show this in so many ways in my books, booklets, and other TIPS. Jesus came to do the will of God by taking away that Old system and establishing the New (Heb 10:9). He came to abolish that system that created enmity between us and God (Eph 2:15). He nailed it to his cross (Col 2:14). I don't have space here to cover all this in detail again. The Old was for the ancient JEWS, not for us GENTILES not you and me (Rom 2:14).

This does NOT mean we throw the Old Testament out with the bathwater. The gospel itself is revealed through the truth of the Old Testament. I am currently doing at least a 2-year study of each chapter of the Old Testament as it relates to the foreshadow of Jesus, and the revelation of gospel truth. We just don't minister condemnation and guilt. We don't minister darkness,. We minister light, truth, love and grace.

Condemnation kills our spirits, and even introduces sickness and disease into us. Satan is the accuser, or one who condemns. His ministry is legally over (Rev 12:7-11), but it's not functionally over if we live in the condemnation of the Old Covenant. He is still a roaring lion, and if we listen to him roar, we can be deceived. But remember: all he can do is roar! Jesus declawed him and knocked out all his teeth! We must REFUSE to listen to him roar about keeping the Old Covenant!

THE MINISTRY OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

When we cross the line into the NEW Covenant only, leaving the Old behind as Jesus says to do, then we flourish in a state of constant righteousness. We experience 'No condemnation in Christ.'

In one way, God sees only two people in the world: (1) Those in Christ, and (2) Those in Adam.

We see this in Romans 5. Here, Paul again contrasts condemnation with justification and righteousness. Paul almost always compares the Old vs. the New Covenant. We see it in so many different ways: Paul says it's God's grace that empowers us. We are constrained by his love. We repent because of his goodness. We live in his righteousness. We have his wisdom, sanctification, promises, redemption, blessings, authority, and inheritance. We are given absolutely everything God has to give (I Cor 3:21-22, Luke 15:31, Rom 8:32). I point this out often!

THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION

This does not lead to sin... as some suppose. They call it 'greasy grace.' They only show their ignorance in not seeing the FINISHED work of Christ! Paul tells us they are ignorant of any revelation of God's imparted righteousness (Rom 10:3, Rom 1:16-17). The grace of God is his power to live not a human license to sin (II Cor 12:9). We don't need a license to sin. We do a great job without one!

It is the ministry of righteousness that constantly reconciles us with God. As a lawyer, I know that in our society, reconciliation describes the condition where estranged, alienated parties are brought together where they are at least amicable, more friendly, and where they deal with some of their differences. Some call it mediation.

Gospel reconciliation is a much more all-encompassing, powerful term. It actually means 'atonement' (remember this from earlier?). It means being ONE with God. I've read that Paul talks about this in various terms over 100 times in Ephesians, but without using this word. It actually describes 'the great exchange': Jesus became sin for us, so we could be MADE his righteousness (II Cor 5:21).

Reconciliation describes a total change in our STATE OF BEING, that becomes daily reality to us if we know our righteousness in Christ. But we can't know righteousness living in Old Covenant condemnation.

God wants us to live in a constant state of reconciliation with him, righteousness in him, and confidence before him. This produces ongoing, continual fellowship and connection with God. It produces constant worship in our hearts because we know his constant presence: "I will NEVER leave you." We all know that, under condemnation, with focus on us, he's more gone than he is here!!!

Like the 'AURA' I share about in another TIP, we know it's more than just us. We constantly experience Father's presence in us and through us in ALL we do.

Ask Father to help minister today's TIP to your heart, and live in constant righteousness and reconciliation --not a self-focused life that results in condemnation. Receiving this TOP into your heart will help you better experience the next TIP: "Confidence Before God."

by: Roger Himes

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