condemnation

Your accuser has no power over you

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God's Hope for Your Heart Header

And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.  And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.  (Revelation 12:10-11)

War in heaven, the angels of God against the demons of the dragon: different scholars believe different things about when these events will take place and what exactly the images mean.  Yet, nestled in the midst of these descriptions of battle is a word of hope for every believer in Christ.

When Jesus died, His blood was shed on your behalf.  Like a sacrificial Lamb, His death was offered as payment to God the Father for all of your sin.  When Jesus rose, His victory was validated, His triumph secured and His Kingdom authority confirmed.

Now, look at the result of Jesus’ triumphant work on the cross…

“The accuser…has been thrown down…and they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives unto death.”

This means if you’re in Christ, your sin can no longer be used against you because the prosecutor has been kicked out of court!

If you’re in Christ, your failures have no impact on your membership in God’s family because your accuser has been thrown down!

If you’re in Christ, then you have no need to wallow or worry because your guilt and shame now have no effect on your standing before God!

So, stand strong and free today as you trust the finished work of Christ on your behalf.  Don’t let your past sins or present struggles have any power over you, because they have no legal claim on you anymore.

Christian, if you feel the weight of failure and condemnation, push it aside and be released as you walk in this powerful truth today.

Your accuser has no power over you.

–Pastor Phillip

Jesus is your conduit of mercy

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“For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.”  (Hebrews 8:12)

Guilt is a powerful motivator.  It can change habits and open handbags, clean up words and free up wallets.  Yet, in the life of a Christian, guilt is not of God.

Conviction is the sorrowful sense that something is not right in your life and that a change must take place, but conviction differs from guilt in a very important way. Fear.

Guilt brings fear of punishment, but conviction carries with it this blessed assurance: In Christ, God has full forgiveness for you!  In Christ, God has unstoppable love for you!

In Christ, nothing you could ever do would make God cast you away, so let this truth set you free to live a life of holiness without fear.

Jesus is your conduit of mercy.

–Pastor Phillip

Jesus didn’t come to condemn you

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God’s Hope for Your Heart from John 3

JESUS DIDN’T COME TO CONDEMN YOU

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because He has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.  (John 3:17-18)

Again and again, Jesus surprised both the curious and the critical.

To the tax collectors and “sinners,” He was a friend who brought them near instead of pushing them away.  To the religious leaders, He was a thorn in their flesh who refused to endorse their attitude of exclusion.

He didn’t accept unrighteousness or allow people to live however they wished, but the way in which He called people to faith was to oppose the sin while still embracing the sinner.

He wants to do the same for you today.

Jesus calls all people to repent, to turn away from sin and follow Him in holiness.  Yet, He does this through the conviction of the Holy Spirit, not the condemnation of a religious rule-keeper.

What’s the difference?

Conviction addresses your BEHAVIOR.
Condemnation attacks your IDENTITY.

Conviction brings sadness about what you’ve DONE.
Condemnation brings shame about who you ARE.

If you’re in Christ, He has called you to a life of following Him, and here’s good news.  If and when you stumble along the road, He’s not standing by with an eviction notice to kick you out of the Kingdom. He’s ready to embrace you in forgiveness to get you back on the path to joy!

So, however your walk with Christ is going right now, may you find hope as you embrace this encouraging truth: Jesus didn’t come to condemn you.

-Pastor Phillip

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God is well pleased with you

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God’s Hope for Your Heart from Matthew 17

GOD IS WELL PLEASED WITH YOU

[Jesus] was still speaking when, behold, a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.”  (Matthew 17:5)

Do you look at your life and see things that don’t measure up to God’s standard?  Do you have areas of action or attitude that you feel God isn’t happy with?  Do you ever feel that God is disappointed in you?

Nothing could be further from the truth!

Yes, there may be actions and attitudes that God wants to change in your life.  There may be behaviors that break His heart because He loves you and wants what’s best for you.

However, if you’re in Christ, then your performance is never the deciding factor in how God feels about you.  When God turns His thoughts towards you, He sees you clothed in the perfection of His Son, Jesus.  He regards you, chooses to treat you, based solely on the righteousness of Christ and nothing you do can ever change that.

Christian, when your enemy tries to make you feel condemned because of your less-than-perfect behavior, may this truth strengthen your heart with hope: If you’re in Christ, God is well pleased with you.

-Pastor Phillip

AUDIO VERSION (Click here to subscribe to the daily podcast on iTunes.)

 

Your accuser has no power over you

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Scripture Notes on Revelation 12

And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.  And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.  (Revelation 12:10-11)

War in heaven, the angels of God against the demons of the dragon: different scholars believe different things about when these events will take place and what exactly the images mean.  Yet, nestled in the midst of these descriptions of battle is a word of hope for every believer in Christ.

When Jesus died, His blood was shed on your behalf.  Like a sacrificial Lamb, His death was offered as payment to God the Father for all of your sin.  When Jesus rose, His victory was validated, His triumph secured and His Kingdom authority confirmed.

Now, look at the result of Jesus’ triumphant work on the cross…

“The accuser…has been thrown down…and they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives unto death.”

This means that if you’re in Christ, your sin can no longer be used against you because the prosecutor has been kicked out of court!

If you’re in Christ, your failures have no impact on your membership in God’s family, because your accuser has been thrown down!

If you’re in Christ, then you have no need to wallow or worry, because your guilt and shame now have no effect on your standing before God!

So, stand strong and free today as you trust the finished work of Christ on your behalf.  Don’t let your past sins or present struggles have any power over you, because they have no legal claim to you anymore.

Christian, if you feel the weight of failure and condemnation today, push it aside and be released as you walk in this powerful truth.

Your accuser has no power over you.

-Pastor Phillip

Jesus is your conduit of mercy

by

Scripture Notes on Hebrews 8

“For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.”  (Hebrews 8:12)

Guilt is a powerful motivator. It can change habits and open handbags, clean up words and free up wallets. Yet, in the life of a Christian, guilt is not of God.

Conviction is the sorrowful sense that something is not right in your life and that a change must take place, but conviction differs from guilt in a very important way. Fear.

Guilt brings fear of punishment, but conviction carries with it this blessed assurance. In Christ, God has full forgiveness for you! In Christ, God has unstoppable love for you!

In Christ, nothing you could ever do would make God cast you away, so let this truth set you free to live a life of holiness without fear.

Jesus is your conduit of mercy.

-Pastor Phillip