Devotionals for the Heart: God doesn't remember our sins after He forgives us

No Condemnation
A devotional by Aubrey Taylor

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”—Romans 8:1 (NKJV)

The Scripture above is a favorite verse for many Christians, yet how often do we struggle to walk in its truth? We may not even realize that we are living in constant condemnation, as if the devil himself is walking alongside us, whispering in our ear, nitpicking about every possible thing!

Have you ever taken the opportunity to read an account of a historical event from a different perspective than you are used to? It is amazing how different two accounts of the same event can be. Stories told about the same individual can take on totally different tones depending on whether the writer saw them as a villain or a hero. One author’s goal is to catalogue a person’s sins; the other’s goal is to remember this person with respect, admiration, and even love. They may still address shortcomings and sins, but they are able to see the individual as more than the sum of their iniquities.

Satan’s goal is to weigh us down with guilt. He would like to drag up as much condemnation as possible, framing things in a way that makes us look wicked and unforgiveable. He would like to see us live in shame for the rest of our lives. He knows that a constant awareness of our sin and unworthiness will hinder us from living the full life God has for us, and silence our witness among the lost.

Too often, I have walked through life burdened by a sense of condemnation, as if there is something hanging in my past from which I cannot escape. Or, I am afraid that I am teetering on the edge of sin, even though I’m not! Unfortunately, a lot of Christian teaching echoes these sentiments, leading us to believe that we truly can’t do anything good.

Taken outside of the context of the entire Bible, Romans 3:10 (NKJV) seems to corroborate that: “There is none righteous, no, not one.” Thank God, there are many other places in the Bible that speak of new life, walking in freedom, and how we no longer need to walk in the sin that used to entangle us. Clearly, God does not want us to keep operating as though we are sinful and unable to do anything good. He wants us to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 13:14 NKJV) and “walk just as He walked” (1 John 2:6 NKJV).

God knows us intimately, yet because of the blood of Jesus, God has chosen not to remember the sins of our past. He can also see when we are honestly struggling to overcome sins that we no longer want in our lives. He looks at us with the eyes of love and affection and has cast our sins as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12).

There will be things throughout our lives that need to change, but “condemned” is not our status before God. Our status is beloved and forgiven. Unless God is truly pointing out something that needs to change, believe today that He is pleased with you. Extend this message of love and grace to others in your life who still seem to be walking under the weight of condemnation.

Let’s Pray: Dear Jesus, thank You that there is no condemnation for those who are in You. Thank You that You enable me to walk in newness of life, and that by Your power I can overcome my sinful nature. My former sins have been erased and I no longer need to walk around with a burden of shame. Please help me remember that today as I walk more confidently in You. In Jesus Name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “East to West” by Casting Crowns. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

The only child of a single parent, Aubrey Taylor filled her younger years by creating characters and writing stories. This ended around age sixteen when music, friends and part-time jobs began to fill her time. After that came college, work, marriage, and children. 

It wasn’t until the world was beginning to come out of the COVID pandemic that God led her back to her love for writing, coupled with a passion she’d always had for history. It was time to start a new adventure!

Along with writing devotionals, Aubrey is the author of the German-perspective 20th Century Fiction series, Gott Mit Uns. She lives in Upstate New York with her husband and three children. When she’s not writing or taking care of her home and family, she enjoys singing and dancing with friends from a German choir and a Bavarian folk dancing group. She is also a lover of Jesus Christ, The Holy Bible, history, German culture, tea, and cats!

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Connect with Aubrey:
Website: https://www.aubreytaylorbooks.com
Blog: https://www.aubreytaylorbooks.com/blog
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aubreytaylorbooks/
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/aubtaybooks
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aubreytaylorbooks/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21846520.Aubrey_Taylor
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/aubrey-taylor
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Aubrey-Taylor/author/B0973KWXV8