God's Word Speaks
so much of condemnation because of
the sin which permeates mankind:
"Your iniquities have made a separation
between you and your God,
and your sins have hidden His face from you
so that He does not hear”
(Isaiah 59:2).
In the Bible, the word condemnation is synonymous with damnation, judgment, punishment, destruction, and verdict. In its strongest sense, condemnation means “the banishing to hell all those disobedient to the will of God” (Matthew 5:22; Matthew 23:33; Matthew 25:41) and those who deny Him (Matthew 10:33; Mark 16:16; John 3:18).
The Ten Commandments
(Exodus 20:3-17)
were part of the Old Covenant or Law,
which was also called “the ministry of death” or “ministry of condemnation”
(2 Corinthians 3:7-9).
The Old Covenant brought condemnation upon mankind
because it made known our sin and its tragic consequence: death.
As such, the Law judged man already condemned.
The Law carried a verdict of “guilty”
because it pointed out sin
(Romans 3:19-20; Romans 5:12-13).
Before Christ,
everyone had to offer animal sacrifices every year.
These sacrifices were a reminder that God punishes sin but also offers forgiveness through repentance.
This, in essence, was the purpose of the Law.
The writer of Hebrews explains: “But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:3-4).
The Law reveals sin within us and therefore condemns us.
It’s as the apostle Paul said,
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”
(Romans 3:23).
Yet, animal sacrifices were just a temporary method
of dealing with man’s sin until Jesus would come to deal with sin forever.
Animals, ignorant beasts and part of a fallen world, could not offer the same sacrifice as Christ—the God-man, fully rational, completely sinless (Hebrews 4:14-16; 1 Peter 2:22; 1 John 3:5)
--who willingly went to the cross
(Hebrews 10:12).
How, then, were people forgiven in Old Testament times?
When Old Testament believers followed God’s command and by faith offered the sacrifices, He forgave them (Hebrews 9:15).
In essence,
the Law’s sacrifices
looked forward
to
Christ’s perfect sacrifice.
Today, as followers of Jesus,
God has completely forgiven our sins because of Christ’s death for us.
God even forgets about our sins
(Hebrews10:17; Psalm 103:12).
Jesus made it clear that without Him no one can enter the kingdom of heaven
(John 14:6).
It’s no secret. We are all condemned to die and to eternal punishment
because of our sin.
The only way we can be made right with God is through Jesus,
who has made the perfect sacrifice for us: “For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14). “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so
Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many,
will appear a second time,
not to deal with sin but to
save those who are eagerly waiting for him”
(Hebrews 9:27-28).
Without question, the best-known passage in all Scripture is
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son,
that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
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”
(John 3:16-17).
Yet, many fail to read the passage which follows and which has an uncompromising warning to all: “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 3:18).
Though the Law condemns all mankind,
we as believers in Jesus Christ have this promise: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus
.
For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free
in Christ Jesus
from the law of sin and death”
(Romans 8:1-2).
The Bible is the Word of God written to His people and,
as such,
it contains everything we need to be “complete”
(2 Timothy 3:15-17).
Part of the “everything” we need is
comfort.
The Bible has a lot to say about comfort and has
many passages that comfort us in life’s tough times.
Yes, the Bible comforts us!
Life is fraught with many difficulties. We all experience setbacks in one way or another. Sometimes they are sudden; sometimes they are gradual.
Maybe we have suffered the death of a loved one or been forsaken by a loved one. Maybe our health is poor or our finances are uncertain.
Whatever the difficulties,
they affect all of us at some point in our lives,
and the Bible states that this is inevitable
(Job 5:7; Genesis 3:17; Proverbs 22:8).
The Bible is the Word of God
(Isaiah 55:11),
written by God’s servants under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit
(2 Peter 1:21)
and provided as both a guide and an aide to our
daily living.
How does the Bible comfort us?
Perhaps the most important aspect of God’s Word
is the promises that are contained within,
promises that the Lord makes to those who are
prepared to trust Him.
It is these promises that bring comfort, promises that feed off the weakest spark of saving faith to provide the reward of comfort, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
There are many promises in the Bible that have to be combined with faith to be realized, for without faith it is impossible to please God, the provider of comfort in times of trouble
(Hebrews 11:6; 2 Corinthians 1:5; Psalm 46:1).
