Romans 8:1: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus…”

When I was younger, there was a disease that came through my hometown and attacked trees. The trees that got infected were marked with a big red X. They were condemned. They were unfit for service. They were sentenced to death. The city then went through and cut them down, discarding them in the local dump. You can still see the places in parks and across town where these condemned trees once stood, their stumps a poignant reminder of the devastation caused by disease. Sin is described as a disease with the consequence of death. Before you trust Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, you stand condemned. You are unfit for service to God. You are living out a death sentence. BUT when you believe, you are placed in Christ, and there is no more condemnation in your life. You are made fit for service and destined for eternal life! Satan will try to remind you and condemn you, but you are free! You stand before a holy God and are declared righteous because of what Christ did for you. Never forget who you are and to Whom you belong. Don’t walk around with the big red X, ashamed, awaiting death. You are alive. You are free. You have a purpose. 

What’s interesting is that these trees looked healthy on the outside; the disease was on the inside. A lot of people walking around today don’t have a red X you can see that shows they are condemned. Nevertheless, without Christ, they are condemned to death, hell, and eternal separation from God. All that it takes to get rid of the red X is to believe in Jesus Christ. Trust what Christ did for you.

#IdentityTruths #100daysofidentity #WhoAreYou 

Photo by Mino Surkala – Shutterstock