Cheryl McGrath, February, 2003
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:31-37 NKJV)
"...that we should be holy and WITHOUT BLAME before Him inlove, having
predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to
the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which
He made us accepted in the Beloved." (Ephesians 1:5,6 NKJV)
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Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Who shall condemn us? Who shall bring any charge in between us and the Lover of our Souls that He will for even one moment tolerate? Who indeed shall come before this mighty, holy and risen Saviour and dare to accuse us? How can we entertain the idea that the One who set His face towards the Cross, who opened not His mouth in self-defence, and who had the power to call legions of angels to rescue Him from torture and execution yet chose not to for our sakes - that this One would ever hear a condemning word concerning those who He bought with His own Blood?
And though we might know that His great enemy, and ours, delights in "accusing the brethren day and night" those accusations hold absolutely no power over the children of God who have chosen to live by the power of the Spirit.
"For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of hte body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out "Abba, Father." (Rom. 8:13-15)
When we begin to lay hold of the revelation that there is absolutely NO condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, then we will also begin to lay hold of the eternal depth of the love of Christ for each one of us. I say "begin" because we MUST begin by faith in His Word, by loving Him because He first loved us, and by CHOOSING to receive the freedom He purchased for us.
The love of Christ is so all encompassing and final that the revelation of it's fullness will be unfolding to us throughout eternity. Once, by the grace of the Lord, I was allowed to experience the all-consuming, unconditional love of Christ focused fully on me for a few brief moments. The experience was so powerful I am to this day unable to articulate it. His love is tangible, life-giving and unconditional to an extent we have no frames of reference for in even the best of our earthly relationships. For days afterwards I was left in a kind of awed stupor as my flesh tried to come to terms with the limitless nature of His love. When I approached the Lord in my usual daily communion with Him I was speechless and could say nothing. It was as though it had all been said in that moment of revelation. I believe if I had been allowed to stay in that spiritual state for any longer than that brief moment, I could not have returned and functioned here in this realm, and the Lord is full of grace and wisdom in these things. However, that small moment transformed me spiritually forever. Whereas previously I had struggled, somewhat unconsciously, with receiving the love of Christ to myself, I now knew it as revelation, and having received that revelation I was unable to step back into or walk in the subtle sense of inferiority and shame (in other words condemnation) that had formerly surrounded me. There was no longer any question in my mind of having to measure up or attain a standard I could never seem to reach. I knew beyond any doubt and have known ever since that I am "accepted in the Beloved."
It sometimes seems to me that this issue of condemnation is THE major issue disciples of Christ struggle with in this world. We know that the scriptures say that in Christ there is no condemnation, but we are somehow not yet fully convinced that we are actually "in Christ". And then there's the condemnation of our own hearts which seem to take sides with the enemy to bring accusation against us at any opportunity. And so we find ourselves apparently separated again from the conscious love of Christ, with a wall named "guilt" holding us back from surrendering to His full embrace. When this lie is allowed to take us to it's final destination the result is that when we find ourselves going through tribulation, trauma, poverty, illness, or some other kind of unwarranted trouble, it is easy for the enemy to convince us that we are being punished. And so the cycle continues, we believe God wants to punish us, so we hold back from Him and sink despairingly into deeper and deeper condemnation. And in perpetuating this cycle built on a lie, the enemy has succeeded in separating us from the knowledge of the love of Christ, which has never been withdrawn.
Listen, God does not punish His children, He disciplines them, and there's a world of difference. Punishment produces only fear, the Godly discipline of a loving Father brings forth fruit in the form of character.
How shall we ever know the heights of the riches of Christ's love if we do not find Him in the tribulations He allows into our lives? How shall we ever know the depths of total communion with Him if we do not allow Him to meet us in the fellowship of His sufferings? Sorrow and tribulation that are not merited, that is that are not a consequence of our own actions, do not come our way because the Lord is angry with us. They come our way so that our revelation of His love for us will be perfected. It is "in all these things" that we seek Him out more desperately, find Him more completely and reign with Him more victoriously. Christ suffered, yet in that suffering was perfected as the ultimate Overcomer. The Bride mirroring His image is a Bride who knows her Bridegroom in that place of overcoming. She is more than a conqueror "THROUGH HIM."
Accusation and condemnation have no place in the Kingdom of God and no hold on the sons and daughters of God, IF we choose the Spirit over the flesh. The Holy Spirit was sent into the world with three assignments: to convict us of sin, leading to repentance, to convict us of the righteousness of Christ, leading to faith, and to convict us that the former ruler of our lives has been thoroughly dealt with, leading to victory (John 16:8-11). His nature is to convict, not to condemn. The world, the flesh and the devil will do everything within their power to convince you that you are a victim. The Word of God says you are an overcomer. Which will you choose?
Standing in grace alone,
Cheryl McGrath
Great South Land Ministries, Australia
Website: www.greatsouthland.org
Email: southland@greatsouthland.org