Message summary: Today we encourage you to rest in a deep assurance of the Father’s love, acceptance and our freedom from condemnation.

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“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). “This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in His presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and He knows everything” (1 John 3:19,20).

Prior to placing our faith in Christ we are all under God’s condemnation. His condemnation toward us is absolutely just and completely consistent with the nature of a sinless, holy God. The repentant thief was wise in his observation as he spoke not just for himself, but for the entire human race, as he stated, “We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man (Jesus) has done nothing wrong” (Luke 23:41).

This condemnation is the direct result of the universal human condition of sin: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). But when we believe in Christ and come into the truth a marvelous transaction takes place. One of the most liberating truths of Scripture is in Romans 8:1: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

The apostle John makes a  statement in our second daily Scripture that describes the human condition of self-condemnation. He describes it in a way that I can identify with when he uses the phrase, “our hearts condemn us". I’ve experienced this from time to time and I’m confident that you have as well. I don’t believe John is speaking of the healthy Holy Spirit-prompted conviction of sin that leads us to repentance. Rather he speaks of self-condemnation that can afflict God’s children, robbing them of the peace and assurance of salvation that God has provided through the sacrificial death of His Son.

The Study Bible comments on this portion of Scripture “our hearts condemn us” in the following words: 

Two truths need to be deeply appropriated from today’s text:

1) “God is greater than our hearts”
2) “He knows all things”

Today we encourage you to rest in the deep assurance of our Father’s love and acceptance. Some readers struggle with self-condemnation, which the enemy of our soul delights in. He will use that to create self-doubt, worthlessness, and tempt you to admit defeat and walk away from God; God who has not left us in our condemned state but instead has provided His rich mercy.  Let us accept the truth of God, who is greater than our hearts and humbly realize that He indeed knows all things, even those things which we do not fully understand.

Be encouraged today, Hebrews 3:13

Stephen and Brooksyne Weber