Yesterday I began a four-week series on Romans 8 called “Christ Alone.” This is what many consider to be the most important chapter in what might be the most important book in the Bible.

I didn’t make it past the first verse.

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

I spent an entire week on this one verse because I think there might not be a more important topic for Christians than condemnation. And I’m not just talking about our status with God. Almost every Christian believes that one day there will be no condemnation for us because of the sacrifice of Jesus. But few live in light of the truth that there is no condemnation for us now because of the sacrifice of Jesus.

In Christ you are free. Now.
In Christ you are holy. Now.
In Christ you are pure. Now.

I firmly believe that more Christians are derailed by condemnation than by loose living. And I think the root of the problem lies in the fact that we allow ourselves to be deceived by the devil’s lies and half-truths regarding condemnation.

So part of what I wanted to do yesterday was present truths designed to expose condemnation for what it is and what it does to us. I came up with 17. Like a few weeks ago with the topic of forgiveness, there was no way I could get to everything I wanted to. So I promised everyone that I would give all 17 here to help you as you fight the temptation to condemn yourself for something that Christ has already covered.

So if you’re tempted at all this week to give in to the condemnation that Christ has already received on the cross for you, remember this:

-Condemnation operates through the power of suggestion.
-Condemnation is counterfeit conviction.
-Condemnation highlights the need for change. But paralyzes your potential to do it.
-Condemnation tries to turn a momentary lapse into a permanent condition.
-Condemnation is God’s correction without God’s kindness. And this is not God’s way. (Rom. 2:4)
-Condemnation is over-identification with what you’ve done and disassociation from who you are in Christ.
-Condemnation is the master of the half-truth.
-Confrontation builds you up, calls you higher. Condemnation beats you down.
-Condemnation loves comparison and competition.
-Condemnation leads to arrested development.
-Condemnation can be a copout because it keeps you locked-in to lowered expectations.
-Condemnation likes to pull out footage from the home video archives.
-Condemnation operates through selective memory.
-Condemnation only operates in the shadows. It tries to make you believe that the shadow of your real self is your real self.
-Condemnation is the operating system that constantly crashes.
-If condemnation can’t keep you in the past, it will convince you to defer to the future.
-Condemnation’s theme song is, “Don’t expect too much from yourself.”
-Romans 8:1 says that there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. Not there will one day be no condemnation.