Seventh-Day Adventist Devotional For Children: “No More Condemnation”

DAILY BREAD: A DEVOTIONAL FOR THE CHILDREN

Eastern Nigeria Union Conference Children’s Ministries Department

Thursday, April 27, 2023

Topic: No more Condemnation

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus, because the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do since it was weakened by the flesh, God did. He condemned sin in the flesh by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh as a sin offering, in order that the law’s requirement would be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:1-4)

Sometimes, there are things God does just for Himself, things we may not initially understand at first, and here is one of them. Let’s take a few moments and gaze at a mystery. God sent His law for our good, but sin used the law to corrupt us. We cannot keep the law by our own power. Should God then modify the law, tuning it down to the place where people could keep it? Such a thing would dishonor God. So God sent His Son to keep the law and to condemn and shame sin. So through Jesus, the requirement of the law was fulfilled.

But what about us? Are we still trapped in sin and unable to keep the law? Jesus Christ has given us his own Spirit to reside within us, setting us free from sin’s imprisoning power. Now we are able to keep the law by the power and presence of the Spirit. And although we might still fall into sin, the blood of Jesus Christ covers us. Because we are in a new relationship with God, He does not condemn us. Whenever we repent, He has promised to forgive us. By no means does this mean that we are free to continue in sin, but sin no longer defines us or binds us. We are now living under new terms.

Thoughts for reflection
If you have been justified by the supreme Judge of all the universe, who then can declare you guilty? This freedom from condemnation does not mean freedom or deliverance from discipline from the Lord. Not only does the Lord still discipline us to bring us back from sin, but we are also still accountable to Him and there are consequences for our actions when we give into temptation and sin, but God will never condemn us to eternal separation from Him because we are in Christ Jesus.

Song
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy riven side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure,
Cleanse me from its guilt and power.

Not the labor of my hands
Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and Thou alone

Prayer :
Lord Jesus, thank you for doing for me what i cannot do for myself. Thank you for keeping the law on my behalf as my representative. Now that you have broken the power of sin, teach me to live in freedom, following the new way of your Spirit. Draw me into harmony with God, not out of obligation but in true joy in Jesus name, amen