Daily Lesson for August 11, 2014

Today's daily lesson is from John chapter 3 verses 17 and 18:

 17 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. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already . . .

Read that again not only with your eyes and your brain but also with your heart. Let its good news be heard down in the hidden and dark depths of your soul: "God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world."

We live with enough condemnation. We know who we are in the secret recesses of ourselves. We know what we think. What we feel.  What we've done. What we've wanted to do. What we want to do. What we do not want to do but know that we will do. And we know what we've left undone.  To think on these things and be weighed down by them is to live a life of guilt, and judgement, and condemnation. It is a living hell.

God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world. Imprisoned by our own condemnation, we already know what it is to be "damned". God sent his Son not to condemn us to yet more damnation, but to release us from damnation's chains.  He came to unshackle us and set us free. "And if the Son has set you free - you are free indeed," (John 8:36).

"Who then is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus who has died for us, who has been raised, and is seated at the right hand of God, and who indeed intercedes for us," (Romans 8:34).

In other words, if Christ -- who suffered the full weight of our sin -- has not condemned us, who are we to condemn ourselves?

The Son has set us free; so let us be free.