Becoming Free from Fear and Condemnation

Have you ever been corrected at work?  It can be painful, especially when done in front of co-workers.  What do we do with our pain, especially if we know our error needed correction?

I had this experience and woke early this morning, wrestling with fears, justifications, and mostly self-condemnation.  The Lord had me read Romans 7 and 8, which became the basis for a much needed lesson.

In Roman’s 7 Paul concludes that he is a “wretched man” (Rom7:24) because of the sinful nature that still resides within him.  Indeed, our mind will be set on the things we want and we will find it impossible to submit our thoughts to God’s thoughts if we dwell in our sinful nature (Rom 8:5-7). However, there is another way to think . . . another nature that is at work in us if we walk in God’s Spirit; the nature of Jesus.  Our own fears may lead us into wrong thinking, and after those thoughts capture us, we are their slaves.  But we are not slaves to fear in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:15). Fear separates us from God’s thoughts. However, the scriptures tell us that we belong to God.

“For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship.” (Rom 8:15).

Fear of what people think about us, fear of repeating our mistakes . . . all fears can eventually lead us back to justifying ourselves with thoughts of past good we have done, and future good we plan to do.  This is why Paul lamented about failing to do the good things he wanted to, and also failing to prevent himself from doing the wrong things he did not want to do (See Romans 7). In our natural self, we look at our good intentions and either condemn ourselves with what we’ve done, or justify ourselves by our intentions.  But God offers us something better:  His justification.

“And those He predestined, He also called; and those He called He also justified; and those He justified, He also glorified.” (Rom 8:30).

We can either have our justification, or God’s. 

When we condemn ourselves because of our faults, we open ourselves up to thoughts that are lies about our future. A major lie is that we will always do the wrong we have done; once we have done it, we will always do it. However, we see in scripture that is not true.  We not only do not have to be controlled by fear, but we do not have a life ahead of us of repeated mistakes, errors and sins. Paul wrote to Timothy,

“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline (self-control).” (2 Tim 1:7)

You see, God does not mold our natures by fear, but through empowerment, belonging, and self-control. The spirit of self-control helps you to change by walking in God’s Spirit and thinking His thoughts.  We can pray for those who bring painful correction, mentor others who need information to avoid mistakes . . . these are just a few lines of thinking that fear would make unavailable should it capture our minds.  God empowers us to leave fear and condemnation behind so that we can do good things . . . things we might not have thought of without the influence of His Holy Spirit.