Clearly, the promises of God cannot be appropriated
in the same way by the unbelieving,
with whom God is angry continually
(Psalm 7:11).
Nevertheless, it is because of God’s grace,
through the work of regeneration that happens at conversion,
that these promises are realized and become the very fuel that spurs His people on to greater faith and greater obedience.
These things go hand in hand; we trust God’s promises, and He has promised to reward us accordingly with joy, peace, and comfort, intangible things that the world can never supply.
One of the greatest ways the Bible comforts is Isaiah 26:3.
Embrace it in faith, asking for the Lord’s help,
and there will be no disappointment.
In this world, broken things are despised and thrown out.
Anything we no longer need, we throw away.
Damaged goods are rejected,
and that includes people.
In marriage, when relationships break down,
the tendency is to walk away and find someone new
rather than work at reconciliation.
The world is full of people with broken hearts,
broken spirits
and broken relationships.
“The Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves those
who are crushed in spirit”
(Psalm 34:18).
There is something about
reaching a breaking point
that causes us to seek the Lord
more sincerely
King David was once a broken man,
and he prayed, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me… The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise”
(Psalm 51:10, 17).
There are some things in our lives
that need to be broken:
Pride, self-will, stubbornness, and sinful habits, for example.
When we feel our brokenness,
God compensates:
“I live in a high and holy place,
but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit”
(Isaiah 57:15).
The Bible says that God breaks those who are
proud and rebellious.
The mighty Pharaoh set himself against God,
but God broke him and freed His people from bondage and shame.
"I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians; I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high”
(Leviticus 26:13).
God punishes all those who proudly resist Him.
"My servants will sing out of the joy of their hearts,
but you will cry out from anguish of heart
and wail in brokenness of spirit”
(Isaiah 65:14)
To us, broken things are despised as worthless, but
God can take what has been broken and remake it
into something better, something that He can use for
His glory.
Broken things and broken people are the result of sin.
Yet God sent his Son, who was without sin,
to be broken so that we might be healed.
On the night before He died, Jesus broke the bread and said,
"This is my body, which is broken for you.”
He went all the way to Calvary to die so that we can live.
His death has made it possible for broken, sinful humanity to be reconciled to God and be healed.
Without the broken body of Jesus, we could not be made whole.
"But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed”
(Isaiah 53:5).
Only when we surrender to Christ can we be restored and transformed.
This is Redemption.
Such surrender requires a brokenness on our part
(Luke 9:23).
Romans 6:1-14 describes how believers become dead to sin and
alive to God in Christ.
Claim the promise that cannot be broken:
"In this world, you will have trouble.
But take heart!
I have overcome the world”
(John 16:33).
"A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all; he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken. … The Lord redeems his servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him” (Psalm 34:19-22).
Jesus viewed all things in the light of eternity, and so should we: “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:2-3).
God draws us, He calls to us. He longs for us to come to Him so He can heal us. Often, we are unable to hear His call because we’re so busy with other things – our lives, our families, our work, our own problems and unhappiness. Sometimes we must be broken before we realize our need. And our deepest need is to be reconciled to God. Only then can we be made whole (Matthew 5:5).
The solution can never come from our own efforts or striving,
but comes
only from Him.
Only when we recognize our need for God are we able to take our eyes off ourselves and focus them on God and Jesus Christ. Only when we stop thinking about ourselves and start thinking about what
Jesus did for us can we begin to heal.
Only when we admit our need and ask God into our life,
can God begin to make us whole.
Only when we confess that we are broken
can God make us into what He wants us to be.
Once we let go of self and place God at the center of our lives,
everything else falls into place
(Matthew 6:33).
During the final week of Jesus’ life,
He was eating a meal, and “a woman came with
an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard.
She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head”
(Mark 14:3).
The woman’s action of breaking the alabaster jar was symbolic of a couple of things:
Jesus would soon be “broken” on the cross,
and all who follow Him must be willing to be “broken” as well.
But the result of such costly brokenness is beautiful, indeed!
Surrender to God and allow Him to make you whole,
to give your life meaning, purpose and joy.
Trust Him.
"And we know that in
all things God works for the good of those who love Him,
who have been called according to His purpose”
(Romans 8:28).
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